No. You always respond with a greater level of force. This is what leaves no doubt about a future outcome of a provocation.
Agreed, but where do you draw the line, what do you do when your enemy doesn't play by your rules..... when your enemy fires on you from positions surrounded by civilians and you can't defend yourself?. When the families of those who offer aid or support you or those who accept aid and help from you are targeted, raped and mutilated? What do you do, how do you "be better"?
If we stoop to the same sort of heinous acts the enemy does to our fallen warriors we become no better than they are and lose what ever moral high ground we hold.
I'm not disagreeing with you, when you take on the role of a protector you open yourself up to cowardly attacks, and there's some truth to the precept of offering aid for surrendering combatants as it weakens their resolve....... But...... Maybe beating your enemy with his own stick is the only way to get his attention.
I understand your point. The same problem we had with the Viet Cong, ambushes, children with bombs and other horrifying events. And, yes, we must fight as hard as we can, again, on the battlefield, but not the graveyard. Maybe a minor distinction to some, but seems more major to some of us. Similar to not desecrating native american graveyards. Guerilla warfare, snipers, spineless cowards, and all the rest of the misguided ass^&&* should be tracked down and dealt with, I agree with that. Just hoping to keep our civility and the grandeur that is America and our fighting forces. We 'do better' by not stooping to their level. Not easy, granted. c
Speaking of which, the American Indians at the Battle of little big horn severely desecrated and dismembered the dead bodies of Custers men. I don't know, maybe they had it coming to them. I'm one who considers it a very minor distinction. To me there is no such thing as a "civil" war. Personally I think all Muslim's KIA by us should be dowsed in pigs blood and buried face down. But that's probably just me.
UCMJ, laws, etc. aside... I understand what they did on an emotional level but on an intellectual level it's wrong no matter who the enemy is. Can't think of anything that pisses me off more than our dead being on the receiving end of shit like this so from the propaganda angle, this will encourage fanaticism.
What I don't understand is why they would video it. Then share the video. I don't give a shit what they do to the dead bodies. But recording it? THAT was stupid.
The problem with this rationale is we are the ones in their country. We are the invading force. The reality is war like conditions tend to bring out the worst of what humanity has to offer and that is one of the main reasons why it should only be waged when there is an imminent threat to our nation. Afghanistan simply does not qualify. It made sense to go in there and try to root out the people responsible for 9/11. Fine. I get that...but we are well beyond that point. Bin Laden is dead and his organization is shattered. It's time to come home.