US Soldier Killed

[Cyberia]

I saw it on the TV this morning. It was in Urkbakistan or something(Spelling?). They say he died from a gunshot wound but that it was not combat related. That was the extent of their story. Anyone have any info on this or heard of this?

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

So far that make 4+ killed in non cmbat accidents and 1 CIA killed iby hostile action. Pretty typical. Durring the Gulf war, from the time hotilities began to the cease fire. The armed forces there suffered la lower death rate than the same forces did in prior peacetime deployment. Being more alert in the combat zone and above NO ALCOHOL in Arabia reduced the non-combat deaths by a greater number that combat deaths increased. With all the yap by pacifists and casulaties not withstanding, the war decreased mortality among the USA armed forces participating.

 

[joespaniel]

The day we were leaving Mogadishu, Somolia a tragic "accidental discharge" by an American soldier took the life of a Tunisian peacekeeper. It was truly sad and ironic, as the Tunisians guarded our base and engaed Aidid's militia several times in firefights "at the wire" to protect us inside.

The soldier was court-marshalled. What a waste. I imagine he is serving time in Ft. Levenworth.

The "incident" in Ubekistan is probably AD too. Just an unavoidable possibility when around so many guns weilded by us imperfect humans.

 

[floppa21]

Was it the fool "American" who joined the Taliban? Maybe he got hold of a gun and killed himself. Some chump "American" gave himself up along with like 80 Taliban members... Last I heard he was being held by our troops. Traitor.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by floppa21
Was it the fool "American" who joined the Taliban? Maybe he got hold of a gun and killed himself... Traitor.

Nope, not it was not him. At least this Mr John Walker will provide asome more ethnic diversity among the defendants in the forthcomming trials.

 

[floppa21]

Isn't he subject to more than the average Taliban member since he is a defector/traitor/possible spy?

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

He has be fighting against USA armed forces. A citizen waging war against the USA is the definition of treason in the constituion. Delcalred, undeclared, "police action", with foreign powers, as a rebel, or as a pirate are irrelevant. The only elements are conducting warfare aganst the USA, & being a USA citzen. Coducting warfare has in the past een intepreted as broadly as willingly making propaganda brocasts for the enemy. McVeigh could have been prosecuted for treason, any citzen who aided the 9/11 attack can be prosecuted for treason. Various groups that have declared them selves indepent or "common law" powers and used armed resistance could have been prosecuted for treason. The goverment usually has forgon treason prosecution when it had other severe crimminal charges to pursue.

 

[VoodooAce]

At least, being an American citizen, he will get a fair trial. Right? I'm sure he'll be tried for treason. And found guilty, I hope.

Or will we make even more of a joke of our judicial system and find a way to deprive him, too, of what should be a basic human right......a fair trial at which you are innocent until proven guilty?

 

[civilized]

oops, sorry

 

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by VoodooAce
Or will we make even more of a joke of our judicial system and find a way to deprive him, too, of what should be a basic human right......a fair trial at which you are innocent until proven guilty?

I wonder if Ashcroft gets credit from anyone for not allowing Walker to be tried before a military tribunal as US law allows.

 

[Greadius]

Military tribunals are as big a farce to our justice system as Jim Crow laws.

Yes, he is being given a fair trail, but he is not being accussed of treason. The Constitution requires two eyewitness to the act of treason, and most eyewitnesses died in the prison uprising (or by Military Tribunal, but we would never hear about that).

There are a plethora of other charges he is being brought up on though; involving violating the U.S. neutrality act by fighting in Kashmir, and a plethora of conspiring charges (conspiring to kill U.S. citizens, destroy property, ect).

 

[ComradeDavo]

Was it the fool "American" who joined the Taliban? Maybe he got hold of a gun and killed himself. Some chump "American" gave himself up along with like 80 Taliban members... Last I heard he was being held by our troops. Traitor.

He choose his religion over his country........if he hadn't he would have been a traitor to himself. Which is worse, being a traitor to your country or a traitor to yourself and your beliefs?

Dunno about the American soldier but an Australian soldier was killed by a land mine a few hours back

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Indeed, it was confirmed that a member of the SAS died of injuries after his vehicle hit a landmine. No details were available regarding his identity, and the precise location of the incident.

As to the comment on treason, it is a ridiculous statement. The man made war on his own country, and chose its enemies over his own homeland. No religious or personal beliefs excuse that.

 

[ComradeDavo]

As to the comment on treason, it is a ridiculous statement. The man made war on his own country, and chose its enemies over his own homeland. No religious or personal beliefs excuse that.

You say that now but would you say the same if someone overthrew Castro? Or if there was a coup in North Korea? Do you think that German's who opposed Hitler were traitors?

And excuse what? Joining an army? It's not as if he actually took part in any attacks on the USA, in fact it was the American troops attacking him.

Whats so wrong in fighting for what you believe in?

 

[Greadius]

Originally posted by ComradeDavo
Whats so wrong in fighting for what you believe in?

Nothing. If you can find anything redeeming about Mr. Walker-Lindh's beliefs you might have a point there.
Or perhaps the fact that his beliefs were a perverted form of Islam that doesn't seem to coincede with most of the religions practitioners and teachings.
Or the fact that he was fighting for a regime which conducted systematic repression of women, religions, technology, medicine, free-speech, or any other of those 'backward' Western humanist values.
The Taliban was shaping up like the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. But I suppose moral outrage at systematic murder is a relative cultural value.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Greadius, you sum it up nicely there.
But I think you must have misread what I said, that last post was refering to the double standards Simon Darkshade was using.

I am not saying that what he was doing was right, just that he should not be branded a traitor.

I am fed up of the way he is being used as a scapegoat and an icon of hate. He's just a guy trying to do what he thought was right, I doubt he even knew about all these things the Taliban did, I mean before September 11th would your average American even have known where Afghanistan is???!!! I doubt it, even less likely that they knew who the Taliban were and what crimes they commited.

And has anyone even bothered looking into his history? I'm sure if you went asked an average USA citizen they could give you a lecture on why he is evil but ask them about his past and there probably mutter something about the 'damn liberals'.

 

[CurtSibling]

Originally posted by Simon Darkshade
Indeed, it was confirmed that a member of the SAS died of injuries after his vehicle hit a landmine. No details were available regarding his identity, and the precise location of the incident.

As to the comment on treason, it is a ridiculous statement. The man made war on his own country, and chose its enemies over his own homeland. No religious or personal beliefs excuse that.

Pity about the Special Air Service man.
Even the best of the best are not invulnerable.

But for the Taliban sympathiser...
A traitor understands what he is doing, when he betrays.
This clown was no wide-eyed idealist, he understood
that when he joined with the Taliban against his own
people, death would be on the line.

Nothing excuses the slavering fanatics who carried out the
atrocities in NY and Washington DC…Or those who join them.

 

[Greadius]

To be fair, when he joined the Taliban they were just a murderous group of thugs, not a pseudo-government. Granted, being an American surrounded by people who want to kill Americans must seem very strange, but he chose to do that.

When he joined the Taliban I doubt he knew what he was getting himself into. The Taliban elements in Pakistan which recruited lied frequently to potential members about the 'paradise' being built in Afghanistan. Potential members were made to believe that the theocracy based on Mohammed's teachings were their goal, as compared to the power-grabbing lunacy they were actually a part of.

As for Walker-Lindh's background, he had been very anti-American in his sentiments before he went to Pakistan. There is an extensive collection of posts he made on a usernet where he pretended to be a black Muslim.

And I don't know if liberalism had anything to do with it... I find difficulty seeing anything liberal about the Taliban. Walker-Lindh rejected everything he was, so to say where he came from caused it is ignoring the obvious.

 

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Greadius
When he joined the Taliban I doubt he knew what he was getting himself into.

He was a member of Al Qaeda, met with OBL, & IIRC knew that people had been sent on a suicide mission to the US as early as June of last year. He knew what he was getting into.

 

[scorch]

awww, that poor man!!!


**** all the inocent afghans killed, lets cry for the american.