Rules Of Engagement Page #8

the enemy will be warned first,

then asked to surrender.

Colonel, did you warn

the enemy?

We arrived in helicopters.

We were standing on that roof armed.

Did you warn them, either with shots

into the air or by a loudspeaker?

Did you ask them

to surrender?

No.

I'm sorry, no, you did not

warn the crowd?

Yes. No, I did not

warn the crowd.

Continue, Colonel.

You seem to know them by heart.

Deadly force

is the last resort.

- Go on.

- Three.

When possible, try to arrange

for the evacuation of civilians...

prior to any U.S. attack.

Did you do that, try

to evacuate the innocent people...

before you slaughtered them?

Objection. That is inflammatory.

- Rephrase, Major.

Did you try, following Section C

ofthe rules of engagement...

for ground conflict in urban areas,

to evacuate innocent civilians?

- No.

- No.

Yeah, yeah.

I just have

one more thing, Colonel.

Did you have to repeat

your orders to Captain Lee?

- I'm sorry?

- You ordered Captain Lee...

to engage hostile targets,

and he advised you...

that there were women and children

in the line of fire.

- Is that correct?

- He couldn't see...

Yes or no, Colonel? Didhe

follow your first set of orders?

I don't remember.

Captain Lee is on record

as saying he hesitated...

and mentioned the snipers

in the buildings.

- Is his testimony accurate?

- I don't remember.

Let me get this straight.

You evacuate

the ambassador.

You go back to the roof.

Two of your marines are K.I.A.

A third,

Sergeant Krasevitch, dies.

"You give your captain

an order which he doesn't follow;"

in fact, he questions.

And then you said what?

I don't remember.

You don't remember

what you said next?

It was combat,

not some training exercise.

A moment later,

your men were shooting.

What did you say

to make that happen?

I don't know.

You must have said something.

Captain Lee reversed himself.

- What did you say?

- I don't know the exact words.

- Let me help you.

- Your Honor.

You said, "Waste the motherfuckers,"

didn't you?

- No, no, no.

- You didn't say it?

- It all happened so fast...

- You're under oath, Colonel!

Let me refresh

your memory.

This is exhibit "ry" a tape

recording made aboard...

the U.S.S. Wake Island of all radio

communications received that day,

including your exact words.

Your Honor, with your permission

I would like to play this tape.

If you got it on tape,

then that's what I said!

They were killing my marines,

so, yeah, I said it!

Waste the motherfuckers!

- Are these "the motherfuckers"?

- Objection.

- Overruled.

- Yes!

- These?

- Objection!

Yes!

- These?

- Objection!

- Overruled.

- Yes.

Are these "the motherfuckers"...

that you ordered to be wasted?

- Your Honor.

- Major.

- Yes!

The crowd in front of the embassy

had no weapons, did they, Colonel?

Objection. We found

no snipers' weapons either.

Yes, they had weapons!

You think there's

a script for fighting a war...

without pissing somebody off?

Follow the rules,

and nobody gets hurt?

Yes, innocent people probably died.

Innocent people always die.

But I did not exceed

my orders!

There are rules, and marines

are sworn to uphold them.

I was not going to stand by

and see another marine die...

just to live

by those f***ing rules!

Colonel!

Your Honor,

I request a recess.

Major.

The government is finished with

Colonel Childers, Your Honor.

All right, Colonel,

you have your recess.

Why didn't you tell me

what you said?

- I didn't remember.

- "Waste the motherfuckers".

That's brilliant.

You didn't think that was important?

Why didn't you know

about the goddamn recording?

- You're supposed to know...

- I had a week to prepare this case.

I didn't realize

what a f*** up I'm defending.

- Well, now you know.

- Goddamn.

- This is going to take us both down.

- How's that work?

You gonna spend the rest

of your life in prison too?

I'm sorry.

- I really screwed up in there, huh?

- Yeah, you really did.

Whew!

- So what happens now?

- Sh*t, I don't know.

I don't know.

Your Honor, the government

calls Colonel Bin Le Cao...

as a rebuttal witness.

- Objection, Your Honor.

What are the grounds for

this rebuttal witness to be allowed?

Will counsel please

approach the bench.

- Who is Colonel Bin Le Cao?

- A North Vietnamese Colonel...

who fought against Colonel Childers

at the battle of Ca Lu.

What he has to say directly refutes

statements made by Colonel Childers.

- When was the battle of Ca Lu?

- 1968.

This is uncharged misconduct. It is

not allowable under military law.

How do you know this witness

is going to charge misconduct?

I'm assuming...

He knows because he was

at the battle of Ca Lu.

- Is that true?

- Yes, sir.

On what grounds are you

calling your witness?

Colonel Hodges made Colonel

Childers' combat experience...

part of his defense.

Furthermore,

Colonel Childers testified...

that he never shoots unarmed people.

My witness has an important

perspective on that statement.

I'm gonna allow

the witness.

Do you swear or affirm...

that the evidence you shal I give

in this case...

shall be the truth,

the whole truth...

and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

Yes, I do.

Will you please state

your name for the court?

- My name is Bin Le Cao.

- In 1968, you were a colonel...

with the North Vietnamese army,

B3 regiment, involved in a fight...

with American marines at Ca Lu

in the Quang Tri province?

Yes, I was.

Will you tell the court

about that battle?

We were aware that

small units of Americans...

ryere ryeryr

my company of men.

We found ourselves

behind your forces.

This was lucky for us

because we were out numbered.

Do you recognize

this man?

Yes.

Did he capture you and your

radio operator that day?Yes.

Did he remove your weapons

and place you under armed guard?

Yes.

Did you consider yourself

a prisoner of war?

Yes.

Did he execute

your radio operator?

Yes.

You personally saw him shoot

a fellow prisoner of war?

Yes.

Where did he shoot him?

In the head.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Were your men annihilating

that platoon of marines?

Yes.

Did Colonel Childers force you

to call your men off?

Yes.

Do you believe his actions

were calculated to save...

the lives of American marines?

- Yes.

Would you have done the same

thing Colonel Childers did...

if the situation

had been reversed?

Colonel Cao, would you have shot...

a captive American radio operator

in the head if you thought...

it would persuade Colonel Childers

to spare the lives of your own men?

Yes.

No more questions.

This court is in recess

until tomorrow at 09:00.

#NAZWA?

- General, good to see you.

- Perry, good to see you too.

I want you to meet

my grandson.

Hi. Nice to meet

you, sir.

Thanks.

Colonel Terry Childers

is a decorated war hero,

a trusted leader

of American marines,

and I wish that was

all there was to it.

Unfortunately, there are

many of them

women and children.

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