" the other preferred response to insurgent violence is to go shoot all of the men, women, and children in the houses nearest to where the bomb went off. Either way, I guess these methods save the US a lot of time and money, since they don't have to bother with any investigations. "

If it were "preferred", it would be far more common.

I guess tha FACT that it is being investigated negates your entire arguement.




"Separately on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Multi-National Corps-Iraq commander, ordered troops to undergo fresh training in legal, moral and ethical standards for the battlefield, in response to what the mayor of Haditha has called a "day of catastrophe."

"Of the nearly 150,000 coalition forces presently in Iraq , 99.9 percent of them perform their jobs magnificently every day," Chiarelli said in a statement.

"They do their duty with honor under difficult circumstances. They exhibit sound judgment, honesty and integrity. They display patience, professionalism and restraint in the face of a treacherous enemy. And they do the right thing even when no one is watching. Unfortunately, there are a few individuals who sometimes choose the wrong path."


http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/01/military.training/index.html