The "pissing scandal"

I'm sure readers are aware of the scandal that's erupted over the behavior of four US Marines who were filmed peeing on the bodies of what were alleged to be dead Taliban guerrillas in Afghanistan. They've apparently all been identified, and I've no doubt they'll face military justice Real Soon Now.




I agree that this incident should never have happened, and that it was deplorable. However, I think that in their rush to judgment, too many people are ignoring the reality of combat. Consider these truths.

• In war, when an enemy behaves brutally, ruthlessly and in a terroristic fashion, he earns contempt and vilification from his opponents, rather than respect. Consider how Americans reacted to such conduct from Japanese troops during World War II. If you've read Eugene Sledge's magnificent "With The Old Breed" (and if you haven't, you should!), you'll see he describes Marines pulling gold teeth from the jaws of dead Japanese soldiers, casually mutilating their remains to obtain skulls or other 'trophies', and so on. This was considered unacceptable by many at the time, but it was nevertheless widespread. In Vietnam the enemy were described as 'gooks' (among other, less savory terms) and treated with contempt by many US servicemen. The way in which these dead Taliban were treated is merely another chapter in the same, ongoing story. Indeed, war is dehumanizing to everyone who takes part in it. (Consider the story of the tortured village and the patrol that avenged it - scroll down at the link to find it.)
• These young Marines were pitchforked into a war that, like Vietnam, appears to have no end in sight, and is not being fought with the full resources and national will of the United States behind it. Indeed, their own President has begun to withdraw US troops, so they know that they're being forced to risk their lives in a war that they're ultimately guaranteed to lose. In their shoes, I'd be pissed off at the enemy too - not to mention at the entire US military and political establishment as a whole!

Yes, this incident should never have happened: but I'm not surprised that it has. I'm afraid these four young men are going to be legally crucified by the Marines, because their fate must send a message to the rest of the US armed forces about what is, and is not, acceptable behavior. If they were allowed to get away with it, such incidents would probably increase in frequency, bringing further shame and disrepute to the USA: so they'll be used as an example. Nevertheless, I feel for them. If I'd been in their shoes, I'd like to think I'd have maintained the higher standards I'd been taught from my birth, and wouldn't have behaved that way . . . but on the basis of my own operational experience, I just don't know.

I can't put it any better than that. I just don't know. To paraphrase John Bradford: "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

Peter