Posted on 01/03/2008 9:23:31 PM PST by smoothsailing
A 'Defining Atrocity'? Yes, Against Our Marines
By Diana West
Friday, January 4, 2008
A major story of 2007 was the progressive unraveling of the case against the seven Marines and one Navy corpsman charged in connection with the Nov. 19, 2005, killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha during a day of intense action. To date, charges against four of the men have been dismissed altogether. Two men have been ordered to a court martial. Two cases are pending.
What a difference a year has made since charges came down at the end of 2006. The New York Times in October mourned -- I mean, noted -- the shift: "Last year, when accounts of the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha by a group of Marines came to light, it seemed that the Iraq war had produced its defining atrocity, just as the conflict in Vietnam had spawned the My Lai massacre a generation ago."
No "defining atrocity"? Gee, that's too bad. The Times went on to lament that the presiding military investigator recommended that murder charges against the ranking enlisted Marine, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, be dropped. And this, the newspaper bellyached, "may well have ended prosecutors' chances of winning any murder convictions in the killings."
No murder convictions? Well, boo -- the heck -- hoo.
This isn't to suggest that the four remaining Marines facing legal proceedings are in the clear. Quite the contrary. Consider the two cases going to military court. The court martial of Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, is scheduled for March 28. He could face up to 19 years in prison, a dishonorable discharge and loss of retirement benefits. The court martial of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, charged with failing to properly report and investigate a possible "law of war" violation, is scheduled for April 28. He could face more than two years in prison, a dishonorable discharge and loss of retirement benefits.
Having survived their war in Iraq, the lives of these American soldiers remain very much in jeopardy. But the most sensational charges against them have fallen apart. Who can forget the March 19, 2006, Time magazine story by Tim McGirk entitled "Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?" The story answered its own question by describing a vengeful, Marine "rampage."
On May 17, 2006, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., piled on to say what happened at Haditha was actually "much worse" than the Time story. Official investigations were still underway, but the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee repeatedly condemned the Marines for having "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
As if to underscore the point, on May 25, 2006, then-commandant of the Marine Corps Michael Hagee announced he would embark on a grand tour of Marine bases to "reinforce standards and core values." This didn't exactly come off as a vote of confidence in his men.
As 2008 begins, Haditha hysteria still blights the lives of all the men who were implicated, not just the soldiers remaining in legal limbo. But what about the accusers who trumpeted the worst of the charges? Are they accountable for tarnished reputations? Terminated careers? Legal bills? Outrage? Night sweats?
Dream on. McGirk has moved on to a plummy new assignment as Time Jerusalem bureau chief, even as Time has moved away from signal points in the initial report. Via subsequent "corrections," Time asserted that the identity of a key source was grossly misrepresented, and admitted that allegations about a photograph reported as "one of the most damning pieces of evidence investigators have" was based on information from a source who later said "he had no firsthand knowledge" of it.
Murtha refuses to comment on the matter publicly or otherwise; as a defendant in a civil libel suit filed by Staff Sgt. Wuterich, he's appealing a federal court order to be interviewed by Staff Sgt. Wuterich's attorneys.
Hagee, whom Murtha has ID'ed as his source (Hagee denies this), has retired.
End of story? Not necessarily. The week before Christmas, the North County Times of San Diego reported that lawyers for Tatum have asked the military court to order Murtha to submit to interviews about his comments. They also "want to force an interview with retired Marine Corps Commandant Michael Hagee about what Hagee may have said to Murtha or others about the Haditha killings."
The judge has yet to rule on this matter, but I, for one, hope he orders up the interviews. What is said may reveal that the Iraq war has indeed produced its "defining atrocity" -- against our own Marines.
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Diana West is a contributing columnist for Townhall.com and author of the new book, The Death of the Grown-up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization.
Haditha Marines Ping.
When does fat bastard hang for treason?
If it was to be tomorrow it wouldn’t be soon enough for me!
He should have been feeding worms long ago, IMO
God help all our fighting men, and women in those hellholes. I am so angry about this I shouldn8t be even posting, its hard to be coherent!! Another time. No intervention by the President. There will be a special place in hell for him, for scum of the earth Murtha and Tim McJerk; plus the brass who have no guts nor balls to stand up for their men. Thank you smoothsailing for posting this and you chose a very fine writer, Diana West.
This said it all for me, Jaz.
I don't like getting angry, it's not my nature. But all of those, Murtha, McGirk, the NCIS, etc.; have incensed me throughout this travesty that has befallen these Marines. I want justice, and torment and reckoning for those who would deny it.
The price must be paid by those who would use our bravest defenders as political fodder for their own ideologies and agendas.
It is an obscene disgrace that, because of a story written by a reckless, dishonest TIME reporter who was duped by a couple of enemy propagandists, military commanders and their civilian bosses decided to throw eight good, heroic Marines under the bus just so they could appease the liberal "mainstream" press and one fat congressman. It makes me throw up in my mouth a little.
(See my post #8)
The judge has yet to rule on this matter, but I, for one, hope he orders up the interviews. What is said may reveal that the Iraq war has indeed produced its "defining atrocity" -- against our own Marines.
Yes this is the money shot. The atrocity IS against our own Marines! Good Article
Well said, Smooth, you’re right on the money!
Justice will not have been served until those bearers of false witness pay a price for their despicable actions. I doubt they will ever pay that price but they all know what they did and will have to live with it until their dying day. I suppose there is some justice in that but not nearly enough, IMO.
You've got it right, Jaz.
And so does Panther...
The atrocity IS against our own Marines!
The self-anointed mighty can be humbled and brought low when they cross the line, as Murtha and his ilk have done. Keep the pressure on, all of us must.
I'm turning in, tomorrow we march again.
Good points...too bad it’s all true.
Sadly this is yet another example of the enemedias bias against our military.
Thanks for the ping jazusamo.
ping
Uncle, you are exactly right. The complete exoneration of all of our Haditha Marines must remain our top priority.
Those who brought this upon them can be dealt with by us as well, but I totally agree with you, first our efforts must remain focused on the Marines. THESE MARINES DESERVE NO LESS.
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