Rules Of Engagement Page #7

- Is that what it says?

- Yes.

Do you recognize

the speaker's voice?

No.

Dr Ahmar, in your opinion,

is this propaganda...

representative

of that demonstration?

No. I'm not a member

of Islamic Jihad!

The crowd

was singing songs.

I heard them from my clinic.

What was your reaction when you

learned that Colonel Childers...

had been selected

to lead this mission?

I was very pleased. The colonel

had a distinguished record.

- He's a nationally renowned war...

- How did you define his mission?

We wanted to increase security,

but frankly,

if things got threatening,

we wanted an evacuation.

So you weren't looking

for confrontation?

No, that's what we wished

to avoid at all costs.

What was your reaction

to what happened?

I was stunned,

appalled.

Wasn't the severity of the problem

at the embassy understated?

Absolutely not.

We operated on the information

we had at the time.

I have here a State Department

report from Yemen.

It's exhibit "M".

Will you read the underlined

sections for the court, please?

Certainly.

'January25.

Grenade thrown at police car.

January 27. Sixteen Western tourists

abducted by fundamentalist group".

- Go on, please.

- "February 6."

- A bomb explodes in a car...

- You got today's Post?

- Yeah.

- Yeah. Give it to me.

Stun grenade thrown at newspaper

kiosk near a police station.

March 13.

A military officer...

is seriously wounded by

Yemen's first... donkey bomb.

Explosives were apparently

concealed under the saddle.

Thank you.

I have another State Department

document, dated 17 November.

It's from the ambassador

to you.

Will you read this

for the court, please?

Dear Bill. Please, we must revisit

our previous conversation...

in that the security measures we

have taken are still inadequate...

"for the protection

ofour mission to Yemen".

You have to understand that

when I received this letter...

Thank you. Now, there are...

Well, are there... cameras...

mounted on the roof of the embassy?

- Uh, yes.

Are they designed

to observe and record...

activities in the public spaces

outside the embassy?

- Yes.

- Where are the tapes?

Uh, it's my understanding

the embassy was looted.

Maybe the cameras

were destroyed.

This is a photograph.

It is exhibit "D" for the court.

It's a picture of a camera

on the embassy roof.

Does it appear

to be damaged?

No.

- Where are the tapes?

- I don't know.

Don't you think

the United States owes it...

to Colonel Childers

for 30 years of service...

to find that tape

and produce it here?

Objection. We don't know

anything about any tapes.

- This is pure speculation.

- Sustained.

This is a shipping manifest.

It's exhibit "O".

It is a list of items removed from

the embassy during the evacuation...

and shipped

to the State Department.

Will you read

line six, please?

Videotape from security

camera, VHS, one.

You too busy to look at those

tapes or you just didn't care?

Objection. He's badgering

the national security advisor.

Sustained. Counsel,

please proceed carefully.

- Where are those tapes?

- Objection! Asked and answered.

Oh. Yes, right. Right.

Don't you think it's funny...

that a tape that could exonerate

my client is missing?

I don't think it's funny at all.

Withholding evidence

is a very serious crime.

- Objection.

- Sustained. Counsel, rephrase.

Withholding evidence to frame

a United States Marine...

is no less evil than charging

my client with murder.

Where are those tapes?

Colonel, I turned over all

materials in my possession...

to Major Biggs.

If those tapes showed a happy

crowd of peaceful demonstrators,

we'd be looking at 'em.

Objection, Your Honor.

This is contempt.

Colonel,

this is your last warning.

It was a new security system.

The cameras were pointed down

at the crowd.

Tapes were recorded, and those tapes

were sent to the State Department.

Why are those tapes not here?

Objection, Your Honor.

I've seen no such tapes.

No further questions.

There are no tapes showing

the crowd firing weapons?

None that I'm aware of.

And the government has turned

over all of its evidence?

Of course.

Colonel Hodges has gone

to some length...

to have you read security reports

illustrating violence in Yemen.

- Yes, he has.

- Here is today's Washington Post.

Will you read these headlines

that I've underlined...

from today's Metro section?

Agent, kidnapper killed in

rescue of businessman's son.

Bomb threat evacuates

Museum of Natural History.

Officer chases truckdriver,

fires 38 times.

Husband shoots wife,

himselfin street.

Mr. Sokal, does this random,

unfortunate news mean we should...

allow Colonel Childers and his

troops loose in Washington, D.C.?

Don't answer that.

Thankyou, Mr. Sokal.

Present arms!

Order arms!

Take deep breaths, sir! You're

almost out of here. Stay calm.

I hope you know

how to fold it, sir.

Thank you, Colonel.

I'll never forget this.

Krasevitch is hit!

Corpsman!

Corpsman! Sh*t!

Goddamn it!

Engage hostile targets

as they appear!

Waste the motherfuckers!

Cease fire!

Cease fire!

Cease fire!

Order arms!

I was proud of my marines.

They showed

remarkable discipline.

Why didn't you fire

at the snipers in the buildings...

instead of at the crowd below?

Because I believed we were

in greater danger from the crowd.

- Was that crowd firing at you?

- Yes.

The demonstrators in front of

the building were firing at you...

in addition to the snipers?

- Yes.

Why didn't anybody else

see that crowd firing?

My men were

under cover on the roof,

except for Krasevitch

who was on an observation post.

And why isn't he here testifying

on your behalf today?

Because he was killed in action.

He died in my arms.

So you were the only man left in

a position to observe that crowd?

Yes.

Where else have you been

in combat, Colonel?

Vietnam, Beirut,

Panama, Persian Gulf.

Can you identify that blue and

white ribbon on your uniform?It's the Navy Cross.

Do you remember the citation

that accompanied that medal?

For conspicuous gallantry in

the face of great personal danger,

reflecting great credit

upon himself,

"the United States Marine Corps

and the Naval Service".

Your witness.

Colonel,

you gunned down

more than 80 people.

You wounded

another hundred or so.

Could this have been motivated

by a desire for retaliation?

I was protecting my men.

Sergeant Richard Krasevitch was

shot only a few feet away from you.

- Is that correct?

- Yes.

And right after Sergeant

Krasevitch died,

you ordered open fire

on the crowd?

- Is that also correct?

- I was taking fire.

There were weapons

in that crowd.

Well, you wouldn't shoot

unarmed people, would you?

No, I would not.

Even in the heat of battle, you

wouldn't shoot an unarmed person?

No.

This is exhibit "F".

Will you please read

the following to the panel?

Rules of engagement governing

ground conflict in urban areas.

One. If possible,

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