10 years ago today, U.S. Marines toppled a large statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, a gesture symbolizing the end of his rule.
Here’s our front page from the next day.
Also from our archive: Marine in historic photo identified — http://usat.ly/YfVjU9
Texas Governor and GOP Presidential hopeful Rick Perry accused the Obama administration of “over-the-top rhetoric” and “disdain for the military” for what they have said about the video with shows four US Marines urinating on dead Taliban soldiers. Perry, speaking on CNN’s State of the Union said the marines involved should be reprimanded but not prosecuted on criminal charges.Rick Perry Slams Obama Over Afghanistan Video (via robot-heart-politics)
The actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps. This matter will be fully investigated.A statement from the Marine Corps Headquarters • Angrily criticizing a video, posted on YouTube, that appears to show Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters. However the video, which has floated around YouTube for the past day, has not been verified. The Pentagon, however, said there is no indication that the video isn’t authentic. The video has drawn a number of angry responses from officials as varied as Sen. John McCain, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Council on Islamic-American Relations. In Karzai’s case, he called the video “completely inhumane.” If the video is accurate, he’ll find us agreeing with him. source (via • follow)
I’m a Marine and I’m not going to run from a fight. You wouldn’t want a Marine to run from a fight. Call me crazy, call me stupid. I got shot once and it just angered me more. I wanted to get this guy. I got shot twice, and I re-evaluated that decision. I decided I need to stay alive.Florida-based Marine vet Lt. Col Karl Trenker • Discussing how he got shot, days before Christmas, in a Craigslist-transaction-gone-bad. The Iraq and Afghanistan vet’s fiance tried selling a man’s gold-chain necklace, but Trenker offered to make the transaction due to safety concerns, which turned out to be correct, as the alleged buyer picked up the necklace and ran. Trenker ran after the man, known only as “Galven,” only to get shot twice. Here’s the dramatic part: Following his training as a Marine (29 years experience), he plugged the bullet holes with his fingers, a move which likely saved his life. Say what you will about the Craigslist transaction (it certainly wasn’t the best idea), but that’s pretty amazing, no matter how you look at the situation. source (via • follow)
I don’t want to lose any Marines to a distraction. I don’t want to have any Marines I’m visiting at Bethesda (Naval Hospital) with no legs as a result of any type of distraction. So that’s where I come down on this.Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos • Expressing his staunch opinion about allowing gays in his service. He says he based his feelings on the recent report done on the matter, which suggested Marines were most uncomfortable with the change. “This is what I call the real deal,” he said, “and the forces that wear this uniform that are in the middle of what I call the real deal came back and told their commandant of the Marine Corps they have concerns. That’s all I needed.” Just think – if a court decision forces your hand, James, you’re not going to be able to do anything about the matter. Think about that. source (via • follow)
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
Watch: PCB gets a visual shout out on GMA’s Yahoo/Tumblr...
Wrote a thing.
Hat tip to this headline writer.
If the law is changed, successfully implementing repeal and assimilating openly homosexual Marines into the tightly woven fabric of our combat units has strong potential for disruption at the small unit level, as it will no doubt divert leadership attention away from an almost singular focus of preparing units for combat.Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos • Offering perhaps the strongest argument against repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” His comments, made in front of a Senate panel, should be obvious in the wake of the Pentagon’s recent study, which showed Marines to be the branch most resistant to the idea of openly gay soldiers. From there, the responses grew progressively more positive, with the Army pushing for eventual repeal, the Air Force pushing for repeal in 2012, and the Navy pushing for repeal right freaking now. source (via • follow)
yakmascara said: The opinions on gays serving in the military are also significantly better among people who’ve served with someone gay before.
» We say: You got it, and to me that seems blatantly clear from the categories listed. I have an ex-Marine brother and this EXACTLY how I would predict the trends based on my experiences with people in the military.
The Afghan War’s been going on for nine years. Know what it’s been missing all this time? That’s right. Tanks. The Afghan War is finally getting its first tanks. About freaking time, if you ask someone who knows nothing about military policy (or why it’s necessary to take on terrorists with something this big), but just thinks tanks are awesome. source
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