Unconventional urban warfare means you really can't recognize the Geneva conventions because you sometimes have to shoot spotters armed only with cell phones, women who could be bombers, you can't take care oif POW's because you have to watch your back, etc.
Abu Graib of course was a disgrace, but after reading two books on what it's like to be a Marine in Iraq I realize where the rage and S+M come from, sheer frustration.
See, the troops thought they'd won a clear, quick victory in Iraq after the invasion and could soon go home. But then, thanks to piss poor planning at the very top, they found out there was no real victory at all, that the occupation would be one big ugly police action/war and that they'd be stuck there away from their women, beer, toys and homeland, slowly getting picked off. So a lot of the troops were pissed and took it out on some of the Iraqis.
This harkens back to Vietnam atrocities. I can see how they too were caused by sheer frustration boiling over. And again, the fault was at the very top, arrogant planners who think war is some kind of game of Risk. Maybe it was in WWI but not anymore. |
