by Guest Author Ross Caputi
Let me reiterate, I am not accusing Chris Kyle, the American Sniper, of being guilty of war crimes, nor am I saying that he was a bad person.
I am arguing that he was not a hero. He and I both participated in an illegal and immoral war and occupation, and that deserves no praise or recognition. In particular, we both have the same blood on our hands for helping to destroy the city of Fallujah.
It was not the actions of individuals that made the 2nd siege of Fallujah the atrocity that it was. It was the way the mission was structured and orchestrated.
- The US did not treat military action as a last resort as required by principles of just war. The peace negotiations with the leadership in Fallujah were canceled by the US.
- Almost no effort was taken to make a distinction between civilian men and combatants—also in violation of international law. In fact, in many instances civilians and combatants were deliberately conflated.
- All military aged males were forced to stay within the city limits of Fallujah (women and children were warned to flee the city) regardless of whether there was any evidence that they had picked up arms against the Americans. Also, water and electricity was cut to the entire city, and humanitarian aid was turned away. Thus, an estimated 50,000 civilians were trapped in their city during this month long siege without water or electricity and very limited supplies of food.
- These civilians also had to survive a ground siege conducted with indiscriminate tactics and weapons, like the use of reconnaissance-by-fire, white phosphorous, and the bombing of residential neighborhoods. The main hospital was also treated as a military target.
The end result was a human tragedy, an event that should be remembered alongside other US atrocities like the massacres at Wounded Knee and My Lai Massacre.
Ross Caputi, a regular writer for engagingpeace.com, is a former Marine who participated in the 2nd Siege of Fallujah. Today he is on the Board of Directors of the Islah Reparations Project. He is also the Director of the documentary film Fear Not the Path of Truth: a veteran’s journey after Fallujah Ross holds an MA in Linguistics and he is working on an MA in English Studies at Fitchburg State University. Read his blog here.