Re: Little early to be passing judgement, isn\'t it Clarky?
Of course we'll find a scapegoat if news of this becomes wide-spread and enough people freak out about it. Who did you want to blame, however? (Assuming facts as described above.)
(1) The soldiers who investigated and likely reported that it was just a wedding with a few people firing pistols into the air? Or...
(2) Totally unrelated, the helo pilot who saw muzzle flashes in the middle of the night when he was flying his patrol out over the desert - and then proceeded to neutralize what appeared to be small arms fire directed at his patrol?
I can tell you right now that the helo patrol doesn't need authorization to return fire. Those boys have been getting holes poked in their birds for a year now, with several downed by small arms fire.
The story leaves open the possibility that the soldiers investigated and then called in an air strike, but I find that highly unlikely. If that's the case, however, then I have no problem dropping the hammer on someone for a gross error in judgment.
Like many others things which have transpired (and will continue to transpire) over there, it's a tragedy - but that's war. As the article notes, it wasn't the first wedding we obliterated, nor will it be the last.
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