Letter: Don't criticize U.S. troops

Newsday's self-righteous defense of the Los Angeles Times' questionable decision to print photos of dead Afghan insurgents displayed by U.S. troops contained the following descriptions: "atrocities," "outrages," "disturbing" and "horrors," ["Don't hide the harsh truths of war," Editorial, April 20].

Yes, violent deaths are all that and more. But what is most troubling is that our troops are often fighting an enemy that respects no rules, hides behind civilians, triggers explosive devices remotely and connives children into wearing nail-studded bomb vests and exploding themselves in crowded marketplaces. This is the same enemy that sawed through journalist Daniel Pearl's throat while laughing and praising their version of Allah.

Our troops absorb repeated deployments, impossible "rules" of combat, critical manpower and materiel shortages -- not to mention seeing many comrades horrendously wounded or suddenly killed. As a former military officer, I wonder how Newsday can cast blame on those we send into a hellhole to destroy an unseen and cowardly enemy.

At some point, the extinction of these thugs -- mangled or not -- means a better chance of survival and return home to our fighting forces. Celebrating or urinating on enemy bodies may be crude and contrary to regulations, but it sure as hell beats them doing it to us.

Simply stating that if the Los Angeles Times didn't publish the images, "the Internet would have" just doesn't ring true.

Tobin Rogers, Valley Stream