There are probably going to be more members saying that civilian casualties are just a part of "war," because it is true, but only to an extent. I can
understand there being civilian deaths, calculated or uncalculated, during bombing raids and long-range weapons fire, because the pilots dropping the
bombs, or the soldiers firing the weapons, are not practicing precise targeting. Of course there is an element of precision involved, and the
specified target has a lot to do with the amount of casualties, civilian or otherwise.
After it has been established that yes, civilian deaths are a part of warfare, there are atrocious exceptions, such as when soldiers intentionally
seek or single out unarmed, nonthreatening civilians. Having been in the military I know that any member of the armed forces that carries a firearm
must behave by the rules of engagement. Disobeying these will more often than not result in a court marshall.
Believe it or not, there are soldiers who are just plain "bloodthirsty," and they think that because they kill a Bedouin shepherd civilian, just as an
example, half-way across the globe, it is okay and there won't be repercussions. Non-combatants should NEVER be targeted, but with that said, no
civilians should be with a standing military force, or rebel force, etc, unless they reside where the fighting is going on. Purposely going out of
one's way to step within a battleground is highly suspicious in my opinion, but again, U.S. forces have STRICT rules of engagement, and they are
drilled into the heads of any weapon-wielding military personnel, even more so if they are to be deployed into a hot zone.
So if an innocent civilian non-combatant is killed away from direct fighting, by direct and purposeful fire, they were wrongfully killed, and there
should be consequences for that action. So really it just depends on the situation. Gung ho soldiers who do not possess the necessary restraint to
avoid not only murdering civilians, but SEEKING THEM OUT specifically to murder them, should not only not be in the military, but should probably be
in therapy or prison, or both. Just because you are an armed soldier does not give you the right to murder someone. I hope everyone on this forum can
understand that point.
edit on 3/27/11 by JiggyPotamus because: (no reason given)