The rules of war do not include the intention rape of civilians, execution of prisoners, wanton destruction of property and the often intentional slaughter of civilians.
I am not naive enough to believe war does not come without a cost but no one is pristine in these situations. I like to think our military is above all that and if that was true Leavenworth would not exist.
I would also like to believe that our use of third parties and client states to do our bidding had a degree of legitimacy but it does not. Zeke managed to leave out - I assume simply because a new server would be needed - our policies in South and Central America starting with the Monroe Doctrine. How the U.S. Managed to get the territory to build the Panama Canal is a great example of our own imperialist expansion.
