Re battle a football field length away:

The battle was well documented by other reporters at the time, and confirmed by the military. The battle was a hot zone, meaning gunfire was being exchanged.

Re definition of murder: You may call mustard mayonnaise and sunup sundown, and the U.S. has made a concerted effort to avoid killing civilians, but bullets have a really tough time recognizing the difference between the guy carrying an RPG and a guy carrying a camera. I will compare the U.S. track record for civilian deaths with any country in the region, such as Syria, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. At least we make an effort to avoid civilian deaths.

Re how would I feel if it was my family: I would feel sick, of course. On the other hand, I would also be urging my loved ones to get away from the guys carrying the RPGs, because they have large bulls eyes painted on them.

The gunships rarely hover in place because it eats the most fuel and causes issues with respect to being able to maneuver when coming under attack. In a battle such as the one that was taking place, the gunships could have been anywhere from 500 feet off the ground to a couple thousand feet off the ground. The gunships would have been easily seen and heard, though the men on the ground may have thought that the gunships were part of the nearby battle and not looking at them.

Re invisible AK-47 packing reporters: I see you are making stuff up now to support your absurd position. I said there were men on the ground carrying RPGs and AK-47s. I never said the reporters, who were dressed similar to the men carrying those weapons, were carrying anything other than cameras.

Re how did the pilots determine they were about to be fired upon: Let me think. There is a battle 300 feet away (well within the lethal range of nearly any projectile weapon in existence). There is a cluster of men carrying long-range weapons (RPGs and AK-47s). The men are clustered around the corner of a building, which is a perfect area for evasion and or attacking. Do you assume the men were taking their weapons for a neighborhood walk? Perhaps they were waxing their RPGs. Or maybe they were preparing to enter the battle that was a block away.

One of the most easily recognizable weapons carried by insurgents is an RPG. Even AK-47s can be tough to recognize on a bouncing picture in a helicopter, but the RPG has a distinctive outline. The only reason to use an RPG is to kill a large group of people or to take out a vehicle. Friendly forces do not use RPGs. When a guy breaks into your house carrying a gun, do you invite him to dinner or shoot him? The difference between being alive and dead is what you do.

I wonder – *pointlessly of course – whether you would feel the same way if you were one of the helicopter pilots who had seen your friends killed by IED’s or shot down by RPGs.

*Pointlessly, because I do not expect an honest answer.

Actually, never mind. I realize that GEMont has never been in battle. GEMont has never seen a buddy ambushed, blown apart by an IED, or shot down with an RPG. GEMont needs to believe that everyone loves each other and wars are absolute. GEMont needs this delusion to remain true in his mind and that no amount of reality will ever change that tune. I know hopeless when I meet it.

So you can put your head back in the sand now.

If you really want to change the situation in Iraq for the “better,” get us the hell out of there. While we are there, I expect our people to stay alive, and killing RPG-carrying members of the population is the only way to do it.