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Innocents Of Haditha
IBD Editorials ^ | August 13, 2007 | Not specified

Posted on 08/13/2007 5:05:46 PM PDT by RDTF

On May 31, 2006, the Los Angeles Times editorially bellowed, "What happened at the Iraqi My Lai?" The charge was that on Nov. 19, 2005, the Marines of Kilo Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, had gone on a killing rampage in the town of Haditha in Anbar province. The rampage was said to be in response to the killing by IED of one of their comrades.

That May, Rep. Murtha, D-Pa., vowed at a press conference an investigation would prove "our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

As the facts have come out, the Haditha incident has been revealed as a media-driven rush to judgment embraced by Democrats to justify their animus toward the war on terror in Iraq. It is a case that, outside of its combat context, eerily resembles the attempted railroading of the Duke lacrosse players.

On Aug. 9 charges were formally dismissed against Lance Cpl. Sharratt, one of the three remaining Marines charged with murder at Haditha. But the charges weren't dropped for lack of evidence.

-snip-

Such was the case at Haditha. The charges against Sharratt and his Haditha comrades were spawned by a fallacious and dishonest March 27, 2006, Time magazine story that said they were guilty of "massacring innocent civilians." The story was based on false evidence provided by a known insurgent propagandist.

Time Magazine reporter Tim McGirk had written about how a "budding journalism student" who gave him a video taken after the Marines' alleged rampage.

Except the student was 43-year-old Taher Thabet al-Hadithi, head of a human rights organization whose only other member was Ali Omar Abrahem el-Mashhadani.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: haditha; iraq; marines; mcgirk; sharratt; timemag; timmcgirk

1 posted on 08/13/2007 5:05:46 PM PDT by RDTF
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To: RedRover

ping


2 posted on 08/13/2007 5:06:08 PM PDT by RDTF (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, but Democrats believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
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To: RDTF

Time magazine would hire Tokyo Rose if she were alive.


3 posted on 08/13/2007 5:13:13 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul (What's the difference between the CIA and the Free Clinic? The Free Clinic knows how to stop leaks.)
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To: darrylsharratt

ping


4 posted on 08/13/2007 5:17:42 PM PDT by RDTF (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, but Democrats believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
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To: RDTF

Too bad the military can’t try Tim McGirk!


5 posted on 08/13/2007 5:24:22 PM PDT by rmlew (Build a wall, attrit the illegals, end the anchor babies, Americanize Immigrants)
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To: rmlew
Why not. McGirk is is obviously a combatant working for the other side.

Seems to me they could even take him out and shoot him.

6 posted on 08/13/2007 5:31:09 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Doctor Raoul
There were a fair number of young women employed to broadcast Japanese wartime propaganda directed to US troops in the Pacific.

Only one of them was prosecuted.

None of the Australian, UK and American prisoners who wrote the propaganda were touched.

7 posted on 08/13/2007 5:32:42 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: jveritas; FARS; Ernest_at_the_Beach; knighthawk; Marine_Uncle; SandRat; Steel Wolf; CAP; ...

Haditha ping.


8 posted on 08/13/2007 5:40:03 PM PDT by elhombrelibre (Democrats have plenty of patience for anti-American dictators but none for Iraqi democrats.)
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To: RDTF

Has Murtha apologized yet? Has one reporter called Murtha for a statement? /rhetorical question!


9 posted on 08/13/2007 5:50:58 PM PDT by maica (America will be a hyperpower that's all hype and no power -- if we do not prevail in Iraq)
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To: RDTF

Where’s your apology, Murtha?

You said our troops were guilty in this incident, you tried to make them look out of control and bloodthirsty, you tried to put them down, so they couldn’t get back up and fight the enemy.

Well, you failed, Murtha. We wan’t your aplogy now.


10 posted on 08/13/2007 5:51:16 PM PDT by tcw_laj4ALL
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To: RDTF

Where’s your apology, Murtha?

You said our troops were guilty in this incident, you tried to make them look out of control and bloodthirsty, you tried to put them down, so they couldn’t get back up and fight the enemy.

Well, you failed, Murtha. We wan’t your aplogy now.


11 posted on 08/13/2007 5:51:19 PM PDT by tcw_laj4ALL
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To: 4woodenboats; American Cabalist; AmericanYankee; AndrewWalden; Antoninus; AliVeritas; ardara; ...

12 posted on 08/13/2007 6:03:02 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RDTF
Haditha is just another example of a story that bloggers and posters on Free Republic got right and the MSM got dead wrong.


13 posted on 08/13/2007 6:06:44 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RDTF; RedRover; P-Marlowe; blue-duncan
Intercepts of their cell phone calls alerted Marines to a possible Haditha ambush.

If I remember Dinsmore's testimony correctly, didn't he suggest that the 'white car' info came from these journalists?

It has galled me since this came out about the journalists being tracked, that men who were part of the actual attack on the Marines were also the sources of the charges against the Marines.

That's a bit like taking Patton to court martial because of complaints by propaganda minister, Goebbels, isn't it?

14 posted on 08/13/2007 6:07:33 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain And Proud of It! Those who support the troops will pray for them to WIN!)
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To: RDTF

BUMP!


15 posted on 08/13/2007 6:08:12 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: maica

There's some contact information for the media on this thread: Dear Mainstream Media: You and Congressman Murtha must set the record straight.

16 posted on 08/13/2007 6:10:01 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RedRover

Makes me to damn mad to read that crapola...murtha is a traitor...


17 posted on 08/13/2007 6:11:45 PM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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To: xzins
That is correct. Kilo Co. to expect an ambush and a white car would have a role in it.
18 posted on 08/13/2007 6:12:03 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RedRover
Every evening I receive the IBD editorials' email with the next day's articles. Tonight's email had this in the subject line:

IBDeditorials.com: Marines Innocent, Murtha Guilty

19 posted on 08/13/2007 6:13:36 PM PDT by RDTF (Republicans believe every day is July 4th, but Democrats believe every day is April 15th. - Reagan)
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To: Doctor Raoul
Time magazine would hire Tokyo Rose Joseph Goebbels if he were alive
20 posted on 08/13/2007 6:14:38 PM PDT by dynachrome (Henry Bowman is right.)
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To: RedRover

Thanks.


21 posted on 08/13/2007 6:14:40 PM PDT by maica (America will be a hyperpower that's all hype and no power -- if we do not prevail in Iraq)
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To: RDTF

“Ware said prosecution of Sharratt could set “a dangerous precedent that . . . may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and its mission in Iraq.”

How true, Can you say Hamdania and the P8?

The kicker, Time Magazine is still delivered to Marines at Camp Pendleton!


22 posted on 08/13/2007 6:17:16 PM PDT by Saoirise (Free Sgt. Hutchins, 3rd Generation Marine)
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To: tcw_laj4ALL
Well, you failed, Murtha. We wan’t your aplogy now.

I don’t want his apology. I want his resignation. Then I want him to crawl into some cold dark cave, never to return.

23 posted on 08/13/2007 6:19:35 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: RDTF
That's excellent!

By the way, here's where things stand for the Haditha Marines...


24 posted on 08/13/2007 6:19:57 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: muawiyah
None of the Australian, UK and American prisoners who wrote the propaganda were touched.

They later went on to form the WHCA...

25 posted on 08/13/2007 6:20:26 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul (What's the difference between the CIA and the Free Clinic? The Free Clinic knows how to stop leaks.)
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To: All; RDTF; RedRover

Thanks for the ping, Red.

Contacting Murtha’s office to ask when he’ll apologize will at least keep the pressure on him.

John Murtha’s Contact information:

Telephone:
800-289-2642 from Western PA
814-535-2642
202-225-2065

Snail Mail:
647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

Fax:
814-539-6229 — District
202-225-5709 — Washington


26 posted on 08/13/2007 6:23:41 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: All
If you would like to help with the civilian lawyer’s legal fees for the
Haditha Marines you can do so by going to these sites.

Defend Our Marines

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt

SSgt. Frank Wuterich

Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani

NewsMax Fund Drive


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

27 posted on 08/13/2007 6:25:27 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RDTF

Great. Thanks for keeping on top of this. Murtha MUST pay.


28 posted on 08/13/2007 6:46:29 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: jazusamo

He will be hearing from me,,,,,again!


29 posted on 08/13/2007 6:53:50 PM PDT by pissant (Duncan Hunter: Warrior, Statesman, Conservative)
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To: Grizzled Bear; smoothsailing

I have first dibs...to bite his buttons off before anybody else does anything. And I have a witness to testify to my dibs.


30 posted on 08/13/2007 7:32:02 PM PDT by freema (Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Mother, and FRiend)
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To: 1stbn27; 2111USMC; 2nd Bn, 11th Mar; 68 grunt; A.A. Cunningham; ASOC; AirForceBrat23; Ajnin; ...

The facts as revealed clearly demonstrate that the incident was part of a planned ambush by insurgents that used civilians as human shields, and that despite the claims of Rep. Murtha and his media allies, this was not murder but the tragic result of a firefight in which U.S. Marines were honorably defending themselves.

Now, the truth also is undergoing a surge.

31 posted on 08/13/2007 7:34:23 PM PDT by freema (Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Mother, and FRiend)
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To: Semper Fi Mom

Marine Bump


32 posted on 08/13/2007 7:54:31 PM PDT by RaceBannon (Innocent until proven guilty; The Pendleton 8: We are not going down without a fight)
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To: freema

Now, the truth also is undergoing a surge.

******
And WE are the soldiers in this battle. Our duty is to get the truth out! I’ve already got a list of those that convicted the Marines without the benefit of a trial and it ain’t gonna be pretty!


33 posted on 08/13/2007 8:27:59 PM PDT by Chickenhawk Warmonger (The Media Lied & Soldiers Died)
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To: All
Congress is on vacation so we should contact Murtha only in PA until after Labor Day. He doesn't accept email from outside his district (the coward). I've been emailing my own congressman asking him to put pressure on the Republican leaders to put pressure on Murtha. Might do some good. Here's a link to two interviews Pundit Review Radio did with Darryl Sharratt. Good stuff. God bless these families!

http://www.punditreview.com/2007/08/09/charges-finally-dropped-against-haditha-marine-justin-sharratt-2/
34 posted on 08/13/2007 9:11:10 PM PDT by athelass (Proud Mom of a Sailor and two Marines! Weasley is Our King!)
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To: Chickenhawk Warmonger

BUMP. In this battle, I’m proud to be a REMF.


35 posted on 08/14/2007 3:02:25 AM PDT by freema (Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, Mother, and FRiend)
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To: Doctor Raoul
Time magazine would hire Tokyo Rose if she were alive.


36 posted on 08/14/2007 12:01:34 PM PDT by Girlene
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To: RedRover; RDTF

>> On May 31, 2006, the Los Angeles Times editorially bellowed, “What happened at the Iraqi My Lai?”

Media dolts


37 posted on 08/14/2007 10:43:21 PM PDT by Gene Eric
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To: Chickenhawk Warmonger
And WE are the soldiers in this battle. Our duty is to get the truth out.

That's the best battle cry I've heard yet. And the best explication of why we're spending a good portion of every day whaling away at this Dark Star of Deceit.

Nat Helms (who writes for me at Defend Our Marines) got a call from a MSM reporter, wanting to know who was paying him. The guy could just not believe that anyone would write for free!

38 posted on 08/15/2007 4:45:09 AM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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