umm...was this legal?

U.S. soldiers found a guy who was looting wood. Wood was on his car, soldiers took a gun, popped the car, and ran it over with a tank.
the guy was a taxi driver. the car was his life.
Taxi

Need more detail to be able to tell the reasoning. Do you have a link to an article?

EDIT: Sorry, hadn't watched the video before writing that. As for legality, what's that? They're under martial law in Iraq currently. I would still be interested in more on this or the rest of the video, though.

[Edited on 5-7-2004 by junglejake]

Well, after watching the vid, I can say that what WAS illegal was stealing wood. Remember, STEALING is what was wrong here - had the taxi driver not been commiting a crime, he would still have his car. This just seems to me like more Anti war BS - sure there may have been other options, but you know what - now that guy can't STEAL wood using his car. I say they did the right thing, though there may have been other ways to deal with the situation.

yea but does the punishment fit the crime?
i mean the guy needed his car to make a living. now, he cant support his family.

It's EbaumsWorld.com, y'all. Same place people get those "OWNED" images you see all over the place.
It's about as good a news source as Pravda. It's a joke site.
Direct from the front page: "this website is not your average joke site... this site is so funny you wont be able to sleep at night"

Deny ignorance.

-B.

When I watched it, I was a bit shocked at the extreme action taken on stealing a small amount of wood; I didn't see the need to totally wreck a person's car for that.

if that is what the military tankers do i am ashamed to have them in the bloody military all that man was doing was getting some wood BIG DEAL wood it doesnt grow on trees it IS trees
damm tankers

Absolutely illegal.

Destruction of private property is not legal in wartime. Crimes commited by civilians in a war zone are subject to due process.

These tankers were taking the law into their own hands playing judge, jury, and executioner of cars.

Plus, allowing the useless waste of discharging of ammo into that car first suggests to me a breakdown in discipline, command, and morale.

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by DeltaChaos]

PEOPLE IT'S WOOD!!!!! Come on!! You cant ruin someones car for taking WOOD!!!!

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by AD5673]

Banshee, that video does look real to me. I don't think anyone has access to any military tank. It could have been done as a joke to those tankers, but the taxi driver did lose his car. I don't know what to think about this. But if the only reason was what the soldier said on video, they overstepped their boundaries.

I am going to say this and I know I will get flamed for it, but it is what i think. Just like in this forum we have a lot of people that want anarchy and want to do whatever they want, no matter the consequences of their actions, you will find the same kind of people even in the military. Those soldiers took it into their own hands to give judgement to a small misdemeanor and did what they wanted to have "some fun."

If, it is true, and to me it seems to be.

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by Muaddib]

Originally posted by Banshee
It's EbaumsWorld.com, y'all. Same place people get those "OWNED" images you see all over the place.
It's about as good a news source as Pravda. It's a joke site.
Direct from the front page: "this website is not your average joke site... this site is so funny you wont be able to sleep at night"

Deny ignorance.

-B.

It's originally from a PBS frontline special.
"Truth, War and Consequences"
www.pbs.org...

Originally posted by DeltaChaos
Absolutely illegal.

Destruction of private property is not legal in wartime. Crimes commited by civilians in a war zone are subject to due process.

These tankers were taking the law into their own hands playing judge, jury, and executioner of cars.

Plus, allowing the useless waste of discharging of ammo into that car first suggests to me a breakdown in discipline, command, and morale.

[Edited on 7-5-2004 by DeltaChaos]

I totally agree. Destroying the car will not stop them from stealing wood, only hinder the process of obtaining it. These soldiers seemed totally outta line in their actions. Also I "paid" for those bullets to be shot at the enemy, not a civilians car. Hopefully these men will not need these bullets in the future but most likely they will.

They deserved it. They complain we can't set up a government and they go out and loot things. Its their own fault.

From the sound of it this was not the first time something like this had happend, so I would like to know; if the penalty for using your car during looting, was loose your car, would everybody still be upset?

Not depending on what you are looting but LOOTING+CAR= NO CAR

are worlds apart. As far apart as conquerer and conquered, as far as rich and poor, as far as Christ and Arab.......

Even if it were legal it was not the right thing to do....

G

Originally posted by Banshee
It's EbaumsWorld.com, y'all. Same place people get those "OWNED" images you see all over the place.
It's about as good a news source as Pravda. It's a joke site.
Direct from the front page: "this website is not your average joke site... this site is so funny you wont be able to sleep at night"

Deny ignorance.

-B.

I've followed Ebaum's World for a while now, and I don't think this is faked. He usually hints at whether or not their content is faked (if they even know because, in any case, it's not the site's own work). They find the stuff and post it for others to see. Check out this footage from Iraq (not positive on its origin) that's quite similar as far as its controversy. (I'm sure many have seen this, but it's worth posting again simply for anyone who hasn't seen it):

www.media.ebaumsworld.com...
EDIT: Changed Link.


[Edited on 5-7-04 by Carvador]

Jetsetter...first, the nights over there are very cold, they were getting wood because of this, to get warm. If your family was under the same circumstances of not having anything to warm themselves at night you wouldn't have taken wood?

If they would have stolen furniture or gold or any other "valuables" then I would consider it looting, but for wood?

Those soldiers are scumbags if i was there i would have taken all of them to the brig myself.

You forget....WOOD is valuable in a Desert....

Muaddib, I coulnd agree with you more. There is one main motive here. Wongly though, they used the taxi drivers livelihood as theyre outlet

"they wanted to have "some fun."

-last

actually this guy was let off the hook most of the time if you loot they just kill you