In the last few weeks, international news has been dominated by stories of United States forces committing crimes against innocent people. From Vietnam to the streets of New York to the Peruvian jungle to a federal death chamber in Indiana, we are confronted by the real consequences of state authorities declaring war against civilians. Rather than accept these acts as logical and necessary, I think it's more important than ever that we hold our leaders accountable when they require us to commit war crimes against each other. In 1969, a Navy SEAL team led by future Sen. Bob Kerrey killed unarmed women and children in the Vietnamese village of Thanh Phong. For the kind of act that could have resulted in years behind bars, the four NYPD officers were found not guilty of murder charges, were not prosecuted for violating Amadou Diallo's civil rights and this week were not disciplined by the police department.
War is hell, and moral ground is constantly shifting.
Kerrey defended his actions this week by saying he was in a free-fire zone and had to act first and foremost to save his life and those of his men. Bob Kerrey lost part of his right leg in service to his country, and perhaps worse than that he was forced to commit murder in his country's name. I won't do that here. These were not beat officers in the local community responding to a crime. They were night stalkers commissioned by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to stop crime before it happens.