Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Tommy De Seno ·
Mar 30, 2011 at 2:28pm
I've made an ongoing assertion that President Obama is President Bush on steroids:
Bigger bailout;
Bigger deficit;
Bigger expansion of health care costs;
More war; and now -
A military scandal bigger than Abu Ghraib. Rumsfeld says it is.
According to Rolling Stone, the "kill team" soldiers killed civilians, posed with their corpses for pictures and severed body parts for souvenirs. I'm not rushing to judgment - I haven't heard the other side yet (if there is one), and I certainly won't take Rolling Stone at their word.
But if it is true, it is one more reason to claim Obama has done what Bush did, only bigger (which was hardly his campaign promise).
Are there other areas where Obama did what Bush did, only bigger?
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Sep '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Bigger vacations.
Jul '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Michael Yon's take is here. For the sensitive: bovine excretory product is referenced.
As for biggerness: Bigger unemployment, bigger partisanship, bigger drone kill count, bigger Al-Qaeda support, bigger Muslim Brotherhood support, bigger ego, bigger ears.
Edited on Mar 30, 2011 at 3:02pmJan '11
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
This kind of falls under "more war," but in particular, Obama has used way more drone attacks in Pakistan. That's probably because he's more squeamish about holding and interrogating the targets, if we were to capture them alive.
May '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
How about bigger stonewalling of the press?
Jun '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
He's throwing more and more federal money into education in the vain hope that all those feminism/gender/transgender/ethnic studies majors will reinvent the economy.
Jul '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
I won't blame Obama for the putative actions of a few errant soldiers.
But I would suggest that, given the hysterical reaction of Hamid Karzai, that this might be an excellent reason for us to withdraw. Now.
Nov '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Indeed. It all "biggers" belief.
Sisyphus: Michael Yon's take is here. For the sensitive: bovine excretory product is referenced.
As for biggerness: Bigger unemployment, bigger partisanship, bigger drone kill count, bigger Al-Qaeda support, bigger Muslim Brotherhood support, bigger ego, bigger ears. · Mar 30 at 2:52pm
Edited on Mar 30 at 03:02 pm
Feb '11
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Bigger stimulus package
Longer speeches
Bigger govt. payroll
Larger negative real interest rates
More unemployment
More underemployment
Aug '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Aug '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
I dont remember Bush going anywhere for vacations except his Dad's place. Crawford looked like work, ditto Camp David. Lot better press team. Few pictures of him playing golf.None with his clothes off.
Guess the job was harder then. Where's my Botero ?
Dec '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
I incline towards Sisyphus' take, but for my answer:
Bush: Unfunded Prescription Drug entitlement.
Obama: Unfunded Obamacare.
Aug '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Bigger America-57 states.
Edited on Mar 30, 2011 at 3:45pmBigger fall from grace.
Bigger chip on his shoulder.
May '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Bush: John Ashcroft
Obama: Eric Holder
Bush: Samuel Bodman
Obama: Steven Chu
Bush: John Roberts, Samuel Alito
Obama: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan
Bush: Tom Ridge
Obama: Janet Napolitano
Bush miscellaneous: Harriet Myers
Obama miscellaneous: Van Jones
Jul '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
To: The People of Afghanistan
From: The People of the United States of America
First, let us say that we are so, so sorry about the whole Kill Team picture thing.
We won't make any excuses for that sort of behavior.
But...
You see, our soldiers are out on patrol every day, trying to protect you from the Taliban, while being shot at and blown up by IED's. That's stressful stuff.
And all the while, they're doling out cash with both hands in hopes that this will win you over.
But what happens instead is you give sanctuary to the Taliban, who, under our enlightened Rules of Engagement, are free to shoot at our troops, drop their weapons and then stroll right on by, making rude gestures.. If our troops happen to arrest them, your government releases them the very next day.
Sooooo. ..it appears that some of our soldiers, recognizing a number of "civilians" as the same people who have been trying to kill them, went, um, a tidge too far.
Our bad. We're so chastened that we see no other course than to go home and leave you to your own miserable devices.
May '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Tommy De Seno: According to Rolling Stone, the "kill team" soldiers killed civilians, posed with their corpses for pictures and severed body parts for souvenirs. I'm not rushing to judgment - I haven't heard the other side yet (if there is one), and I certainly won't take Rolling Stone at their word.
But if it is true, it is one more reason to claim Obama has done what Bush did, only bigger (which was hardly his campaign promise).
I don't think Obama should be blamed for the misconduct of these "Kill Teams". War aims, yes. Squad level tactics and behavior, no. The latter is determined at the company level.
Aug '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Sisyphus: Michael Yon's take is here. For the sensitive: bovine excretory product is referenced.
Edited on Mar 30 at 03:02 pm
Michael Yon's take boils down to this. Rolling Stone's video (titled "Motorcycle Kill" depicting soldiers shooting at a Talib on a motorcycle) is the dishonest thing - it is not one of the incidents alleged in the "Kill Team" investigation. That specific incident was handled within the ROE and law of war. (Yes, Victoria we really are allowed to shoot an AK-armed Talib riding on the back of a motorcycle - oh and the driver too. Quantity of ammo doesn't matter)
Yon's statement on the larger story, "I was not with the Soldiers accused of murder and had no knowledge of this."
He does recommend a boycott of Rolling Stone Magazine - I am with him there.
Aug '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
Michael Labeit
Tommy De Seno: According to Rolling Stone, the "kill team" soldiers killed civilians, posed with their corpses for pictures and severed body parts for souvenirs. I'm not rushing to judgment - I haven't heard the other side yet (if there is one), and I certainly won't take Rolling Stone at their word.
But if it is true, it is one more reason to claim Obama has done what Bush did, only bigger (which was hardly his campaign promise).
I don't think Obama should be blamed for the misconduct of these "Kill Teams". War aims, yes. Squad level tactics and behavior, no. The latter is determined at the company level. · Mar 30 at 4:16pm
Whaa...........?
Edited on Mar 30, 2011 at 5:20pmMay '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
flownover
Michael Labeit
Tommy De Seno: According to Rolling Stone, the "kill team" soldiers killed civilians, posed with their corpses for pictures and severed body parts for souvenirs. I'm not rushing to judgment - I haven't heard the other side yet (if there is one), and I certainly won't take Rolling Stone at their word.
But if it is true, it is one more reason to claim Obama has done what Bush did, only bigger (which was hardly his campaign promise).
I don't think Obama should be blamed for the misconduct of these "Kill Teams". War aims, yes. Squad level tactics and behavior, no. The latter is determined at the company level. · Mar 30 at 4:16pm
Whaa...........?
Yeahh.......... The manner in which these kill teams conduct operations is not under the purview of the President. These are squad based/platoon based groups of soldiers engaging the enemy. The responsibility for these teams lies with their platoon sergeants, platoon leaders, and company commanders.
Sep '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
I'm so glad to see Sisyphus refer to Michael Yon. I trust that guy about 200% more than Rummy and needless to say Rolling Stone. He's risked his life and written beautifully about Iraq and Afghanistan for virtually the entire war.
Jul '10
Re: Rumsfeld Says "Kill Team" Photos Worse Than Abu Ghraib
You're exactly correct. Still, it's worth pointing out that this was not the tune Obama's team was playing during the Bush years.
Yon, by the way, points out that (as is so often the case with these things) the "Kill Team" was brought down by other soldiers, not crusading journalists or activists.