350-
Aren't many of these "insurgents" actually islamofacist tourists on an excursion planned by AQ? How many of them are formerly SH's boys? Still want to leave them running around loose?

If they want to take on the US military, they best be prepared to accept the consequences. We capped "dead" and "wounded" in WW2 in the Pacific for the exact same reason this kid most likely did. There were even films of it happening. Want to tell a USMC WW2 Pacific vet he's a psycho killer? The total lack of understanding of what happens in combat when fighting what can at best be politely called "irregulars" show just how little our education system has taught the younger generation about what truly transpires in armed conflict. Go back and read your WW2 history, then move forward to Korea. Note that this is nothing new. Better a dead terrorist than another sad letter to the folks back home.

What's the big deal, these guys are always talking jihad, how the prospect of death doesn't bother them and the mother of this and that and cutting peoples throats in cold blood, so we're just obliging them with the American version of Jihad which so far seems to be tactically and technologically far superior. After all we're just effecting their early delivery to their promised land of so many virgins. What somebody forgot to tell them is that virgins don't generally put out.

good point about the virgins ....
A comedian once said .... I don't want all those Virgins, gimme a couple sluts that know what they are doing ...

952 - you will never be adequately informed until you have either been in the place that this Marine was - the exact place, or by chance had a nice long discussion with him, point-by-point.

Now tell us: what might your PhD be in? Human relations? Suspended reality? Or the little-known talents of mental spoon bending?

I was almost afraid to open this thread....but I am proud of the reponses (at least most of them)...particularly from those who tend to lean a little to the left.
The video made it clear that the young Marine thought the guy was faking death in an attempt to continue the attack....the terrorist's hands were covered and he started moving. You only have to move a few inches to set off an IED. After all the booby traps, etc...I would have shot him too. If the terrorist had been wearing a suicide vest of lying on a claymore..they would have all been killed. Notice the Marine did not shoot the guy who kept his hands in plain view......obviously he wasn't just killing out of some sort of murderous rage.
I have to laugh about the post above invoking the Geneva Convention for the guy fighting from a mosque (against the convention), in civilian clothes (against the convention)..after other soldiers had been killed the same day by booby trapped bodies (also against the convention)...etc.

Oh, 350...your beloved insurgent "freedom fighters" were picking off civilian women in food lines today with snipers.....Strange way to fight for one's country.

Regardless of the situation, this has to be one of the coldest comments I've ever heard from a real person. The person killed had a family too, you realize, I'm sure they "give a sh**". Whether or not you feel dismay for the enemy, that's a dangerous mentality. Have you ever had someone close to you die, or been near death yourself, to see it's impact on your family? Its not like killing a cockroach, at all. Sometimes I wonder if people realize how precious ALL life is.

why do people refer to them as terrorists .. just cuz they are shooting at us .. well we are shooting back, are we terrorists..no

they should be refered to as insurgents or the opposition, or Iraqi defenders..
People are lumping everything into terrorists. Terrorism is a tactic people ...

just a thought ..

I made this comment earlier... and I will make it again in another way. If Iraq invaded New Zealand, I would get a gun and kill as many as I could, in fact if any country did I would go hard. Given all the guns in the US, I imagine every second person would be out there if Iraq invaded being an "insurgent"...

I have not decided about my PhD yet... I am leaning towards nonlinear programming and heuristics in a manufacturing application. Or perhaps a game theory application in a manufacturing environment. Either way I want this degree to keep me behind the computer screen, the masters thesis was field research and it was a pain collecion data.

Island, you're obviously not capable of mental sparring with such an intellectual giant.
:rolleyes:

Oh ok, well I have been working full time the last 2 years since I finished my honours degree. I work as an analyst for a multi-national manufacturing company. I have worked in Australia, Germany and recently in China. But thanks for your concerns.

What would you call people who use snipers to kill innocent civilians standing in food lines?

What do you call someone who would murder a female, noncombatant CARE worker?

What would you call folks who plant bombs on their dead so when the enemy gathers them up for a decent burial...they are blown up?

What would you acll folks who show the white flag to surrender and then when your guard is down...shoot you?

What do you call people who behead innocent civilians?


Insurgents? Freedom fighters? Heroes?....How sickening.

I am sure thats not entirely true... he is not doing too badly considering. You should be more supportive.

Terrorists are those who use the tactics of terrorism to strike fear into the enemy. Our strength and better-trained military strike fear into our enemies, as it should. You don't rattle the cage if you know you're going to get your arm bitten off.

These "insurgents" as you'd have us call them... They are cutting the heads off of innocent civilians in an attempt to scare others into not helping the coalition. How are they not terrorists?? Their tactics are to shoot & run and hide, they make roadside bombs, and take civilians hostage... I don't see how that makes their point of view legitimate in any way whatsoever.

If these terrorists had a legitimate grievance against us, why don't they stop the fighting and form a political party. If their ideas are what the people really want, then let the people decide if they want freedom or more rape rooms, torture chambers, killing fields, and mass graves. They have to use the tactics of terrorism because they know they will lose in the arena of ideas.

Now, now Bryan, no fair making sense.

How do you know the guys cutting heads off are insurgents and not terrorists? As they may be exclusive.

So it does not quite make sense... you need to qualify that they were insurgents... and that term insurgents was given to people fighting the invading US army that did not seem to be identified with any kind of group, but people off the street protecting their houses and families. If they were terrorists, then they would have the same name as terrorists, surely.

The story was clear that they were fighting from a mosque and wore no uniform.....they are terrorists.

Hmmm...well keep up the good work, and maybe I'll drop you the name of a Hollywood game agent who secures seven-figure contracts for his "gamers."

Word of advice in Hollywood: they hate vitriol unless they write it themselves. ;)

Scared and wounded and trying to hide from the US soliders running around shooting people at will. Yeah terrorists.