Let me see if I can narrow it down for you.

In Vietnam we were fighting against a nation which had military forces, land, sea, and air.

Even though we could have bombed Hanoi into rubble with just the use of conventional weapons, and although in the later days of the war we did some intense bombing, we still chose not to bomb them into rubble. We still were slective in our targeting. The Rusell report is basically misinformation: We did not intentionally target hospitals and schools, they were collateral damage.

If we would have chose to turn Hanoi into rubble, as we did many German and Japanese cities, it would have been a technical violation of the Geneva convention.

In Vietnam, at one point in time there were "Free Fire Zones". In effect this meant that anyone in these zones were considered to be armed combatants, or sympathizers of armed combatants (enablers).

To provide you with an extreme example:

During the Son My operation, of which My Lai and LT Calley became infamous, the area had several villiages that was a known stronghold for the 48th VC Local Force (LF) Battalion. The non-combatants (civilians) were suspected to be VC sympathizers.

On the day of this operation, several villages in the My Son AO (area of operation) came under attack, by Task Force (TF) Barker, which was a battalion-size unit of the Americal Division.

Prior to inserting troops into the AO, it was "prepped" with artillery fire and Helicopter Gunships. There of course were a number of civilians killed during the "prepping".

When the troops were inserted into the AO, LT Calley's 1st Platoon, C Company entered the village dubbed My Lai (4). He and several of his troops executed a large number of civilians.

He was Court Martialed and was convicted for killing civilians.

Now the subtelties of what is considered to be a war crime and what isn't comes into play and is often a very fine line.

Some may ask why isn't it considered to be a war crime when villages known to contain civilians are targeted by artillery and Gun Ships. Well it may actually be a war crime under the rules of the Geneva convention, but it is also SOP for inserting troops. This is an "impersonal" use of fire power, just as carpet bombing is.

Why then would LT Calley be guilty of a war crime? Because he at a "personal" level made the decision to kill unarmed people.

When the Tank Commander made the "personal" decision to kill unarmed people, how is it a different scenario than that of LT Calley?

Actually I empathized with LT Calley and I empathize with the Tank Commander, but at the time I fully understood why LT Calley was, and should have been, Court Martialed.

I have stated time and again that war is criminal in and of itself, and is a dirty affair, beyond the understanding of those that have never participated.

It is simple. The land was originally the home of the Palestinians, jews and a few christians.

The Jews started a mass exodus of Europeans and started a war of terrorism against the British. For land that did not belong to them. But they were prepared to kill anyone who was in their way, by any means they could. Mostly terrorism.

When the British had had enough of PALESTINE. The Jews were the most organised and managed to hang on to it. They have since then made heroes and Prime Ministers out of ex terrorists.

Now they do nothing but complain when they are hit back by terrorist.

The answer is simple, you want it to stop?

GIVE THEM BACK THEIR LAND AND STOP STEALING IT BY MOVING PALESTINAINS OUT AND PUTTING UP JEWISH SETTLEMANTS.

Napalm and claster bombs never was conventional weapons according Geneva convention

How do you know this - from fucking CNN reports?
Only one country do not recognize Russel report - US ,and everybody undestand why: US intensionaly target hospital and schools, populated areas, you may find many sources regarding this - not only Russel report

Did you forgot UN resolution from 1949? It suppose to be two countries, but Arabs decide attack Israel and lost.

I spent more than thirty years in the Army, part of those years, I was an officer. Also I spent three tours in Vietnam, so I have a certain personal insite as to what we target, how we target, and when we target.

Not at anytime have I ever stated that we abide in full by the Geneva Convention. Not at anytime have I ever stated that we are always morally right.

I have stated and others have stated, we do what we think is in the best interests to the US. Sometimes other Nations/Peoples benefit from this, sometimes they suffer from this.

Just to cut to the chase we are the biggest, baddest dog on the block, and as long as we are in that position, the world will have to suffer with whatever perceptions of us they have.

We in turn do not have that concern.

In addition; to intentionally target hospitals and schools, would not be a cost effective expenditure of munitions, would not serve any military or polictical purpose and would not be in persuance of the ending of conflict.

Thus the report is misleading information.

This is good a start. I have nothing personal against US solders who fight this war - they were just fresh meat. Let say, I am also have some personal knowledge about this dirty affair, but this war was start by greedy US government and they suppose to admit this for now officially, but instead they try to teach again other nations International law.

Not true, - intentional civilian trageting always serve military and political purpose - look at history books regarding any war

I don't know why you say this is a good start. That has been my expressed position on this board and most of my adult life, only the young, or naive, think any differently.

The rest of your post I do not understand what you are talking about.

I did not say any different. Read the post and in that I am correct. I know that hospital and schools would not be selected as intentional targets for the stated reasons.

I have not directly answered the original question in the topic of this thread.

No I would not like to see Israel take a beating.

Having said that: I am tired of the tactics being used by Israel and I for one would vote to withdraw military and financial support, if it isn't stopped.

The Israeli government has the right to continue in stupidity, but I would prefer that they do it without our weapons and our money.

Why do I think the tactics are stupid? Because they exacerbate instead of eliminate the problem. The tactics are hate oriented more than they are results oriented.

I have posted my propsed solution to the problem, more than once, so I will not repeat it here. I am satisfied that it is not the perfect solution, but it is one that I believe would get the desired results.

As I have stated multiple times the wheel continues to turn and will for, at the least, the rest of my lifetime.

As for the tactics, political and military, of the USA; I will just cut to the chase. We do whatever we choose to do, be it percieved to be right, or not, by the rest of the world, whatever we consider to be in our best interests, and as long as we are the biggest and baddest, the world will just have to deal with it.

Enough said.

mic:

I had not checked your profile before now. It says Toronto; are you Jewish?

No, but I worked in Israel for almost 3 years in the 90s and have great sympathies for this country after.

Mic, where did you work here ? what did you do ?
where did you live ?
Spill it...

:)

I worked in Jerusalem - US based company Electric Fuel LTD and lived in Kiriat-Gat, I worked as a chemistry P.H.D.

I see, cool.
How did you adjust to Kiriat-Gat ?
It's a working class city pouplated mostly by "blue collar" people, although Intel has a huge center there.

7 months ago I was in Kiriat-Gat.
I was working for a web development company and I met people at a company called Shalon.
They are world leaders in gas masks and ABC equipment.
It was right after 9/11 and they were working in 3 shifts around the clock.

You've made quite a u turn: from a chemistry P.H.D. to the adult world ?
Pretty rare :thumbsup

Intel was not even in project yet at the time I left K.G. Regarding chemistry - I am also have master in Computer Science and worked in mainstream web development for the long time in US and Canada.

is this the largest poll ever?

They shouldnt have sold it to begin with. Not their land anymore.

English clearly is not your first lanquage. What is?

Oh yeah.. thats right. I forgot. The Palestinians sold their land.

You should change "notjoe" to "not that bright".

Very interesting.
So you probably know the city I live in :Ramat Gan, it's right next to Tel Aviv, about an hour drive from Kiryat Gat.
Anyway, if you'll ever be here again on business, pleasure or whatever - you must contact me.

At 1948 Jewish ownership of land was just about equal with arab ownership of land is israel