Posted on 05/18/2006 4:49:00 PM PDT by kellynla
WASHINGTON — Several Marines accused of firing on unarmed Iraqi civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last November are part of a criminal investigation, senior military commanders told FOX News on Thursday.
Three Marines have already been relieved of their command in response to the shootings of at least 15 civilians in the Anbar province town. A report is being crafted on the incident but is not likely to be finished for another week or two.
"This report is going to be ugly," one commander said, adding that it appears the Marines did not follow the rules of engagement.
The private comments from senior commanders and various Pentagon officials come after Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., mentioned the report in a news conference Wednesday to mark the six-month anniversary since he called for the redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq.
Senior commanders said Murtha is "coming from a position of knowledge".
In his briefing, Murtha, a strong opponent of the war, said the investigation is going to show that innocent civilians were killed "in cold blood."
"This is going to be a very bad thing for the United States," he said.
Murtha said at least 15 Iraqis, including women and children, were killed in a firefight following an insurgent attack on Marines that left one dead.
Military officials said in November that the Marines were responding to improvised explosive devices and small arms fire attacks on their convoy. A U.S. military statement described it as an ambush on a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol that left 15 civilians, eight insurgents and a U.S. Marine dead in the bombing and a subsequent firefight.
But several news accounts, including one by Time magazine, quoted witnesses as saying Marines responded to the IED by firing indiscriminately on civilians in a residential area.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Murtha - what a pig!!
Here is the link to the Times article
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1174649,00.html
Daschel, et all not deeply saddened.
I think these Iraqis were carrying WMD's, but when it was investigated, they couldn't find any. Some believe that they were smuggled into neighboring Syria or even Iran, but others say there were no weapons of mass destructions anywhere in the area that these civilians were. </sarcasm)
"Reportedly, photos were taken of the scene that do not support the Marines' original account of how the incident evolved. In all, 15 members of two families, including a 3-year-old girl, were killed, but not by the IED, locals say."
I hate this!
And obviously I hope this didn't happen.
The politicians never say a word about the Corps these days unless they are smearing us.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Murtha is a disgrace to our country and to the Marine Corps. This investigation is ongoing and he has said the Marines in question are guilty.
ya might want to ping my fellow Marines
Rummy will be on the O'Reilly Factor @ 8ET and will address this incident.
"I hate this!
And obviously I hope this didn't happen.
The politicians never say a word about the Corps these days unless they are smearing us."
I've seen the photos...it happened, and if the photos don't make you cry, you're not human.
If you are not behind our troops, get in front of them
The media will abuse this story just like it did Abu Ghirab. This will be the new rallying cry of the pro-terrorist left. I guess it's easy when you're safe on Capitol Hill to dictate would should and shouldn't have happened in the heat of an intense firefight. Personally I think this should have been handled purely internally by the Marines. If I thought the media had the maturity and perspective to handle this story with balance and restraint, fine. But it's just going to be used by the Bush bashing media to AGAIN demand Rumsfeld's resignation and to put forth a bunch of innuendo that somehow Pentagon and administration policies encourage this kind of thing.
Since this story will be irresponsibly wielded by an agendized, force America to retreat US media like a child who just found their father's gun it should have been keep inside the Marine Corp. for them to deal with. It's only going to be used by the left and the MSM to sully all Marines. And demented demagogues like Murtha will use it to further his own cheap political ends, emboldening America's enemies in the process and feeding them a propaganda victory. All the more reason to keep this under wraps. What a shame.
This story appears to have legs.
What I'm betting happened, the marines and Iraqis were patrolling when gunfire erupted. A shot killed a marine then they all went nuts and started shooting everywhere.
It's possible the marines even went into some housing shooting everything in sight.
Hey, it's a very human thing. I imagine if the marines were patrolling an allegedly peaceful neighborhood when an attack happens that kills one of my comrades....jeez, this Haditha thing could really be a huge PR fiasco.
Already Chris Matthews used the word "My Lai" and smirking Murtha's out and about telling the story.
Hang on...if you thought Abu Ghrab was bad, this is going to be mess.
I've seen the photos. I'll wait for the report.
SECDEF PING on O'Rilley now!!!
Don't mean nothin'.
O'reilly uses mai lai - is that going to be the new word for the drinking game?
This is sickening. I pray that it is proven not to be true.
Yes, an incident happened. But unless you're prepared to back it up with evidence, please don't imply what actually occurred. The DoD has been very forthcoming throughout this campaign. I will await the report.
It is possible that this is what happened. However, this is not at all what Marines usually do under fire. We should all remember this and not let others use any exceptions to undermine the rule.
well, once the patrol was fired upon and attacked with an IED - that already changes the nature of the incident. not that all further actions are justified, but its not like they walked into a restaurant and just started shooting people.
Murtha says it happened and the Marines are guilty. The investigation is ongoing so I don't know how he can say that. Do you have more info?
Of course the story has legs. It's been around since Nov 05. I wish folks would pay less attention to a report that hasn't been released and more attention to the treasonous SOB who sprinted to the TV cameras to smear our troops and their Commander-in-Chief.
Ollie North on with OReilly now talking about it.
There's this from NBC News:
Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
Military officials say Marine Corp photos taken immediately after the incident show many of the victims were shot at close range, in the head and chest, execution-style. One photo shows a mother and young child bent over on the floor as if in prayer, shot dead, said the officials, who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity because the investigation hasn't been completed.
One military official says it appears the civilians were deliberately killed by the Marines, who were outraged at the death of their fellow Marine.
"This one is ugly," one official told NBC News.
I agree, wait for the conclusion of the investigation.
Are you hearing Ollie North?
1) The people who know the details of this investigation aren't talking. (O'Reilly agreed, and included Rummy in that group.)
2) Jack Murtha oughtta know better, and his actions are unconscionable!
That's from the original article.
I simply hope the NCIS and others investigating this incident are honorable. That's my prayer.
and right now, since its clear someone is leaking to a dirtbag like Murtha - I'm not optimisitic about that point.
"I've seen the photos...it happened, and if the photos don't make you cry, you're not human."
excuse me, you photos of dead people.
you weren't there and you don't know what the situation was.
Unlike most FReepers, I was a combat Marine and walked "point" in 1969 & 1970 so don't tell me what "should" or "shouldn't" make me "cry" and whether or not I am "human."
Murtha & Pelosi are despicable for politicizing this.
They weren't there and they don't know what happened either!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Tragically- Murtha no longer does know better.
A rare thing- an ex-Marine.
Good, I believe you are correct in saying that. I wouldn't trust anything Murtha says and he's who broke this to the media.
I really got the feeling the Colonel North would have liked to have said more.
We really need to hammer a few of these leakers in our military and intelligence agencies.
Bingo, sir, and thank you for your service.
Bet if it did happen, it was done by terrorist insurgents leaving the area after detonating the ied. They play the media as well as they play the homicide bomb belts.
Thanks for your post...HOOAH from this Army family..
This is following the administrations {successful} pattern for handling "ugly" stories: Allow the initial rumors to be far worse than the facts later portay the event{s} in question to have been.
Is there somehow the Marine Corps can drum this man out. If he has a Marine tatoo maybe we can take that off. I am sure that Marines both active and retired wish this man would disappear.
I don't see how we can ever win a war anymore with the liberals constantly fighting against us here at home. They have already convicted the Marines and, instead of treating this like an aberration and an exception to the rule, they seek to taint the entire mission with this one incident. What possesses them to be so knee-jerk, anti-American?
Murtha . . . said
"In his briefing, Murtha, a strong opponent of the war, said the investigation is going to show that innocent civilians were killed "in cold blood."
"This is going to be a very bad thing for the United States," he said."
Thanks Murtha. We see what you think about the country that allowed you to become a powerful player, and apparently you want this to be a very bad thing for the U.S.
What the HELL do you have to gain by doing this to our soldiers? If this happened it is bad, but what POSSIBLE good thing could come from your doing this? Want to be the next John Kerry/traitor/liberal icon?
If someone will send me the mailing address of his opponent in the next election, I'll write them a check now. And I don't live anywhere near this swine's state.
I'm thinking this investigation, how it's covered by the media, and our reaction to it, will tell us much about our character, as a nation.
I'm less optimistic about that outcome than I was during Abu Grahib.
In the "old days" when I was a girl, Scoop Jackson would have hauled Murtha in the back room somewhere in the halls of Congress and read him the riot act. (For those of you old enough to remember Scoop, you know) Yet today- there is apparently no one in the Democratic Party who has the guts to tell this man to STFU.
Personally, I think public opinion on the iraq war is down to a core level of support - its not going any lower because of this incident.
"Is there somehow the Marine Corps can drum this man out."
If Murtha is receiving retirement checks, I understand the Corps can activate him and then court martial him. :-]
But don't put any money on it actually happening.
Diana Irey will be pleased to accept your help and I thank you for it.
Diana Irey for Congress
600 Park Avenue
Monongahelia, PA 15063
Well Done shipmate! From the Gator Navy!
Lots of armchair generals these days.
Thanks for your service, and know that some civilians out here know there are many things that happen in war and the heat of battle our sensitive, sanitized little butts wouldn't understand.
That's why I am enraged that pig Murtha is doing this.
Years ago I interviewed a survivor of the Bataan Death March for a story I published, and he explained a lot to me about the, what he calls "Pool Hall Generals."
I suppose if he doesnt have a Marine tattoo, one could be put on him, and then have it cut off.
By preference, someplace sensitive.
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