What Are We Doing... What Are We Doing???

From Yahoo! News on Monday:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US military snipers in Iraq are "baiting" Iraqis by scattering items such as detonation cord, plastic explosives and ammunition, and then ambushing and killing those who pick them up, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to comment on the Post story, which reported such actions were being taken at the urging of Pentagon experts on special operations.

Are we fishing and hunting as if we are after wild animals in the woods? Are we setting traps so that anyone walking by might pick up the bait- and get killed? Is this what we are training our soldiers to do?

I am deeply saddened by much of what I see happening with Iraq. I am disturbed that we will now have another 40 years of dealing with consequences as we did after Vietnam. I am worried that what we have stood for as a nation for so long is again being challenged by the awful tragedy that is war.

Obviously the Pentagon is aware of this or the following would not have been necessary to say:

But Whitman did say the US military rules of engagement "certainly recognize and reflect the values of this nation."

No, I don't think so. War does that regardless. It is not who we are, even though war may sometimes be necessary. (Although I am not sure about this one!) Let's recognize that war can turn us into what we don't want to be.

And then pray that the war will soon come to an end and allow both sides to find peace.