The Unworthy Dead

The "accidental" deaths of an entire Iraqi family (12 family members in all), from a United States air strike reminded me of the article I am posting.

Although the article was written June 21, 2004, the event that prompted the author to write this article is very much similar to todays event. It also demonstrates that our standard operating procedures and rules of engagement haven't changed for the better...

We still terminate people's lives based on questionable intelligence, and our "smart" weapons aren't as "smart" as they were made out to be...
and now for the article:
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"The Unworthy Dead"

'for ours is the one true creed, they said and ours are the worthiest of the dead' --patriot games--

by-Michael Sky
6/21/04

This weekend's bombing of an alleged al Qaeda safe house in a poor residential neighborhood in Fallujah brings to mind last month's wedding massacre. In both cases, the US military had what it calls "actionable intelligence"--war speak for "there's decent odds we'll kill some evil-doers"--

In the aftermath of each bombing the military was quick to proclaim an important victory in the war on terror even as local Iraqi's protested the loss of innocent lives--especially in the wedding bombing--

When confronted with evidence that their intelligence was more questionable than actionable, given the women and children among the dead, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt answered efficiently:

"it is standard operating procedure to conduct a detailed collateral damage estimate prior to approval of this type of mission. The collateral damage estimate was within permissable limits, and this operation was within standing rules of engagement."

Translation before we bomb residential neighborhoods, we always try to guess how many women and children might get damaged. When we guess low enough numbers, it's bombs away.

By deciding in advance that some innocent deaths are permissable, the military shields itself from the complaints of survivors and meddling do-gooder groups.

"it's war," the Generals say, "and innocent people get killed in war,"
also "collateral damage, permissible limits."

Bottom line, we tell the world that the deaths of innocent Iraqi's do not count for as much as the deaths of innocent Americans. The slaughter of innocent Americans, after all, is reason enough to spend hundreds of billions, to start three wars, to kill tens of thousands.

The slaughter of innocent American's "changes everything."

Slaughtered Americans are the worthy dead, their passing matters in the most profound ways.

Slaughtered Iraqi's...do not matter as much. They are the unworthy dead, lives that don't matter, permissible deaths, within reasonable limits.

reduced to statistics on detailed collateral damage estimates.

total cost of mission: ten bombs, a full load of Jet fuel, 3 women, couple of kids, and a baby...well within permissible limits...