Marine recalls day his buddy and Iraqi civilians met death

AP ^ | 5/29/06

[Lancey Howard]

Interesting interview, but Briones doesn't really seem to kmow very much.

Also, it's interesting that the IED explosion happened, and THEN another squad was called to the scene. They got there and the place was a "smoky, chaotic scene". Briones was part of that second squad.

So who is being investigated? Other Marines who were with Terrazas when he was killed? Or Briones and that second squad who were dispatched to the scene?

Was the whole thing a setup by insurgents?

[Bob]

What he saw was compatible with either a) a massacre; or b) storming a house from which fire was received and shooting anything that moved in the house.

Or c) a massacre carried out by terrorists as they split the area.

[mystery-ak]

I bet this is the last we hear from Briones......just a hunch..lol

[bnelson44]

The squad that went into the homes is being investigated and some of them are being held. I hear about 3-4.

At least two military investigations are under way into the deaths at Haditha, which is emerging as possibly the worst case of alleged criminal misconduct by U.S. forces in the 3-year-old Iraq war. Of the 12 Marines being investigated, three to four are thought to have done the killing, according to officials briefed on the investigation. The others are being investigated for failing to stop the killings or for not reporting the incident truthfully.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605290171may29,1,2244282.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"I don't see where any real cover-up occurred".

Thats right....a few incendiary devices would have covered it up nicely......OTOH, taking the bodies to a morgue DOES NOT support a "cover-up"......

[kellynla]

I don't know how many combat Marines are on this thread but I am one. And I am telling you people this piece is HORSE MANURE.

"After the explosion, Marines began a methodical sweep of homes looking for the bomber or people who knew his identity, according to officials briefed on the investigation. At some point Marines entered three nearby homes, killing the people inside( NOT KNOWN YET)

Briones said he didn't see any of that."

So we don't know any more than we did yesterday.

All we know for a fact is that people were killed. We don't know whether they may have been killed in crossfire, by the "bad guys" which is more likely since murdering innocents is their "M.O.", by Marines or by Iraqi soldiers who let me remind you were also with the Marines.

People are out there every day trying to kill Marines. They don't wear uniforms and they don't say "hey, I'm the enemy and I want you dead!"
And they don't mind killing themselves in the process. And since none of you were there; please keep your opinions to yourself until the verdict is in. The media tried to convict one Marine who killed a "bad guy" who was "playing dead" and that Marine was exonerated.

Gezzzzzz, we're memorializing those who paid the ultimate price for freedom this weekend including Marines and we have to read this horse manure.

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[DakotaRed]

Nor does being ordered to take pictures within hours of the incident, as stated by two Marines not involved in the incident.

[jveritas]

said he wasn't among the small group of Marines that military investigators have concluded killed the unarmed civilians, including children and elderly men and women.

Concluded?!

[pawdoggie]

In this play, the King punished war criminals. The bad guys did not. It's one of the differences between us and them. The press doesn't give a ^%#$&%.

I'm saving your post. Good "catch".

[pfflier]

The Drive-by Media has been working overtime trying to find its next Abu Ghraib.

Correction, the next Mi Lai.

[Myrddin]

Bring me an eyewitness that will identify the Marines who did this. Bring me bullets recovered at autopsy of the victims with ballistic matches to the rifles of the accused. Until you have that level of proof, this is an unproven accusation. The shooting could just as well have been done by "insurgents". Bring the physical proof that it was the Marines as accused.

The Marine cited in this post didn't see the victims being shot. He arrived after they were shot. Since he didn't see the actual shooting, his report of the aftermath carries little weight with respect to whether the accusations are valid or not.

[bnelson44]

We don't even know if the bodys were moved or not. He arrived hours later, if I am reading the reports correctly.

I don't think we will get a lot of evidence presented, but we owe it to the Corps to wait until the proceedings are finished.

[Myrddin]

We don't even know if the bodys were moved or not. He arrived hours later, if I am reading the reports correctly.

Exactly. This isn't exactly a quality example of crime scene preservation and proper evidence collection procedures. Murtha has a clear agenda to side with the "cut and run" philosophy of Kerry. It would be fitting to retire "Private" Murtha from his congressional seat if this turns out to be a fantasy smear leveled against the Marines.

[JSteff]

"This situation is nothing more then a tool for the MSM to use"

Like the torture of prisoners by making them make naked pyramids and wearing underwear on their heads. The left will not stop until they destroy America enough to gain total PC power over our country.

They want us more socialist than the EU or Russia was in it's full blown communist days. It is all about power as they see it. It is all about them becoming the new elite.

Nothing more.

[LtKerst]

You are your "Handle"

[JSteff]

"the real bloodbath happened when we left."

Note that there was no out cry for almost a decade over the killing fields of Cambodia or the "purification" that happened in VN after we left.

Note that they did not complain about killings under Stalin or Lenin who killed 10's of millions.

Note there is no out cry over the harvesting of organs of dissidents in China.

The left wants to destroy our country. This is just the latest attempt.

[JSteff]

Nice try.

What evidence? Can you post for all of us the video of the massacre occurring? Can you post the sworn affidavits of actual witnesses to the crime? We will even accept still pictures of the killings being done.

I thought not.

[JSteff]

"Was the whole thing a setup by insurgents?"

Sort of reminds one of the "Over There" show where in one episode that happened.

The only good thing was that the reporter who had started the false story got himself killed while trying to correct his false story.

By the way.. does any one know if that show going to be on again?

[JSteff]

Good post Kelly.

[epow]

Bring me an eyewitness that will identify the Marines who did this. Bring me bullets recovered at autopsy of the victims with ballistic matches to the rifles of the accused. Until you have that level of proof, this is an unproven accusation. The shooting could just as well have been done by "insurgents"Bring the physical proof that it was the Marines as accused.

Absolutely right. Those Marines have the same right to a fair and honest trial complete with all the available evidence submitted and examined by expert witnesses as they would in a civilian court. No civilian court would allow a murder charge to stand against a suspect without solid physical evidence provided by eyewitnesses, ballistics, fingerprints, DNA, etc. Just the word of a few Iraqis who probably, make that almost surely, hold no love for the US forces, and a Marine who was not at the scene when the killing occurred isn't nearly enough to prove anything.

But the damage is done as far as public opinion is concerned. The MSM agenda is to make Iraq into another Vietnam, and they will lie, insinuate, cover up, make unfounded accusations, whatever it takes to accomplish their goal of turning American public opinion against the WOT, which they portray as racist and unjustified by the deaths of 3000 innocent Americans, and against Bush for having invaded Iraq.

Is it any wonder that so many people now tell pollsters they no longer support the war in Iraq? The average Joe Sixpack still thinks the MSM is as honest and fair minded as Dan Rather or Walter Cronkite, not realizing that both of those liberal icons of electronic "journalism" were and still are haters and enemies of everything good and honorable that the US has traditionally stood for.