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War crime claims- Marine recruiter turned peacenik

by Open-Publishing - Monday 21 March 2005
4 comments

Edito Wars and conflicts International USA

When the U.S. went to war in Iraq, Jimmy Massey was a staff sergeant with a marine unit that had the job of setting up checkpoints to protect american forces. In a short period of time, Massey claims, he and his men had killed 30 Iraqi civilians. He says he and the others are guilty of war crimes.

“I brought these series of events up through the chain of command. Each time I was told they were terrorists, or they were insurgents. My question to the marine corps at that point became, how was a 6 year old child with a bullet hole in its head a terrorist or insurgent,” says former U.S. Marine, Jimmy Massey.

Massey says he quickly developed post traumatic stress disorder and was shipped out of Iraq after less than 2 months at war. By the end of last year he had undergone psychiatric review and was given a medical discharge. Now, he travels the country speaking out against the war, hoping to bring military action to an end.

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He has become a controversial figure by claiming the U.S. is guilty of genocide in Iraq. What gets him attention is the fact that he’s a former marine and claims to have taken part in war crimes.

“Knowledge. Knowledge is power. The knowledge of what our country is actually doing as far as in Iraq,” Massey said.

The Syracuse Peace Council escorted Massey to a series of events across the area.

At Onondaga Community College, a small groups of protestors gathered outside.

“We got a job to do and we’re getting it done. And I’m just out here to let people know that what this guy is talking about isn’t the truth,” said veteran Scott Colbert.

“This is 18, 19, 20 year old kids. They have to make a split decision. The decision was to open fire. They opened fire. So, somebody got killed. Bad thing. That’s not genocide, I’m sorry,” said retired U.S. Marine, William Gleason.

“I guess they’re the few who run around with the little yellow sticker on their car that says support our troops. I have a new motto. My motto is save our troops, save them from themselves,” Massey said.

Jimmy Massey has been embraced by those in the anti-war movement. Opposed by those who favor the war effort. Whether he has changed any minds in the great middle is unclear.

The Pentagon told the Washington Post that it had thoroughly investigated the charges made by Jimmy Massey. They say those charges are ’unfounded’.

Recruiter-turned-peacenik hits nerve in N.C.

I killed innocent people for our government

Forum posts

  • BRAVO to this brave man. Keep speaking out and telling the real truths of what the US is really doing n Iraq!i

  • What a loser.

  • What the American Nazis did to Falujah was no different from what the German nazis did in WW2.
    This slaughter was so disgusting. They used all kinds of chemical weapons and shot dead anything that moved in revenge for these brave people resisting the biggest, most powerful and yet most stupid army in the world. All around the world people now think of America as a monster unleashed on the rest of us. America is despised! Thank God there are some brave men like Massey who are not frightened to tell the truth about what they have seen American troops doing.

    • Your statement just proves how little you know about the Nazi’s, their tactics and what they did. Angry ignorance is not an alternative to facts.