Who is guilty of murder?
Yesterday 23 year old sniper Sgt. Evan Vela was convicted of murder in the death of an unarmed Iraqi man. http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/02/10/tearful_us_soldier_admits_killing_iraqi/
His commanding officer testified with the following:
"I told Sgt. Vela to pull out his 9-mm (pistol) and 'crack it.' I told Vela to shoot," said Hensley, who was acquitted in November of murder charges in this shooting and two earlier killings but was convicted of lesser charges. He received immunity for testifying Friday. When asked why he didn't kill al-Janabi himself, Hensley said: "Sgt. Vela happened to be the guy with the pistol. The Iraqi's head was at his (Vela's) feet. I would have gladly shot him myself."
As you all know I am totally against war and the especially the “collateral damage” civilian carnage. But I have to say that I feel so badly for this young man and feel he is getting a raw deal here. The one who gave him the order has immunity for his actions and that seems so fucked up to me.
The military goes into schools, use their dirty tricks http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/12/MNGF4CNN711.DTL
to get kids to join, train them to be killers and to obey orders. Even though they are also taught that it their l right and duty to disobey “unlawful orders”. http://www.omjp.org/ArtLarryDisobey.htm
Even though “I was only following orders” http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/nurem.htm
should not be an excuse for war crimes I believe that war is a crime itself. So who is the real murderer here? Sgt. Vela is just another victim of the ones who taught them to kill and sent them to war.
The number of Iraqi and Afghani civilians who have died can be and are being argued about all the time. But the indisputable fact is that more civilians die in these wars than combatants. Dropping of cluster bombs in my opinion is a war crime.
And those who are really guilty of murder will never stand before a court. George Bush, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and the list of neo-cons who planned and orchestrated the war in Iraq . Wars of aggression. http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2005/03/00_krieger_war-illegal-illegitimate.htm
are illegal under international law and preemptive war http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Preemptive_war
is very specific in its use. Just War Theory is a guide used for a long time also to judge if a war is acceptable. Pope John Paul recognized that the war in
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0210-03.htm
I could go on as you know, and I might. The question is this. Is Sgt. Vega a murderer? And if so why are the ones who sent them to murder not also on public trial?
