Does Abu Ghraib in some ways equate to Tet in 1968...or Calley and Mi Lai

[x-g.o.p.er]

As far as the turning point in support of the war? Although Tet was a military success for US forces in the field, the indellible image of MP's engaging in close quarters combat to re-take the American Embassy was a sight that caused many Americans to view Vietnam as a place that we couldn't ever pacify or win. And the Mi Lai massacre was something that numbed many Americans, who thought "not the American Army, not our soldiers." At least that's what the history books say... I was only a year old when Tet took place.

I would like to hear from those DU'ers that remember how the tide of support changed in Vietnam, and if the events at Abu Ghraib in some way resemble a type of seismic shift that Tet was.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is yes. Most Americans are shocked and outraged, and if there was a reason to question what we were doing over there, I think this could be it. And although there are plenty of reasons to question this war already, I am specifically referring to those that supported the war up until this set of incidents occurred.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Tet and Mai Lai in one package

some may connect the dots, between the increased resistance (yes
using the words the media whores use), and our casualties

[kentuck]

2. My Lai, in my opinion...

Americans simply could not believe our young men could kill women and children in cold blood and dump them in a ditch... Same situation now...People cannot assimilate it with their ideal of America.

[x-g.o.p.er]

3. But what was opinion of the war when Mi Lai...

hit the press? Was support already waning?

[kentuck]

5. I'm not sure because I was in Vietnam at the time it happened...

But, as I recall, it was not made public until about a year later. But when I returned in '69, times were rather volatile. We had Woodstock that summer and it was in large part an anti-war concert. But I would say that support for the war was about the same as the support for the present Iraq war. Just my opinion.

[x-g.o.p.er]

6. Welcome Home!

[AlCzervik]

4. I think it's going

to depend how big this abuse story gets, if it's far more widespread, which i suspect it is than comparisons may be relevent.

[izzie]

7. It is hard to recall and I lived next to bases.

The young girl running was talked about a lot and also when did Kent State happen. Kent State was just bad as I recall. That made it right in your back yard and not 6000 miles away. Mi Lie was more under stood when you were married to a service man and they were every place. He kept saying it was orders, if you recall. The hospital did it for me, they were filled with young men. Then the papers coming out was also a big deal. I thought it was a slow change in how people thought.