Not enough evidence to charge marine in point-blank Fallujah shooting: report

AFP ^ | 2/23/05

[TexKat]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US marine, captured on film killing a wounded Iraqi at point blank range during November's assault on Fallujah, will not be formally charged due to lack of evidence.

The November 13 shooting occurred during a search of a mosque in a widely broadcast incident that sparked worldwide outrage and was described by the International Committee of the Red Cross as a demonstration of "utter contempt for humanity."

In the incident, a trooper raised his rifle and shot point blank at an apparently unarmed, wounded Iraqi who was slumped against one of the mosque walls, in footage captured by an embedded cameraman working for the NBC network.

Although the insurgents were found to be unarmed, investigators said the one the Marine believed he had seen moving could have been reaching for a weapon.

The rifleman was withdrawn from combat pending the results of the investigation, but the graphic footage enraged many, months after the scandal over US troops' abuse of inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison.

CBS News said Wednesday it had learned that military investigators had concluded insufficient evidence existed to formally charge the marine.

The raid on Fallujah, part of an attempt at reclaiming key lawless enclaves across the country ahead of January elections, has been the largest military operation in Iraq since the March 2003.

[TexKat]

Whooooooooa!!!!

[mlc9852]

Answered prayer. But are you sure it's true? I didn't hear it on the news tonight. Sarcasm

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Lack of evidence hell. HE DID THE RIGHT THING!

[TexKat]

Sorry guys. Another ping here.

I thought that it deserved its own thread.

[PRND21]

In the incident, a trooper raised his rifle and shot point blank at an apparently unarmed...

Apparently unarmed? Case closed.

[conservativecorner]

WHOOOOOOOA BUMP!!!!!!!

[ChadGore]

Woohoo !

[Texas_Jarhead]

outstanding BUMP

[rocksblues]

but the graphic footage enraged many,

It didn't enrage me or any body I know.

War sucks, people die! It pays to be one of the one's that live!

[cmsgop]

YES!!!!!!!!!!

[ChadGore]

[dfwddr]

AMEN !!!!!!!

[TexKat]

Ping your peps please!!!

Celebration time!!!!

[RoseofTexas]

I'm with you...........

WOOOOOOOOOOOOWHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

[OldFriend]

AMEN

[TexKat]

[Spruce]

They should give the kid a commendation for using his head in combat.

[bubman]

This is great news. This Marine should get a medal for what he did.

They tried to prosecute him in the court of public opinion and failed.

Unleash this Marine NOW!!!

[ChadGore]

. . and the crowd goes wild !

[livius]

Good! I'm relieved. I felt bad really for the Marine - risking his life and then portrayed as being a monster and being brought up on charges. Thank goodness it ended this way!

[NerdDad]

Ping to Marine Mom. Good news. I'm sure Dusty already heard but he'll enjoy the comments from the thread anyways.

[mystery-ak]

YES!

[joedelta]

Question the MSM kept at the forefront of this whole deal though was-

Why were the Marines taking fire from this mosque, causing the Marines to have to go in there to begin with?

[sitkaspruce]

WOOT.

[TexKat]

but the graphic footage enraged many

Enraged me to the point that I wanted to kick off in some of the media's and anyone elses backside if this Marine was charged with a n y thing.

[Alberta's Child]

I don't think the U.S. military really had any choice in the matter. A country that wages war halfway around the world and then prosecutes its own soldiers for killing people in combat situations like this isn't a country that's worth defending under any circumstances.

I'm going to keep my "tribute" to this incident on the bottom of my profile page even if the legal process is over and the soldier is apparently not going to be prosecuted.

[sdpatriot]

great news Tex!! i've been praying for him..

[Ros42]

AWESOME NEWS!!!! :)

[dandelion]

God is good indeed! This should help boost morale for sure...

[rocksblues]

I agree. I didn't think about the other side of the coin, our side! I only thought that this Marine had done the right thing to protect himself and his buddies!

[JOE43270]

I am glad to hear this. I called the Commandant of the USMC and both my Senators and told them if they wanted to court martial this Marine to put me back in uniform and court martial me to be cause my finger was on that trigger too. God Bless all of our Guys. Lt Pantano (spelling?) is our next guy we have to look after.

[G32]

Thank God.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Absolutely wonderful news!

[Thebaddog]

The last I saw, the pussy reporter who filed the report on this marine was doing Tsunami duty in January. Kevin Sites won't see a war zone again in his career it appears. Say hello to the nature channel, dude.

[cricket]

I would say, there was never enough reason to charge this Marine; truth/plain and simple. . .made nearly ruinous to this soldier because of Liberal PC on the front lines.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US marine, captured on film killing a wounded Iraqi at point blank range during November's assault on Fallujah, will not be formally charged due to lack of evidence.

WOO HOO PING!!!!!

[King Prout]

GOOD!

[Fast1]

That's good news.

[jwalsh07]

Great news.

[SE Mom]

Whooooo Yeaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!

Way to go God!!!

Thanks for the ping, Tonk:)

[doug from upland]

Fight on, Marine. God bless you for risking your life to protect us.

[StarCMC]

YES!! Thank God!!!

[TexKat]

Good job JOE43270.

350945 Total Signatures as of this instance on We endorse the U.S. Marine kills wounded insurgent Petition to U.S. Congress.

[mylife]

I was pretty confident this would be the outcome.

Im glad the public ordeal is over for this soldier

[Blood of Tyrants]

Of course there was a lack of evidence. When you do the right thing, there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

[Radix]

Great news, but really a no brainer.

Screw Kevin Sites. I'd like to personally tell that POS face to face what I think of him.

[Arioch7]

Thank's for making my night Tonk!

Arioch7 out.

[No Longer Free State]

"Insufficient evidence" my fourth point of contact. The USMC needs to announce that he did what was right under the circumstances.

[txradioguy]

YES!! Take that you MSM pukes. Wonder if the camera guy that taped this will complain and moan about it now on his website???

I can't wait to see the wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth over this "travesty" of justice by the MSM.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

The last I saw, the pussy reporter who filed the report on this marine was doing Tsunami duty in January. Kevin Sites won't see a war zone again in his career it appears. Say hello to the nature channel, dude.

It didn't take NBC long to get this poofter out of the AO. I'm sure his insurance company applauded the decision.