Originally posted by DeltaThreeEight
I dont condem the actions our government has taken on the bombings of Iraq and the innocent lives it took. But as far as I know, it was NOT on purpose! And if anything (it would seem anyways) we are ashamed of it. (Or at least on the media we are apologetic.)

I don't know who you mean by "we," but the military is damned sure not apologetic, and they know exactly what they're doing when they go through major cities unloading bombs all over the place. I've seen video of coalition troops slaughtering probably 4 or 5 people from a distance for just walking around through a field at night. We've loaded up ambulances transporting injured civilians, bombed kids' schools and everything. What would it even matter if our military was sympathetic? The way we're fighting over there is killing many, many more civilians than is even approaching necessary, and certainly MANY more civilians than have ever been killed of ours.

It's just sick, how do you get to the site that shows this awful beheading?

Believe it or not..... until tonight (June 13, 2006) I had never seen the Nick Berg video. I saw it tonight as I was looking through ATS on my nightly exploration of my new home. I downloaded it to a file I keep on my computer of "Military Oriented" stuff. I watched the entire video from start to finish only once.... but watched the actual killing several times. As I am watching this horrific sight..... I have a flashback to something that happened in Vietnam..... not a beheading, although knowing some of the ARVN (South Vietnamese Army) and some of their tactics... that was possible during VC interrogations..... no, this flashback is of a High School friend of mine who was Army and in Vietnam when I was doing my tour at Phan Rang (1969-70). Charles (my friend) and I became best buds in High School. He JOINED the Army.... I JOINED the Air Force. As luck would have it I guess, his first assignment in Vietnam was at the same time of my 2nd tour. Through our parents, who were good friends, we found each other and started writing. Charles would send me photos of VC they had killed on S & D (Search and Destroy) missions. He even sent me photos, holding up VC ears that they had cut off of the bodies. One of the members of his unit even had made a necklace of VC ears that he wore around his neck. These things were done to SEND A MESSAGE to other VC. Of course, the VC would do the same to some of our troops. One of the most graphic and horrific things I ever saw (and this gets to the Nick Berg video) was during one of the convoys I went on from Phan Rang to Cam Ranh Bay. On this particular day, the convoy stopped along the roadside as there was a body hanging from an erected pole off the road. We all got out and went over. We found an American GI hanging there by his testicles. His throat had been slashed and there were cuts all over his body. It was evident, even for those of us who were not use to this sight on a daily basis, that his death was NOT a quick one.

As I watched the Nick Berg video... I remembered this...... WHY? Because like the Vietnam memory....... I tried to understand HOW IT FELT to be MUTILATED while you were still ALIVE. I cannot imagine a more terrible way to die than how Nick Berg did..... it makes the Vietnam memory pale by comparison. Oh.... and Charles.... he was killed in action a few weeks later I was to find out. His unit was ambushed by VC. His body was mutilated to such a degree that his parents had to have a closed casket service (which my parents attended and told me about in a letter). The saying "Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword" came true in Charles's case.

To all of those families and loved ones who have lost someone you love.... my HEART really goes out to you.

Peace!

Dave