The Haditha Killings

This piece, Haditha and the Nature of War, from Talk of the Nation (10/5/2006 - 30:12) features an interview with journalist William Langewiesche in which he discusses his in-depth article, "The Rules of Engagement," on what happened in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005, when insurgents blew up a Marine Humvee, killing a popular 20-year old Marine, and the bloody, much-disputed aftermath in which 24 Iraqi men, women, and children were killed. (Report at Wikipedia)

Musings

• If you read Langewiesche's piece, you will get a sense of the grim, horror of the American presence in the middle of an insurgency, especially the muddled question of who are the "good guys" and "bad guys"?
  
  
• In the NPR interview, Langewiesche uses the metaphor of an iron wedge going through water to describe the impact of U.S. military patrols in Iraqi villages--that is, a tool that creates a big but only momentary effect on the immediate environment. After the patrol-wedge leaves, everything fairly quickly returns tot he status quo.
  
  
• Langewiesche's piece is entitled "Rules of Engagement," undoubtedly a tricky term--here's a brief article at Wikipedia.

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