U.S. soldiers fired on a dusty Toyota yesterday, when it didn’t stop at a checkpoint. They killed between 7 and 10 people, among them five small children. The shootings came after a suicide bomber killed four American soldiers just days ago on that same strip of highway near Hilla in central Iraq.
In a war-fog eerily reminiscent of Viet Nam, U.S. forces are having trouble deciding just who the enemy is. Americans have accused Iraqis of breaking the rules of war by wearing civilian clothes, pretending to surrender, and using civilians as human shields. Iraqis have accused Americans of targeting civilians, homes and hospitals. Each side accuses the other of war crimes. But in a conflict where one force is bigger, stronger, and more technologically advanced, some say the old rules don’t apply.
Guests:
Scott Silliman, director of the Duke Law School’s Center for Law, Ethics and National Security, and retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force.