FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!!!

• Paul Coletti
• 16 Mar 07, 04:50 PM

We're live tonight talking about the US marine charged with killing 18 in Haditha and just how warm a welcome will Sir Elton get in Trinidad and Tobago when he plays there in April? You can listen live or contact us using the myriad possibilities of text, e-mail or phone - details on the right >>>>.

Combat Ops: Where does the buck stop when things go wrong?

Robert in the USA called in to say “patriotic Americans will understand that war is ugly and that men will face life and death decisions. Innocents are dead because insurgents are playing dead or hiding in mosques.”

Haythem has called us from Baghdad: “nothing can justify the killing of innocent people. The 24 people had nothing to do with anything.. Americans are supposed to protect Iraqis not kill them.”

Robert: “I can understand this. I was in the Gulf ’91 and we left early. You can’t think longer. I’ve had friends whose sons have died in Iraq. It’s not just the Iraqi people paying a price.”

Another e-Mail from Adam: “I’m a veteran of the first gulf war and do not believe the American military is trigger happy.”

Haythem: “We haven’t seen freedom. All we’ve seen is chaos and blood and killing.”

An e-Mail from Timothy: “Any charges placed on this soldier are absurd. As a veteran of the Iraq war myself, I can tell you from first hand experience this soldier did exactly as he was trained to do. If a soldier can’t execute this kind of slit second decision, he may not only be endangering other innocent lives by not acting, but the lives of fellow soldiers as well. In Iraq there is no distinguishing of who is “good” or who is “bad”. unfortunately, everyone is potential insurgence.”

Colby Buzzell: “Politicians should be more aware of the situation they’re putting the troops in. I don’t wanna be in situations like that. If you do the wrong thing you could face luife in jail.”

Captain Amyas of the British Army: “American kids grow up with guns around them. It’s a cultural attitude. Our policemen don’t even carry gun. There’s a nervousness around weapons when kids join the army.”

Court has e-Mailed in
Hi WHYS! I feel that while the actions of these troops are horrible, it is the reality of war. Civilians have been killed in every war known to man. When you send an armed military who is tired, scared, doesn't have the full support of the very people who sent them there, and don't have a clear description of who the enemy is, accidental deaths will happen. Really, this is just another example that Iraq is in a state of civil war.

We’re off for the news but don’t go away . . .

Chris in Oregon has mailed us:
“U.S. policy coming from the top says that the U.S. should have impunity for its actions, that we are above international law in a number of key ways, because of our putatively inherent goodness. Unfortunately the attitude of impunity, as long as we say we have good intentions, trickles down. Soldiers do make decisions under pressure. But they do so within a culture that dehumanizes Iraqis, with comrades killed by anonymous IEDs so those responsible can't be identified. The fault ultimately goes to the fact that this whole war began with illegal U.S./U.K. aggression.”

James is in Japan: “The case of Frank Wuterich tells us the US troops are acting very irresponsibly and callously.”

Gary Cross runs californiaconservative.org: “Based on what I’ve seen, if they hesitate in that situation they are putting themselves at risk.”

James: “I’ve never been in combat but people in WWII had a hard time killing ‘cos they saw the people close up. The US army is dehumanising them with video games. We have to go up in the senior command chain and ask if these soldiers are being trained correctly.”

Adam Wittenberg writes for a local paper in Frank Wuterich’s home state: “The people that know Frank and his family have stood by him. This is a very divided area of the country. Connecticut is known as a blue state.

Michael: “It’s fast and furious. I’m not saying anything goes in war. You take it case-by-case. To expect perfection is foolish and ludicrous. I regret killing hundreds of people in Vietnam. But there are other things I regret even more like leaving Vietnam early and seeing the people get butchered. That’s what gonna happen in Iraq if we leave.”

An e-Mail from Andy:
“First of all the pilot was not being fired upon so it was not a split second decision. He even noticed the Allied indicator on the target. The decision was incorrect and the American Government tried to hide it. Yes he asked for confirmation and he was given incorrect information. However he is in the situation and needs to use common sense. As for the other situation it sounds like a reflex action which is what ground troops are taught to do. Tough call.”

An e-Mail from Rob in the USA:
“I don't believe that "firing first to protect yourself" is an acceptable excuse for the marines' actions in Iraq, given that their entire mission is supposedly to protect, not to kill. Our soldiers put themselves in harm's way, for which they should be applauded; but part of that mission is to be the ones that have to suffer for the sake of the Iraqis.
However, if you don't like that (and I don't), you should take it up with the people who began this ill-conceived war in the first place: the United State government.”

Robert has e-Mailed:
1) The Marine who is being torn apart for firing on the civilians still has to live with the faces of his "victims." What about those suicide bombers who don't even live to see the damage they do, or the lives they destroy? Why is no one demanding the leaders of those groups withdraw from the conflict the same way they are all but demanding the U.S. withdraw?

2) I recall that the airmen involved in the death of the British soldier were told that there were no friendly units in the area. If that is true perhaps the discussion about firing on the target was to decided if their information was accurate or not. They did not just make an attack for the sake of blood.

Alvin has e-Mailed:
I support Captain Amyas. American Soldiers are trigger happy. You don't have those incidents with British Soldiers who have a reputation of bein very disciplined and "in charge".

Several texts in on this subject:

Records have shown that civilian shields have given cover to insurgents. From Palestine, tm Iraq, Afghanistan tm Somalia, the story is same. Fidelis in Lagos.

The only original thing we do in life is mistakes. it is never intentional, but has lots of lessons 2 be learnt. Philip, Nigeria.

I am amazed that civilized man makes rules for war. I would expect rather that there should be rules against war. For as long as there are wars, innocent lives'll be lost.
Anon

I can't help thinking that if, instead of a US marine who had killed Iraqi civilians, it was an SS soldier killing suspected resistance fighters, he would have gone to Nuremburg and been hung as a war criminal.
Jones, USA

If Iraqis cared about Iraqis being killed why have more died due to insurgents and Saddam? Why cant they clean their own mess?
Anon

Soldier are trained either to live or die. If they can not identify their enemy in a war, they should withdraw instead of killing unarmed civilians. Majid, Nigeria.

UntiI the bomb strikes, no one can tell who is the civilian & who are the terrorists. Therefore coalition troops are not to blame for deaths when defending themselves. From: Willie Benson, Barnersville, Liberia

Have we forgotten what Vietnam has taught us? Women and children are carrying weapons and bombs. Not to mention car bombs. Iraqis fight like cowards.
Jason,USA

In my opinion, it would be easier to drill thru glass to get to the oil than to waste any more time or American lives with this war.
Jason

Lubna in Iraq: Hi, US and UK forces behave with complete irresponsibility in iraq, They cut the major roads as they like, detain and murder people with cold blood, not caring if those murdered people were innocent or not, bottom line, they behave as if they owned my Iraq, as if Iraq was theirs, not ours.

I can't help thinking that if, instead of a US marine who had killed Iraqi civilians, it was an SS soldier killing suspected resistance fighters, he would have gone to Nuremburg and been hung as a war criminal.
Jones, USA

A few e-Mails from the US:
Kelly, USA
Innocent people have been killed in EVERY war that has ever happened on this earth. How can we possible expect to have a war where this doesn't happen? It would be so much easier if the "bad guys" had some identifier so that only they were targeted. War is still nasty no matter what inventions come along that limit damage, people will still die. It's a horrible thing.

Steve,USA
The Americans admitted that they made an error. What else did they need to know? They messed up, they were negligent, and this happens in every past war, and will happen in every war in the future. Will finding out the specific reason for the error bring back the dead soldier?

Not justifying the war, but to the caller in Iraq who says there's no freedom in Iraq since the invasion, I suppose he stayed home and didn't vote in the elections that put into power the first democratic elections in decades in Iraq. I'm sure there was more freedom when the ballot had only one option, "Saddam" in the past.
Steve, USA

Elton John in Trinidad and Tobago

Philip Isaac is the Archdeacon of Trinidad and Tobago: “It is not what god wanted for mankind. Mr. John is a human. Apart from his sexuality, god loves all the creatures he made. His sexuality I am sure God does not condone. As to whether he comes to Trinidad and Tobago is neither here nor there to me.”

Rahul has asked Mr Isaac if he’ll be singing along with Elton: “I didn’t even intend going to the Jazz festival. It is not because of religious reasons.”

Ricardo Walsh hosts a call-in show on Power FM 101 in Trinidad : “I conducted a survey on my morning programme and the majority of the callers were annoyed by the comments made by the good reverend.”

An e-Mail from Adam:
I had coffee with a couple of homosexual men two nights ago and was not tempted to leave my wife and become homosexual. Therefore going to a concert by Elton John would likely not result in me abandoning my heterosexual lifestyle.

Lereiya Dare is in Jamaica: “I don’t have a problem with gays. It’s their choice. I know the bible speaks against it. In Jamaica they are against it.”

Stephen has e-Mailed in from Oregon: “I wish the Arch Deacon was correct, if only it were that easy to change a person’s sexual orientation by song, I might not still be a single gay male. The church should be more focused on building bridges versus tearing them down.”

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