Truths and Lies

With the good comes the bad and we are reminded of the words General William Tecumseh Sherman said in an interview during the American Civil War, "War is Hell".

As a US Marine faces charges for committing real war crimes against civilians in the village of Haditha, Iraq a former Army recruit faces charges for falsifying a video he made for Iraq Veterans Against the War where he stated he participated in a massacre of civilians in an Islamic mosque. The soldier, in question, of course, never made it out of basic training and has never been to Iraq but that didn't stop the IVAW from initially trumping up the video in an attempt to smear both the US military and President Bush.

Here is the truth: Marines who committed war crimes in Haditha have been arrested and are going to face justice. That is the end of the story. Ironically, Jesse Macbeth, a liar, is also about to face justice too.

There have been real crimes committed. Such is the nature of war and the purpetrators who committed such acts should be, and are going to be, held accountable, however, the vast majority of military personnel act honorably and with a deep respect for the safety of civilians. To support a liar like Jesse MacBeth just to make political points is just as dishonorable as the Marines being charged for war crimes.

It's the pot calling the kettle black.