Haditha Bombshell: Pentagon Had Secret Committee

NewsMax ^ | March 26, 2008 | Philip V. Brennan

[2ndDivisionVet]

A shadow legal body was set up by the Defense Department to manipulate the prosecutions of U.S. Marines accused of massacring Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.

That’s the bombshell disclosure from the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm that is representing one of the accused Marines, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani.

And it could prove to be the most damning piece of evidence showing the political motivations behind the ongoing prosecutions of the Haditha Marines.

“The hysteria and media firestorm over Abu Ghraib and the Pat Tillman investigations led to fear of a similar media reaction to the Haditha incident, causing the military’s civilian bosses to set up this shadow oversight body,” Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Law Center, told Newsmax. “This extraordinary action politicized the military justice system and was a clear signal to top generals that they were expected to hold individuals criminally responsible. The investigation turned into a quest for a prosecution — not justice.”

The shadow legal body, called “Legal Team Charlie,” was composed of military lawyers reassigned from other units and reserve officers activated to prosecute the Haditha case, a move the Law Center termed “highly unusual.”

According to the Law Center, the director of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service admitted that more than 65 investigators were assigned, which in his opinion was the largest investigative effort in the department’s history.

“I am deeply troubled by the fact that the desire to appease the liberal anti-war press and politicians has led to the prosecution of innocent Marines for purely political purposes,” Thompson told Newsmax.

He went on to say, “These prosecutions will become a scandal of historic proportions unless terminated by independently minded and virtuous military judges.”

As Newsmax has been reporting almost from the outset, Marines of Kilo Company are being prosecuted for their house-to-house battle to flush out ambushing insurgents on Nov. 19, 2005.

In the firefight, 15 civilians were killed. Details of the battle and the civilian deaths were dutifully reported throughout the chain of command, including top generals, and all concluded that although this was a tragic and unfortunate consequence of urban warfare, the Marines were justified in their actions.

Months later, however, a Time magazine article — later proven to be erroneous — called the deaths of the civilians a “massacre,” setting off a media firestorm and leading the military to initiate investigations.

The secretary of the Navy countermanded a determination by then Marine Lt. Gen. James Mattis that Col. Stephen Davis, Chessani’s regimental commander, “would receive a 'Non-Punitive Letter of Caution,' which would not be part of his permanent record,” according to the Law Center.

“Mattis’ decision was overridden by the Navy secretary, who ordered a 'Letter of Censure,' a more severe punishment, which effectively ended this fine Marine officer’s career. As the consolidated convening authority in all the Haditha investigations, General Mattis’ decision, under normal circumstances, would be absolute and final.”

Chessani was not personally present at the scene of the ambush in Haditha, but the Marines responding were in his battalion. Chessani is charged with “dereliction of duty” and “orders” violations.

The 20-year Marine veteran and father of six faces a maximum of three years in prison, dismissal (an officer’s equivalent of a dishonorable discharge), and the loss of his retirement benefits.

An Undue Command Influence motion has already been filed on behalf of the two combat Marines facing charges over the Haditha battle. The Law Center said it intends to file its own Undue Command Influence motion on behalf of Chessani, and promised that further startling events will be revealed at that time.

In other developments, the court-martial of one of the combat Marines, Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, will commence Friday, March 28. Newsmax’s Nat Helms is in California to cover the trial at Camp Pendleton.

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Editor’s Note: The Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center does not charge for its services and is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Center can be reached at www.thomasmore.org.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"...if they came out and said that they had seen pigs fly, would that make it true?

if a thousand people claim they were abducted by a ufo...or were the targets of a white conspiracy to infect them with AIDS, would that make it true?"

Huh?! I don't understand what you're getting at: What does Jeremiah Wright have to do with the Haditha Marines? Maybe I'm just getting slow in my old age...

[rawcatslyentist]

I still want to know WHO is responsible for the betrayal of an Ohio sniper teams position, to coincide with a special election!

Those SOBs need to be investigated, prosecuted, and the other cuted!!!

[DoughtyOne]

I couldn’t agree with you more, and I couldn’t disagree with John McCain more.

[the invisib1e hand]

Not to belabor the obvious, but the point is that, just because someone says it, doesn’t make it true.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Did Bush plan all this?

Here are your choices. 1. Bush planned it, 2. The people he surrounds himself with planned it. 3. The Clinton holdovers he didn't purge planned it.

Any way you cut it, after seven years at the reigns he is responsible. To not blame him, but heap praise on how successful he has been is wholly disingenuous.

[glock rocks]

I think I’ll just sit back and watch the shills battle (babble) it out. As the republic is sent into the crapper by the puppet masters, it’s good dark entertainment, like the downfall of Nixon, and the end of WW Nam. I gain no joy from this, but it’s sure educational.

[cookcounty]

"the director of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service admitted that more than 65 investigators were assigned

All to find somethng...anything....

The War in Iraq is the most ethically conducted war in the history of mankind.

[Bobbisox]

Not unbelievable when you can see who was driving the story on the democratic side...Murtha (and he calls himself a Marine). This could be a very good campaign issue for the Republicans if they actually had the courage to do so, many of which do not!

[PhilDragoo]

I've called my congressman and good senator and the White House Comment Line operators many times on this matter, always with passion, usually without obscenities. Below tonight's email to be followed by tomorrow's calls.

In 1997 a flood of calls got rid of Sara Lister for her remark "Marines are a little too extreme". Toward that end:

I ask that you intercede on behalf of the Haditha Marines and to oppose their continued persecution at the hands of such corrupt traitors as Jack Murtha.

The hour is too late for the obsequious collegiality of the other body--these Marines, these honorable Marines, are being sacrificed upon an altar of political correctness. This obscene outrage must not stand.

Now, as Marine after Marine is cleared of the trumped up charges stemming from the enemy's slander, we find the Navy Department railroaded them from Day One.

From Day One these men were stabbed in the back by their superiors even as they faced character assassination from the likes of Murtha, and the outright lies of terrorist mouthpieces on the ground.

Surely there are patriots in our party--perhaps even a handful across the aisle--who will not stand for this Stalinesque show trial any longer.

We cannot survive as a nation if we destroy our most honorable to assuage the unassuagable, to appease the unappeasable.

I am depending upon your continued rock solid common sense and bedrock decency to work toward the end of this abomination.

Please consult the following article on the latest development, the discovery of the shadow prosecution stemming from the Navy Secretary himself: Haditha Bombshell: Pentagon Had Secret Committee

[SunkenCiv]

Many thanks, 2ndDivisionVet.

"This extraordinary action politicized the military justice system and was a clear signal to top generals that they were expected to hold individuals criminally responsible. The investigation turned into a quest for a prosecution -- not justice."

Yeah, that's what politicized it, the extraordinary action. It wasn't the torches and pitchforks wielded by Murtha and the other DemonRats in and out of Congress, plus A.N.S.W.E.R., MoveOn, the D.U., Daily Kos...

[patriciaruth]

President Bush is a huge disappointment to me. ...his last term (Thank God!) has been a horrendous betrayal of the American people.

yawn

[patriciaruth]

He is truly an ABOMINATION.

Getting your phrases honed for the Obama Nation campaign?

Hon, you haven't got a clue what an abomination is. You remind me of my hysterical 91 year old aunt who always has a "pain that like to killed me" or a problem that "scared me to death."

[patriciaruth]

seven years at the reigns

I believe those straps of leather that steer the horse are called reins, pardner.

[RaceBannon]

We have known for over a year that they took lawyers who were on inactive service and dragged them bak into the Military, and guess who they served? These were federal lawyers, just like the ones who Bush canned last year, they worked in their offices, and all of a sudden these people get called back to active duty to HANG Marines...

There is no more Republican Party

[RaceBannon]

If you knew what I learned in the last 2 years, you wouldn’t be surprised at all.

[Sudetenland]

Bronzewound is correct, dsutah is guilty of the typical Liberal arguing technique of making an argument against something that was never said. Thanks Bronzewound...

I will still have the congenitally blind and gullible like you dsutah and patriciaruth who are incapable of discerning Bush's failures and weaknesses from his (rapidly diminishing) strengths.

Go ahead and blindly defend this betrayer of our Constitution. George Bush bears a tremendous amount of responsibility for our economic and political failures. His inability to grasp the simple principle of now allowing Democrats to make their claims unchallenged, his let's get along attitude which staid his hand in exercising his veto, and his blind adherence to Donald Rumsfeld long after his strategy for Iraq proved a failure have virtually destroyed the Republican Party and virtually assured the long term domination of our Congress by Liberals, both Democrat and RINO.

I have plenty of people to blame...all of you RINO's

[dsutah]

Ok, whatever. Fine, so now I’m “Liberal”? LOL not hardly! Yeah, I suppose I’m liberal now because I disagree with you? I’ll tell you what. If you are an example of a “true, real” conservative, I’d be glad to be a “Liberal”! Not like socialist. I definitely am not a socialist, thank you!

So who cares what you think I am. But I do think you’re being a jerk! You do realize people are not Liberal (or socialist)just because they still admire our Pres. Bush? I happen to know/know of, a lot of conservatives who admire and credit our pres. for many things he has done. (including some conserv. Democrats)Yeah, they do still exist.(although I’m Republican)

So you could be a little bit more respectful of people who disagree with you? This website is still open to people who still like and support our president. It’s not just for his critics and bashers! Because I don’t think his critics are all “true, or real” conservatives! You’re certainly not the owner either. So just try really hard to be more civil, ok?

[Bronzewound]

Bronzewound is correct, dsutah is guilty of the typical Liberal arguing technique of making an argument against something that was never said. Thanks Bronzewound...

You're very welcome.

Perhaps it is one of Bush's very biggest failures (and the Republican party at large) that he is both unwilling and unable to forcefully and unequivocally set straight the daily litany of lies from Dems and the MSM. With each passing day he has become less of a principled man and more of a logroller.

This is not to diminish the good things he has done, but simply to honestly acknowledge the truth as it appears today.

[Bronzewound]

Ok, whatever. Fine, so now I’m “Liberal”? LOL not hardly! Yeah, I suppose I’m liberal now because I disagree with you?

You were NOT CALLED A LIBERAL. You were called out for using an illogical debating technique common to liberals. And you've just done exactly the same thing again, defending yourself from being called a liberal, when that is not the what was said.

My take on Sudetenland's comments is that he believes you are unwilling to acknowledge that Bush has done some damage to conservative causes (immigration, pandering to liberals, allowing prosecution of our border agents and military men to appease foreign govts.), notwithstanding the important and admirable things (tax cuts, security, SCOTUS) he has done. Blind support does nothing to further the truth.

[Sudetenland]

Adults are getting harder and harder to find around here. Once more dsutah (apparently intentionally) distorts what I said in an attempt to take issue with a statement I didn't make rather than directly address what was said.

dsutah, until you learn that every disagreement with something you believe is not a personal attack and that reasonable people can "agreeably" disagree, you will not be taken seriously.

Bronzewound is precisely right. I cannot imagine any president having a better record in making judicial appointments. I can only imagine the nightmare which would have been had Algore been in the White House rather than George...probably another Clintonian "Wag the Dog" attack of lobbing a few missiles at another asperine factory followed by a claim of victory...but the good that Bush did does not excuse his miserable performance in other areas, like buying into the myth of AGW and his complete complicity in assuring illegal aliens are free to run amok without fear of retribution or arrest.

Do try to take a less personal and more philosophical look at your debate opponents.

Not everyone who agrees with me is my friend and not everyone who disagrees with me is my enemy.