Culture of life, indeed

The Wall Street Journal (subs. req'd; alt. free link), in the course of making the "rules of engagement" excuse for 24 civilian deaths in Haditha, Iraq (5 of whom the Journal deems guilty of being "military age"), concludes --

The critics rushed to judgment; facts and evidence were discarded to fit the antiwar template. Most despicably, they created and stoked a political atmosphere that exposes American soldiers in the line of duty, risking and often losing their lives, to criminal liability for the chaos of war. This is the deepest shame of Haditha, and the one for which apologies ought to be made.

Note the values: the deepest shame is not the 24 dead civilians, but that people said mean things about the Marines.

UPDATE: Even as the Marines work back from the original charges, they still apply a higher standard to civilian deaths in combat than the WSJ does.