Review of Battle for Haditha (2007) by Jayesh S — 18 Mar 2008

A terrifying insight into how civilians always becomes the only true victims of every conflict despite (and because of) the efforts of both sides. This is a particular indictment of the cowardly mullahs who delight in the slaughter of innocents (calling them martyrs, even though they never chose to be) because they know it will blackmail and brainwash more to join their insurgency. Al-Qaeda are portrayed as the religious nuts they are with no ideological support amongst ordinary Iraqis, the US top brass are concerned only with the reputation and image of the marines (enough to cover up atrocities) and not the decaying mental states of the individuals that they employ, and the "Arab countries" who seemingly take the moral high ground by damning the US from abroad have themselves abandoned the civilians of Iraq.

This is a war of attrition where innocent people have again become human shields for both sides, and the responsibility lies mainly with the blinded, self-serving commanders-in-chief (on both sides), not those that are made to pull the triggers.

The worst thing is that 40 years on, nothing has changed from the Vietnam War.