The Surrendered and the Dead

Base10 has not made an entry in two days and boy are his blogging muscles aching. Actually Base10 has been spending his time at work, well, working. Base10 really does have to get his priorities straight!

Check out this op-ed piece in the NY Post by a compatriot of Base10. It's about the video depicting a Marine shooting of an insurgent in Fallujah. Base10 completely agrees with the premise. Liberals are confusing the rules of engagement of law enforcement with the rules of engagement in combat. Base10 does not pretend to be an expert on the laws of war, but in a combat zone, unless you're actively surrendering, you're fair game. Any insurgent pretending to be dead is a potential target if this Marine felt the slightest threat or movement.

Let me restate: there are two types of terrorists in Fallujah, those that are surrendering and those that are dead. Any individual unwilling to join the former group, is putting themselves in the latter.

Base10 also watched the video, and frankly it does not show this young Marine doing anything wrong. The individual shot is barely visible, so who can say if this young man did not percieve a furtive gesture or believed the target was booby-trapped?

The Arab media is going balistic, showing this tape again and again in hopes of whipping up apoplectic shock among extremist-leaning Arabs. (Curiously, al Jazeera has chosen not to show video of the execution slaying of aid worker Margaret Hassan). Maybe it will have this effect on Arabs, or maybe not. As Osama bin Laden himself stated, Arabs tend to abide by the "strongest horse" theory. Arabs see that America means business and we're not going to tolerate merderous thugs hiding behind a thin veil of religion. While one can argue that young Arabs will be more easily recruited by extremist groups after seeing that tape, the better argument is that young Arabs seeing that tape are being show exactly what they're fate will be should they join up with terrorist groups: a painful death far away from home.

See this piece comparing this incident with John Kerry's experience in Vietnam.

In other news, IMAO has a new cartoon character. Check him out.

Also via IMAO, check out this hysterical parody of Michael Moore uncovering the truth about the war in Middle Earth. (Note that high bandwidth versions require a subscription).

Finaly, there is a terrific short piece in City Journal by Theodore Dalrymple about why Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was murdered.

Base10 will try for more later.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:58 AM