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Title: Marine SS Photo Riles Major U.S. Jewish Group
Source:
CBS NEWS
URL Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162 ... -riles-major-u.s-jewish-group/
Published: Feb 10, 2012
Author: CBS NEWS
Post Date: 2012-02-10 11:56:27 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 3993
Comments: 11
(CBS/AP) Updated at 10:47 a.m. ET SAN DIEGO - A leading Jewish organization and others outraged by a photo showing Marine snipers in Afghanistan posing with a logo resembling a notorious Nazi symbol are demanding President Obama order an investigation and hold the troops accountable. The Marine Corps has said it does not plan any discipline because there was no malicious intent. The Marines mistakenly believed the "SS" in the shape of white lightning bolts on the blue flag were a nod to sniper scouts — not members of Adolf Hitler's special unit that murdered millions of Jews, gypsies and others, said Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman at Camp Pendleton, Calif. The Marines are no longer with Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, out of the base north of San Diego, and Chapin said she did not know if they had left the Corps. Military officials learned of the photograph in November and investigated immediately. It later surfaced on a blog of a military weapons company. Marines posed with flag resembling Nazi SS logo In the September 2010 photo taken in the Sangin district of Helmand province, 10 Marines pose with sniper rifles in front of an American flag above a dark blue flag with the "SS" letters. Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of Los Angeles' Simon Wiesenthal Center, said he does not believe it was an innocent mistake and insisted the American public has a right to know what happened. His organization — one of the largest international Jewish human rights groups with more than 400,000 members — is demanding Mr. Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta launch another investigation and discipline those involved. "That 70 years after the United States Armed Forces helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany, to learn that a unit of the United States Marine Corps serving in Afghanistan adopted the SS insignia alongside the Stars and Stripes, desecrates the memory of some 200,000 Americans who gave up their lives to defend freedom against that infamous symbol," he said in a statement. The Corps has used the incident as a training tool to talk to troops about what symbols are acceptable, Chapin said. "I don't believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated with the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in WWII," Chapin said. "It's not within who we are as Marines." Hier said it clearly shows more training about the Holocaust and the SS unit is needed. It was the second time this year that images have surfaced showing Marines acting improperly and forcing the Corps to deal with the fallout. Last month, the Pentagon scrambled to contain the damage after an Internet video purportedly showed Marines urinating on Taliban corpses — an act that appears to violate international laws of warfare and further strains U.S.-Afghan relations. Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to offer assurances of an investigation, and the top Marine general promised an internal probe as well as a criminal one. Perry: WH handling of Marine video is "over-the-top" Perry: Don't prosecute Marines in video Ex-leatherneck: Marines in video "went rogue" Those Marines, like the ones in front of the flag, fought in former Taliban strongholds in Helmand province. They are based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., said the scandals hurt U.S. military missions. His organization sent a letter to the head of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, and Panetta on Thursday calling on them to "condemn this stomach-turning display without equivocation or delay and severely punish all of those responsible." His organization released another photo showing a Marine and his rifle with the "SS" logo. According to the Marine Corps Times, embedded electronic information in the image shows that it was released by the Corps in 2004 and taken at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif. Two Marines in it were with a scout sniper platoon. The newspaper said that suggests the practice is more widespread and that the logo's use is meant to signify "scout sniper," a position exclusive to the Corps. The Army has scouts and snipers, but considers the positions to be separate. Weinstein said more needs to be done to stop its use. "This shameful display of SS `lightning bolts' by U.S. service personnel enrages our regional allies, emboldens the extremist Islamist forces with whom we are contending, and eviscerates good order, morale, and discipline within the U.S. Marine Corps," said Weinstein, who founded the advocacy group that calls attention to violations by the military in regards to respecting people of all beliefs. Thanks to the Internet, the public throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have witnessed inappropriate behavior by troops photographed or recorded on video in acts ranging from criminal to simply stupid. Outrage spread instantly in 2004 over the release of photos taken by a group of U.S. military police abusing inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In 2008, a Marine was kicked out of the service after being videotaped throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq and joking as the animal yelped.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
This is a soap opera news item IMO. Those 20-something young soldiers probably don't know about history as well as they should. I shouldn't even post to this thread to keep it alive. I'd like some real news stories, like what's really going on in Afghanistan.
Big deal. Is there ANYTHING that doesn't rile these people?
"It is impossible to talk reason with those who can only parrot Party Slogans." sneakypete Sept 2011 Stay Hungry...Stay Foolish --Steve Jobs Steve Jobs,life-long Dim,and major Barry Soetoro supporter.
O but Fred, this is Exactly what's happening in the Afghans. As maybe 1% of our 'native Afghan Army' cannot act w/o accompanying ISAF. So when are the jews going to send their Own IDF to fight this War of Terror. How come the spectacular IDF is confined to policing their ghettoes, eh? More Afghan news: Russia says Evacuating NATO troops can exit thru Russia....LMFAO How sad is that.
still trying to recover from the ass whipping hezbollah laid on them
You still think this is about Israel? It's not, it's about the US and the rest of the Western world controlling massive sources of energy. You filling your gas tank has more to do with the situation than does anything concerning Israel.
The POST SOME...
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'! Why should they when they can pay someone else to do their dirty work.
Because they're paying with your/my $$$. Where do you think All that Sub Prime MBS trillions and $25 Trillion Bail out went?...;}
Yes, because at the least, Israel is our Cat's Paw. Our AustroHungary and we're Germany. And like Germany we've grown confused as to who is in charge. Israel's been given a blank check. Occupy Israel and we move to the Top 400 Families who think they control the USSA Empire...;}
Like How in Hell (literally;) can Israel possibly fly over the MiddleEast and attack a Nation Four Times larger than Iraq, without the USSA being able to stop them....;}
The Israeli's only left because they had restored democracy to Lebanon and their job was done....;}
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
#3. To: Fred Mertz (#1)
#4. To: mcgowanjm (#3)
How come the spectacular IDF is confined to policing their ghettoes, eh?
#5. To: mcgowanjm (#3)
#6. To: Fred Mertz (#1)
I'd like some real news stories
#7. To: mcgowanjm (#3)
So when are the jews going to send their Own IDF to fight this War of Terror.
#8. To: Fred Mertz (#7)
Why should they when they can pay someone else to do their dirty work.
#9. To: thoughtomator (#5)
You still think this is about Israel?
#10. To: thoughtomator (#5)
You still think this is about Israel?
#11. To: calcon (#4)
still trying to recover from the ass whipping hezbollah laid on them
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