One Haditha Hero Cleared

American Thinker ^ | July 11, 2007 | David Allender

[smoothsailing]

July 11, 2007

One Haditha hero cleared

David Allender

The Investigative Officer in in the LCpl. Sharratt Article 32 hearing has recommended that murder charges be dropped. This clears one of the defendants in the so-called "Haditha massacre." One innocent man and brave soldier has been spared further agony in this disgraceful prosecution.

I posted a copy of the IO's report here.

LCpl. Sharratt was charged with three murders in house number four (Sgt. Wuterich was charged with a fourth murder in that house).

The four dead Iraqis, the Ayed brothers, were described by Iraqi "witnesses" as having been herded into a closet and executed.

Here is how the Iraqi "witnesses" (enabled by the MSM) told the story of what happened in house number four. Their version is what prosecutors failed to prove:

Tim McGirk in Time (March 19, 2006):

The Marines raided a third house [later known as house number four], which belongs to a man named Ahmed Ayed. One of Ahmed's five sons, Yousif, who lived in a house next door, told Time that after hearing a prolonged burst of gunfire from his father's house, he rushed over. Iraqi soldiers keeping watch in the garden prevented him from going in. "They told me, 'There's nothing you can do. Don't come closer, or the Americans will kill you too.' The Americans didn't let anybody into the house until 6:30 the next morning." Ayed says that by then the bodies were gone; all the dead had been zipped into U.S. body bags and taken by Marines to a local hospital morgue. "But we could tell from the blood tracks across the floor what happened," Ayed claims.

"The Americans gathered my four brothers and took them inside my father's bedroom, to a closet. They killed them inside the closet."

The military has a different account of what transpired. According to officials familiar with the investigation, the Marines broke into the third house and found a group of 10 to 15 women and children. The troops say they left one Marine to guard that house and pushed on to the house next door, where they found four men, one of whom was wielding an AK-47. A second seemed to be reaching into a wardrobe for another weapon, the officials say. The Marines shot both men dead; the military's initial report does not specify how the other two men died. The Marines deny that any of the men were killed in the closet, which they say is too small to fit one adult male, much less four....In all, two AK-47s were discovered.

William Langewiesche in Vanity Fair (November 2006):

Wuterich's men pursued the search to the north side of Route Chestnut, where they put the women and children under guard and killed four men of another family. There on the north side they found the only AK-47 that was discovered that day -- apparently a household defensive weapon, of the type that is legal and common in Iraq. No one has claimed that the rifle had been fired....

A man cries, "This is an act denied by God. What did he do? To be executed in the closet? Those bastards!...." Josh White in the Washington Post (January 6, 2007):

A few hours later [after the first houses were cleared], Sharratt, Wuterich and Salinas approached a third and fourth house after noticing men they said were peering at them suspiciously. The investigative reports show that what happened there is unclear. Iraqi witnesses said the Marines angrily separated men and women into two lines before marching the men into the fourth house and shooting them. The three Marines told investigators they were searching for the men they had seen and separated the women into a safe area before Wuterich and Sharratt entered the house.

Sharratt told investigators that he saw a man raise an AK-47 rifle as if to shoot him. Sharratt said his gun jammed, but he grabbed his 9mm handgun and shot the attacker. He told investigators he saw another man with a rifle and shot him and two others because he "felt threatened." Wuterich also shot at the men, he said. It's a good day so far! But there are more men suffering for defending our nation with their lives.

Page Printed from:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/07/one_haditha_hero_cleared.html at July 11, 2007 - 03:29:47 PM EDT

[MrCFdovnh]

Michael Savage reporting that the Chessani Court Martial is moving forward. Prosecutor refuses to drop charges.

Chessani's Lawyer will be on the Savage show.

Listen here:

KNEW

[gardencatz]

Rush transcript: Peacenik Shoots Air Force Airman; Where's Murtha's Haditha Apology?

Cindie

[lilycicero]

This guy, Allender, is everywhere

Thank goodness for that!

[SierraWasp]

Oh! I always spell it “pist,” because it’s shorter and actually cleaner by being more “removed” from using two “z’s.” But that’s ok, it doesn’t matter. I tried to hear him all the way through but can’t quite do it.

[smoothsailing]

Turn on Brit Hume, he's getting ready to do the Grapevine, and says he'll mention the Sharratt Article 32 hearing.

I'll post a transcript later this evening when it becomes available.

[bray]

One Free All Free. This Me Lie didn’t have enough Liars besides Turda.

Pray for W and Our Marines

[jazusamo]

Thanks for the heads up or I would have missed it, Smooth. Good for Brit Hume in getting the news out.

[lilycicero]

Thanks.

[pinkpanther111]

Yes one of my favorite authors :)

[Girlene]

From the Investigating Officer's report....

The Iraqi's first statements to NCIS were taken in a group setting, five months after the events occurred and with knowledge that other families in Haditha had received monetary componsation from the United States for events that occurred on 19 November, 2005. The interview that resulted in the witness statements were taken by Special Agent Mannle in a group setting, with each witness adding details and discussing the events in Arabic with one another in front of Special Agent Mannle who does not speak Arabic. Additionally, although $10,000 does not appear to be a large amount of money, testimony from Maj. Hiatt suggested that such a sum of money was equal to 4 times the average annual salary of a typical resident of Haditha. Prior to making these claims, no payments were made to the Ahmed family. The Ahmed familiy was represented by an attorney who represents other families who received compensation for Marines killing their family memmbers. Shortly after making these claims, the Ahmed family was paid $10,000 in Solatio payments.

Digest just this one paragraph. Why where charges preferred? Give me a friggin break!!!!

[jazusamo]

Digest just this one paragraph. Why where charges preferred?

I believe charges were filed because of NCIS Agent Mannle. She testified (over the phone) that she believed the Iraqis from the sum total of one hour of questioning. She also became the lead investigator on the case and she shouldn't even be allowed to play an investigator on the TV show.

[smoothsailing]

The NCIS paid for the testimony they wanted, that's why they didn't pay until after they were sastified that the Ahmed family had adjusted their version of events to fit the preferred NCIS scenario.

Thank the Lord for Lt.Col. Ware.

[Girlene]

Here's another paragraph from the Investigating Officer's, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, report under Evidence offered to suport reasonable grounds....

1. Evidence not Consistent with an Execution. Without question, the forensic evidence demonstrates that three of the men were shot in the head while facing forward from a distance of at least 2 feet. The three men in the specifications of the Charge all suffered fatal head wounds consistent with 9mm rounds fired from a distance beyond 2 feet. It is difficult, if not impossible, to believe, that trained and experienced Marines would decide to execute 4 unarmed men by leading them into a house, moving them to the back room with no light (curtains were closed) and allow them to move about the room while tring to shoot them with the least effective weapon in their arsenal. In addition, forensic evidence proves that one person was standing in the doorwy and shot to the face while the other three men were further inside the room. Under such circumstances one would reasonably expect that the others would then attempt to run or fight. None of the victims received defensive wounds to their hands or arms nor did they receive wounds to their backs or rear of their heads. Each was shot facing forward, from a distance, and with a 9 mm pistol which I find inconsistent with an execution or persons reacting to an execution. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest LCpl Sharratt attempted to hide the fact that he shot these indiviuals. To the contrary, SSgt Laughner testified that he was aware that people were shot in house 4 due to reports from the field.

It appears. Lt. Col. Ware did his job in reviewing the "actual" evidence! Thank goodness for one heck of a defense team!

[Marine_Uncle]

Let us hope the JAG goes along fully with this suggestion.

[smoothsailing]

Todays Political Grapevine with Brit Hume

[lilycicero]

Handy and dandy. I was looking for it, thanks.

[smoothsailing]

Anything for you, Lily!!!! :-)

[Paperdoll]

Hallelujah! Now for the rest of them. Thank you, jaz. Now is the time for W. to exonerate them all and release Ramos and Compean. They’ve all paid for far more than their “sin”.

[Gene Eric]

Great news!

[freema]

I’d hate to be the JAGs that got stuck with this assignment. But maybe they’re not so dumb as they appear. Why bother thinking if he can become a hero in a courtroom?

Freaken jihadi’s calling the prosecutorial shots against the United States Military.

Punks.