US Congressman Says He Probably Killed ‘Hundreds’ of Iraqi Civilians
Says that can't possibly make him a war criminal
Editor’s note: What a lack of self-awareness in this character. He says he killed hundreds of civilians yet thinks he can’t possibly be a war criminal (“So, do I get judged too?”), presumably because he is an American, a ‘good guy’. Well what if it was an Iraqi artillery officer killing a hundred civilians in Branson, Missouri?
Hunter is right thing about one thing however, the only prosecutable crime sociopath Edward Gallagher committed was to actually document his war crimes in photographs and pass them around. Just about the only way an imperial trooper will be busted for war crimes these days is if he actually photographs himself doing it, eg Lynndie England of Abu Ghraib, the Kill Team. Even the Haditha murderers got nothing. (Exception: Mahmudiya.)
He is also right to point out most war crimes aren’t thought up by stormtroopers but carried out as policy and orders from above. The US way of war is criminal in itself. (And not just of the US, especially when it comes to artillery there isn’t a military in the world which doesn’t or wouldn’t do the same but that is distinct from making it moral, doubly so when your wars are completely needless wars of occupation.)
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, said he probably killed “hundreds of civilians” while serving as an artillery officer in Fallujah.
His comments were made public Monday on the latest episode of the podcast “Zero Blog Thirty.”
“I was an artillery officer, and we fired hundreds of rounds into Fallujah, killed probably hundreds of civilians,” he said. “Probably killed women and children if there were any left in the city when we invaded. So, do I get judged too?”
Hunter recalled this story in response to a question about the actions of Navy SEAL Edward R. Gallagher who is on trial in San Diego accused of war crimes including shooting at civilians. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty.
During the podcast, Hunter was asked specifically about one of the individuals Gallagher is accused of killing, a teenage ISIS fighter. According to prosecutors, the SEAL stabbed the teen who was brought in for medical treatment.
“I frankly don’t care if he was killed,” Hunter said. “I just don’t care.”
The Congressman added that he has seen photos and videos from the Gallagher case and has talked to other SEALS who served with him who say they don’t believe the charges. Hunter also said Gallagher should be given a break and that the ISIS fighter he is accused of killing was going to die anyway.
In a statement, Capt. Joseph Butterfield with the Marine Corps said the Marines are aware of Hunter’s comments, but it is too early to speculate on any future actions.
According to the statement, “Marines are required to comply with the law of war during all military operations, however characterized. If mistreatment of the dead were committed intentionally, it could be considered a violation of the law of war. U.S. service members have been charged and punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for posing for pictures with human casualties. Generally, the statute of limitations under the UCMJ is five years.”
This is not the first time Hunter has defended Gallagher’s actions publicly. At a town hall meeting in Ramona on Saturday, he said he and a lot of his military peers have posed in photos with people they’ve killed.
“He did one bad thing, that I am guilty of too, taking a picture with a body and saying something stupid and then texting that,” Hunter said.
KPBS requested an interview with Hunter but he has not made himself available.
Instead, his office sent a statement that read, “Congressman Hunter was simply trying to make a point in the Gallagher case is that almost everyone has a camera now on the battlefield. A lot of pictures are taken, some have pictures with the enemy involved, some do not. The larger context here is that the case against Gallagher is weak and the Navy prosecution has conducted itself shamefully throughout the process.”
Hunter is the first combat veteran from Iraq and Afghanistan to serve in Congress. During the podcast, he said his experience in the military is part of the reason why he decided to run for elected office.
He and his wife, Margaret, were indicted in 2017 on federal charges of illegally converting more than $250,000 in campaign contributions for personal living expenses. Both have pleaded not guilty and have their next court hearing scheduled for July 29. The trial is set for later this year.
Technically an illegal war without an international (UN) or US War Powers mandate, these crimes would be prosecuted on other planets where humans exist.
Fallujah? Mi Lai? South Korea?
All very concentrated centred massmurdering of civilian people.
Fallujah is of course fresh in our memory.
The city/town where the brave USMC under direction of their Mastermind Sir Mattis genocided a whole town. Just like on a Carnaval, shoot on everything that moves.
It could be even the birds went down by the master-hand of the Marine.
Semper Fi?
Terrible behaviour and a big black spot on the name of USMC. For ever.
And nobody of the military elite got punished. Their lives went on, that of the inhabitants of Fallujah stopped abruptly by the mood of a general, for ever.
Am an ole guy now, but in my day, I was tasked with giving a lecture to the troops, on the Laws of War.
Always liking to know what I am talking about, and have the as many answers to questions which might be asked, I started reading.
I remember as I finished reading the United States official definition of. what constituted a terrorist organization/terrorist, I realized, I was a terrorist, and the USA was a terrorist organization.
By their own words, they condemned themselves.
And I started soul searching.
When you are in the military, which invades, based on lies, foreign sovereign countries, which have in no way attacked America, murder their people, based on lies, that is a War Crime.
I was a war criminal.
I let myself be used by the USA Empire, which could care less for America/Americans, and seems to take special pleasure in screwing the Veterans, Via tax/firearms laws, and the VA.
Recall my wife and I being at a food court on a military base, there was a young marine there, never going to walk again, got messed up for life, doing war crimes against a country which had not attacked his.
He had a USA flag attached the the push handle of one side, and the Marine flag on the other.
I remarked to my wife, he is screwed up for life at a very young age, all he has left is represented in those two organization flags, and neither of the organizations, gives a flying trapeze about him!
Now, am not in favor, of bringing to trial the whole USA military.
But the ringleaders, the top war criminals, Civilian government and Military officers, should face war crime charges, just as the USA, UK, France, and Russia did to Germany & Japan, at the end of WW 2.
USA hanged the civilian and military officers of two countries, when their own hands were just as dirty, if not dirtier.
‘The Last Veterans Died For Our Freedom, Were Wearing Butternut & Gray, And Marching Bearfoot’
http://www.johnccarleton.org/BLOGGER/2019/05/30/the-last-veterans-died-for-our-freedom-were-wearing-butternut-gray-and-marching-bearfoot/
“So, do I get judged too?”
no you don’t get judged nitwit.
you get to live with it and die with it.
getting judged would be easier.”
It starts here.
“He and his wife, Margaret, were indicted in 2017 on federal charges of illegally converting more than $250,000 in campaign contributions for personal living expenses.”
have a nice day.
There is an evil that permeates the military ,especially the US military , and the higher up the ranks you climb the more evil and inhumane you become. No one is threatening or invading America ,Israel ,Britain , France or any of those other countries that practice mass genocide on a daily basis. One day these heinous and barbaric savages will answer for their demonic evil….the laws of the universe implicitly state this…and no one escapes !
Combat Vet – eh? Sat back and lobbed rounds at civilians from miles away . – Did he get any return fire – Hell No – he’s a liar, and running his mouth – and he’s living off the bloodied backs of people that couldn’t even defend themselves. You are full of Shit – Hunter – Nam 70 -71 – not in artillery – Pussee !