When Will This Cruel Conflict Be Over?

RE: For 2 Grieving Families, Video Reveals Grim Truth (7 April 2010)

To the Editor:

This is perhaps one of the lowest points for public relations in the Iraq conflict. The entire event and the sources available have demonstrated that perhaps the U.S. forces have become too trigger-happy. What has made me furious is the fact that many of the articles try to defend the actions of the troops, stating that it was a "fog of war" moment. Due to limited vocabulary, this is insanely ridiculous. Even with an untrained eye, I could see that the "weapons" carried by the two Reuters reporters were cameras, much smaller than an AK-47. The other men held weapons, but were casually walking around. The article mentioned that Bravo Company was near by, but in watching the footage, the audio clearly said there was no American troops near the site, which otherwise would have given just cause for the attack. There is also no talk of reprimanding the soldiers who were involved. I find this preposterous, especially with all the media coverage and the ambiguous nature of the event. I do not think this event calls for court-martialing the troops, but justice must be served and consequences given, even if that means making another black stain on the U.S. military.

Kellye Tamura
9 April 2010
Greeley, Colo.