Summary Box: Afghan-Marines Shooting
The Associated Press
THE INQUIRY: The Marine Corps began a fact-finding hearing Monday to investigate the actions of two special operations officers and their role in shooting that may have killed as many as 19 Afghan civilians. Neither officer has been charged with a crime.
THE INCIDENT: Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission said the Marine unit fired indiscriminately at civilians after their patrol was hit with a car bomb. Attorneys for the officers say the evidence doesn’t match that version of events.
THE IMPORTANCE: The “court of inquiry” setting allows the Marine Corps to hold open hearings without formally charging anyone with a crime. The panel will eventually recommend whether the two officers named in the investigation should be charged.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080107/APN/801070730
Odd???? There was no mention of this on the Marine Corps web link or on DoD’s web link.
Cong. Omar Mullah Murtha,.. are you planting false stories again????
When the Kennedy sliced off the superstructure of the Belknap back in the 70s it was handled with a formal JAGMAN investigation. A COI is very rare. I guess the international interest is driving this one.
And if they had been the ones who were killed nobody would be looking into anything. But it is alleged that the Marines were shooting people miles away. Let's see what the investigation comes up with.
But the next week, Marine Corps commandant Gen. James T. Conway said Nicholson's apology was premature because an investigation remained under way.
It’s sad that you recruit young guy’s , who just go, no questions asked, because they were asked. Put them in a hostile situation, They get rammed by killers, and what happens is predictable. But to have the gall to then try them as killers ??? What the f is going on here?
This article is not worth the paper that it was printed on. It doesn’t tell us very much and largely confuses the issues.
Firstly, LTG Kearney’s actions were operational decisions. They don’t shed any information, good or bad, on any possible criminal charges that might arise from this incident. I think that its fair to say that he didn’t have confidence in the leadership of this company, but that does not tell us anything about any potential criminal behavior.
COL Nicholson, who is one of the straightest shooters I have ever known, was just lamenting the loss of civilian life. He was not part of the operational chain of command, and is certainly not part of the legal chain of command.
Mark Waple, whom I have known since high school over 40 years ago, cannot be relied upon for the time of day. He’s made his living as a military ambulance chaser. Whomever retained him as a defense attorney made a monumental mistake.
The Court of Inquiry and any subsequent courts martial, if warranted, are firmly in the hands of the Marine Corps. I hope that they consider the evidence fairly and in light of the circumstances of deadly combat that these men found themselves.
Nothing that I have read has led me to a conclusion. I don’t think that anyone who was not there knows what happened and leaping to conclusions based on press reports or statements from third rate attorneys is folly.
If USSOCOM has Olson as Commander and Kearney as Deputy and the MARSOC as a constituent unit, then this Maj Gen Hejlik went against someone who probably evaluates him in some capacity. (rater or intermediate rater, perhaps.)
It was an act of courage.
Corps cave under pressure from Dog Faced Pu$$y!
