HADITHA: NO "KNOWING COVER-UP"(malkin compares realities)

Michelle Malkin ^ | June 19, 2006 | michelle malkin

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

NOW: Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts

BEFORE:"There has to have been a coverup of this thing," Rep. John P. Murtha "No question about it."

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

This guy has clearly gone into the realm of treason. We need to vote him out of office. What he's doing to the troops is not right.

[Sprite518]

I agree... However, Bush or Rummy needs to free those Marines. Heck they have not even been CHARGED!

[Baynative]

Both the behavior of lefties in Congress and the treatment of our troops is deplorable. The responsibility for doing something about this falls on the administration.

[muawiyah]

Since Murtha has gone deep into the realm of treason the burden is now on "W" to pick him up, put him on trial, and keep him incarcerated and silent.

Why wait for an election.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Sadly, I can't see Bush doing anything about this.

Part of the reasons why include the lib media. Let Bush tell Murtha to shut it and the entire leftist media establishment would go on with it's usual cries of "first amendment!", "he's an infalliable(sp?) marine!" and so on.......

Apparently PBS is out there with their darth vader/cheney "dark side" special. I hope this media liberalism stops soon. My head is going to explode.

[Coldwater Creek]

They did take them out of shackles. I did not understand the reason for that kind of security.

[cake_crumb]

They can't be freed until they've gone through the process and been exhonerated - which I believe some or all will. I hope those who ARE will be able to contunie their military careers without prejudice. (probably a vain hope)

[Leatherneck_MT]

There are any number of Officers in the chain of command who could order their release. What pisses me off is that none of them have.

To many Officers in the Corps seem to have fallen into the PC group and have become lambs instead of Lions.

[atomicpossum]

Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts by the officers supervising the Marines involved in the November incident, the official said. Rather, he said, officers from the company level through the staff of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Baghdad failed to demand "a thorough explanation" of what happened in Haditha.

How can there be a 'cover-up' before the report on what actually occurred is finished? How can you 'cover-up' something that may not have occurred?

[olezip]

In connection with his playing JAG, judge, and jury of our Marines in Haditha, thus compromising their case and skipping over "innocent until proven guilty," Murtha and his ilk are important friends of our enemy. I suspect that Murtha is not intelligent enough to realize that he has become a useful idiot to the leftists in this country and the terrorists abroad. Or Murtha is simply so blinded by hate for Bush that he has abandoned our marines. I heard a Marine on the Mike Savage Show suggest that Murtha's hero claims from his military service are questionable, even more questionable than the claims of Kerry. I agree with the Swift Vets "Unfit for Command." Their book has a compelling argument supported by facts. Murtha is right up there alongside with the seditious Cindy Sheehan.

If the current administration wants to talk about amnesty let it be blanket amnesty for all of our soldiers in the battlefield fighting subhumans with a total disdain for life. We put our soldiers in shackles and jail for scaring enemy combatants who would not hesitate to gouge out the eyes of our children. The friend of our enemy is not my friend.

[Guenevere]

bttt

[cake_crumb]

The behavior of the politicos and the treatement of the accused Marines is eerily similar to the Duke non-case, innit?

[New Girl]

Two words for Murtha: TERM LIMITS. That SOB has been in office since 1974.

[Guenevere]

FYI

[usmcobra]

However, Bush or Rummy needs to free those Marines. Heck they have not even been CHARGED!

That's a different case altogether, however there is a limited amount of time that they can be held, once that time has expired they will be released if no charges have been brought.

[cake_crumb]

"What pisses me off is that none of them have."

IMO, the preemptive lefty strike by the Murthas and the media have removed release as an option. They'll have to wait until the investigation into THEIR actions is complete.

But never fear, Col Day is on the job and they'll have the best defense possible.

[Leatherneck_MT]

I think the people that need to be investigated (and locked up prior to it's completion) are Murtha and all the other egg sucking maggots who convicted these boys before they were even charged.

Murtha is a scumbag and soils the Eagle Globe and Anchor by the very FACT that his maggot arse EVER wore it.

[blaquebyrd]

Are the Haditha Marines currently in confinement? I thought the three soldiers charged with killing three Iraqi detainees were in confinement.

[bassmaner]

Two more words: Diana Irey.

[jackv]

John Podherst on Brian & the Judge. Outraged!!!

[kellynla]

You are getting your Marines mixed up.
The Haditha Marines are not incarcerated.
The Pendleton 8 are the seven Marines and one Corpsman who are in the brig at Camp Pendleton who have not been charged. Different bunch of Marines.

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[rightazrain]

"Two words for Murtha: TERM LIMITS. That SOB has been in office since 1974."

Does anyone know the political make-up of his district? Does he stand any chance at all of losing the '06 election, or is it a very hard left lib district?

[cake_crumb]

I'd like to see Murtha investigated too. For treaason and interfering with an ongoing investigation, i.e.: his premature charges of guilt without due process and "coverup" a la the Abu Graib non-coverup.

It would be a victory in more ways than one if Irey beats him. I wish I could vote for her!

[cake_crumb]

Yes, they are in confinement and have not been charged. The other three have been charged in an entirely different incident. Hard to keep straight when the media purposely confuses the facts, eh? That's why FR is such a great resource ;-)

[Sprite518]

What are you talking about? Then Pendleton 8 are there because of the incident in Haditha. If not, then why are they being held?

[cake_crumb]

I thought they were still incarcerated but no longer to be shackled up?

[New Girl]

Not sure. I live in the peoples republic of Maryland where I actually had to register as a democrat so I could pick the least offensive candidate in the primary since he/she will most likely win the general. Pennsylvania is full of democrats also.

[cake_crumb]

Coal country. About 50/50 conservatives/libs. Irey has a shot, IMO - especially if she jumps on this report. The campaign commercial practically writes itself all in Murtha's backstabbing, treasonous words!

[mbynack]

That's a different case altogether, however there is a limited amount of time that they can be held, once that time has expired they will be released if no charges have been brought.

You're correct. IAW the 2000 Manual for Courts Martial, Page II-17:

"R.C.M. 707(a) requires that the accused be brought to trial within 120 days of preferral of charges or imposition of restraint under R.C.M. 304(a)(2)-(4)."

[tobyhill]

There was no cover up because there was no crimes. The whole thing was staged by terrorist supporters and I'd bet the military investigators know it. The families refuse to allow the bodies to be exhumed for examination because they know the finding will show that they were not killed in "cold blood".

[Guenevere]

According to a Freeper on another thread, I was incorrect and the Pendleton 8 are not being held for Haditha, but Hamandyah??????

....?

[blaquebyrd]

This is excerpted from Malkins column at http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005385.htm. In it she refers to an incident at Hamadiya not Haditha. Check it out.

"My column this week calls attention to the Camp Pendleton 8--7 Marines and Navy corpsman being held in shackles with no charges against them as higher-ups investigate an alleged murder of an Iraqi man earlier this spring in Hamandiya."

[kellynla]

"What are you talking about? Then Pendleton 8 are there because of the incident in Haditha. If not, then why are they being held?"

you're not real big on "my mistake", "excuse me", "please" and "thank you" are you? LOL

THE CAMP PENDLETON 8
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005385.htm

[ErnBatavia]

To many Officers in the Corps seem to have fallen into the PC group

Hardly a new phenomena...when I was in (forty years ago) I was a corporal in a small "cadre" group that crawled with officers of everything from second lieutenants to a brigadier all jammed into one HQ building....all they basically did was make a career out of covering their asses via fitness reports, bla bla bla.

[kellynla]

the Pendleton 8 are still incarcerated and as of Friday they are no longer shackled when they are removed from their cells and HAVE NOT BEEN CHARGED YET. As I've repeatedly said the Pendleton 8 and the Haditha Marines ARE NOT THE SAME BUNCH OF MARINES!

[D1X1E]

To many Officers in the Corps seem to have fallen into the PC group and have become lambs instead of Lions.

I wondered about this also. Wasnt there a time when the military could or would pretty well tell everyone else to butt out, we will handle our own?

[greasepaint]

some of the 24 dead civilians, were killed in a bomb attack,
perhaps 15, or not?

or, all the civilians were supposedly
killed by Marines

[jazusamo]

[This guy has clearly gone into the realm of treason. We need to vote him out of office]

Diana Irey is the person to put him out of office. She is getting a lot of support from FReepers, veterans and even active military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

DIANA IREY FOR CONGRESS
600 PARK AVENUE
MONONGAHELA, PA 15063
724-258-2300
http://www.irey.com/

http://vets4irey.com/

[c-five]

I wish I could vote for her!

But we can contribute to her campaign. http://www.irey.com/

[spunkets]

Thanks for the pings pa. This piece from Malkin has a link to an LA Times article that indicates the problem with the press release probably came at div level. It also indicates that the inaccurate company reports were probably a matter of writing skill. In the end, there was no intent to cover anything up.

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Murtha was in Vietnam, as a rear-echolon intelligence analyst.

How were his purple heart(s) earned? Don't know, can't tell from the MSM.

IF (big if) they were "heroically earned" (instead of merely being pasted on as Kerry's were) it appears to me that they'ed be PROMINENTLY credited by EVERY MSM dnc-media flack possible, since (being a heroically decorated Marine hero who heroically served his country heroically in Vietnam heroically) is Murtha's ONLY claim to fame.

Hence, the silence about what Murtha actually did )other than 37 years of reserve duty inside the drill station in southwest PA) in southwest Asia is very, very telling.

[roses of sharon]

What? Didn't Murtha NAME Gen Pace as in on a cover up?

This bastard needs to hang.

[SE Mom]

Nope- the ones you're thinking of are yet another group this time Army (giving the Marines a break;) ..these are 3 infantrymen from the 101st Airborne..

Again...we wait til the FACTS are learned.

[blaquebyrd]

Many are getting these three cases confused. Here is the link to the story about the soldiers who are in pre-trail confinement accused of killing Iraqi detainees and threatening a fellow soldier with death if he ratted them out.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060619/ts_alt_afp/usiraqmilitaryprobe_060619221754

[spunkets]

The civilians were killed, because they were in houses used by terrorists to attack the Marines with fire after the IED went off. The houses were assaulted as if the terrorists were still inside. The terrorists had fled to other points nearby.

[cake_crumb]

No, those are entirely different Marines, but the ones accused over Haditha are also still incarcerated, but now free of shackles. I take that as a good sign.

[xzins]

Our Marines are innocent.

One cannot cover up a non-crime.

[SE Mom]

And yet on national TV, Congressman Murtha accused the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, as being in on this cover-up.

...the accountability for these libelous statements is NO WHERE to be found.

Has the SOB Murtha called a press conference to publicly apologize for his hasty accusations against the Marine Corps and Chairman Pace?

...waiting...waiting...

[blaquebyrd]

I'm correct. There are three separate incidents under investigation. Haditha and Hamandiya which involve Marines. The Hamandiya Marines are in confinement not the Haditha Marines. The other incident involves soldiers who are currently in pre-trial confinement awaiting an Article 32 hearing.

[blaquebyrd]

Did you read the article? The Haditha Marines are not in confinement. Please read the article.