From a professional

Babble on.

Thanks for responding, John:

I've been asked what I think on the issue of the Marine, so I guess I'll take a stab at it. And having gotten the 1MEF brief on what they found in Fallujah, I've got the ammunition I need for it.
...
The point is - the purpose of the "Laws of War" is actually to set some limits on indiscriminate violence that serves no purpose - and to provide a recognized mechanism by which conflict can be ended, both retail and wholesale, by giving a recognized, agreed upon framework to signal one's intent to cease hostilities - with a recognition that given those signs, the victor will respect the vanquished's intent to cease fighting. There are three basic underpinnings: proportion, discrimination, and the written laws of war. War crimes are acts that exceed the legitimate requirements of military neccessity in the conduct of military operations.

If you think you know what John's going to say, I'll bet you're wrong. He makes no claim to being a wordsmith. He's just a professional soldier, trained to present cogent arguments in an unadorned, straightforward manner. And that's why you should read his entire piece about The Marine in Fallujah.

Babble off.