Count Me Out

Haditha defense lawyer says killings were legal

O’BRIEN: Okay. My understanding is that at least from their description you have to selectively shoot the threats. In other words, you can’t just open fire in a room that might have civilians inside, you have to determine where the threats are coming from and shoot at the threats. And if you listen to the description by CNN employees who viewed the photos, the aftermath. There’s a description of women, and a child shot in bed. Elderly woman shot. Other reports have said an old man in a wheelchair was shot nine times. A group of girls between the ages of one year old and fourteen years old all dead. I’m not sure how those would be perceived—a one year old baby shot would be perceived as a threat.

PUCKETT: No that wouldn’t be perceived as a threat if you had the time to give it some deliberate thought. But when you think that people who are behind a door who are going to kill you, and you don’t know who’s behind the door—perhaps the Marines were taking care of themselves first. And looking out for their own safety. And I think most of the American people understand and need to do that. (emphasis added)

No, actually, most Americans are horrified. What you give here, Mr. Lawyer, is the best justification for barbarism since Atilla the Hun. No, I'll take that back, Vlad the Impaler.