Posted on 05/04/2007 3:52:05 PM PDT by RedRover
Hearing fact sheet
The accused: Capt. Stone was the staff legal officer for the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment when the incident occurred. Stone, who completed his officer training course in August 2003, was on his first tour in Iraq at the time of the Haditha incident. He is a 34-year-old Maryland native, currently assigned to legislative affairs duties. Capt. Stone is facing up to two years in prison and dismissal from the service if ordered to trial, convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment.
Preferred Charges and Specifications:
Charge: Violation of the UCMJ, Article 92
Specification 1 (Violation of a lawful order): wrongfully failed to ensure accurate reporting and a thorough investigation into a possible, suspected, or alleged violation of the law of war by Marines from his Battalion. (Maximum punishment dismissal, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 2 years).
Specification 2 (Dereliction): negligently failed to ensure that this possible, suspected, or alleged violation of the law of war was accurately reported to higher headquarters.
Specification 3 (Dereliction): negligently failed to ensure that a thorough investigation was initiated into this possible, suspected, or alleged violation of the law of war. (Maximum punishment: [willful] Dismissal, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 6 months [through neglect or culpable inefficiency] Dismissal, forfeiture of two-thirds pay per month for 3 months, and confinement for 3 months).
Investigating officer: Maj. Thomas McCann
Convening authority: Lt. Gen. James Mattis, commanding general for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces Central Commander for Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa.
Expected duration of the hearing: At least four days.
Unprecedented prosecution: The charges against Capt. Stone represent the first time a legal officer has been accused of a crime arising out of his handling of a battlefield report.
In Capt. Stone's defense: Lead civilian attorney, Charles Gittins, says, "General Huck did not believe there should have been an investigation, nor did the staff judge advocate for the regiment. My client was the lowest-level guy and he reported everything that he had been told. There was no requirement that he should have done more. I don't think the people who made the charging decision thought it through -- it seems like they just threw everything at a dartboard."
Expected witnesses: Maj. Gen. Richard Huck (former commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who at the time of the incident, was in charge of troops in Haditha ), "two other Marine officers who were in Iraq when the killings took place" (according to the North County Times), Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz.
What's crucial: Maj. Gen. Huck's testimony could clear Capt. Stone. (As a side note, it's very rare for a general to testify for either side in a court case. Naturally, the investigating officer will give a great deal of weight to his testimony.)
Also at stake: Three other officers are facing charges similar to those of Capt. Stone: Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, Capt. Lucas McConnell and 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson. The result of Capt. Stone's hearing will impact the other three officers, as well as the three enlisted Marines (Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich and Lance Cpls. Justin Sharratt and Stephen Tatum). All the accused are from Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Information drawn from various articles in the North County Times
If you can open the link Copy and paste into your browser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llcMlB0nUHc
Then you can email it to yourself, and save it to your computer.
May 18th 2006 John Murtha Tells Chris Matthews on Hardball that US Troops have "killed in cold blood." ^
(Opens in new window)
Tried that earlier. All I get is the HTML link, not the vid stream itself. If they get pulled off the site they’re gone.
Congratulations, Brityank, that’s the one I was talking about. I looked for it several months back also and couldn’t find it then either.
My skills with the computer and doing research on it leave a lot to be desired. I’ve at least got the link now, thanks much!
Thanks. You are awesome.
Nah. Just lucky. ;^)
Truly this man is garbage, not worthy of anything. But you know you reap what you sew..... and he has NEVER met 100# Parana. I will eat all the flesh before i relent and let go.
No really the Murtha file was also great. I have sent the link to the attorneys defending our troops. I sent it TONIGHT as soon as you posted it.
If he has never met a #100 Parana, he will find out soon enough.
Ping and a bump
What in the world is a #100 Parana?
What’s the # 100 bit? Do you think she meant “hundreds of paranas”? (Is Murtha planning an expedition to the Amazon?)
Scientific name: Serrasalmus spp.
Range: Brazil in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Rondônia, Pará, Amapá, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Maranahão, Ceará, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba.
Appearance: This Amazon native, common to the Xingu River, can reach a weight of 6 kg (13lb) and a length of 70 cm (27 in). Most species are carnivorous, however some have specialized as fruit eaters.
Habitat and Behavior: Extremely aggressive, they can be found on the river’s bed, in marginal lagoons and narrow channels.
...............
If a 6kg fish is a #6 and weighs 13 pounds, then a #100 would weigh 217 pounds! That one big chomper!!! LOL!
This is good news that Pigott has been droppped as the investigating officer for Capt. Stone’s hearing. Maybe after the assault charges were dismissed for 2nd Lt. Phan, Lt. Gen. Mattis decided he also needed to drop Pigott from the Haditha hearings.
My beef with the Unpatriotic liar? I am an x-Marine’s wife.
How dare Murtha or Rosie O’Donnell call ANY soldier a murderer.
I have a simple motto. Either you are with the troops or you are not.
Like Reagan says, We win they loose.
Pigott's behavior in the Lt Phan case was deplorable. The Corps may be removing him because his involvement could be grounds for appeal (or at least bad publicity).
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