I'll say!
Posted on 06/15/2009 11:15:50 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
The commandant of the Marine Corps has appointed one of his deputies to decide the next step in the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who was charged with dereliction of duty after 24 Iraqi civilians were slain in the city of Haditha in 2005.
Lt. Gen. George Flynn, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, was named the new convening authority over the Chessani matter last week, a Marine Corps spokesman said Monday.
Flynn was given the task by Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps.
Conway was handed the Chessani case last month after a military judge at Camp Pendleton ordered the dereliction charges dismissed because of his finding that unlawful command influence had irreparably tainted the prosecution case.
(snip)
When he ordered the case dismissed, the judge, Col. Steven Folsom, also ruled the Marine Corps could bring a new case against Chessani provided it appointed a new convening authority to first review the matter.
That was one of several options that Conway had in deciding how to proceed. He also could have ordered the case dismissed entirely or taken an administrative action, such as having a letter placed in Chessani's file.
Flynn now has to review the investigation in its entirety and decide whether continued prosecution or some kind of lesser action is warranted.
(Excerpt) Read more at nctimes.com ...
(( ping ))
Four freaking years later and here we are, no end in sight.
And by the way, Walker is way past having any excuse for still using the "24 civilians" line. Do some homework, Mark. Please.
Think about it. If our boys really wanted to kill people indiscriminately they could have put down hundreds.
But it turned out the joke was on them. Ha ha.
Thank you, Lancey. That has irked me since day one.
Whatever happened to the right to a speedy trial?
There were no "innocent" civilians in those houses at Haditha. The occupants were either insurgents or collaborators. They were either "with us or against us". Clearly, they were against us:
A 12-year old survivor of the alleged massacre of innocent civilians by U.S. Marines patrolling Haditha has admitted she had prior knowledge of the plot to detonate an IED as their convoy was passing by her house on the morning of Nov. 19, 2005.
In a CNN interview broadcast Wednesday, Safa Younis - who says eight members of her family were killed by U.S. troops - recalled that she was getting ready for school as the Marine Humvee approached.
"I was planning to go to school. I was about to go out of bed. I knew the bomb would explode so I covered my ears," the youngster said, according to a CNN translator. "The bomb [then] exploded," she explained. "The bomb struck an armored vehicle. I don't know if it was a Humvee or an armored vehicle. When the bomb exploded, they came straight to my house."
The "innocent" occupants of those houses knew about the impending deadly ambush and watched it happen. They chose to collaborate with terrorist insurgents, and those insurgents used them as human shields. Now look at them.... Que sera sera.
By the way, isn’t it amusing how you NEVER read about those “four young men on their way to college” in the white taxi cab anymore? It’s like it never happened.
I'll say!
I new thought I’d live to say this, but the USMC Commandant is a pu$$y.
Yep, those were four of Walker's "civilians". I almost feel bad for Mark,well not really, but if he hasn't figured it out by now, he's never gonna figure it out.
It’s like the generals are playing “hot potato” with this case. Didn’t this thing start back during WWII with a guy named Mattis? I can’t even keep track of all the “convening authorities” and judges since then. I don’t think Flynn was even born yet when this thing started.
“Yep, those were four of Walker’s “civilians”. I almost feel bad for Mark,well not really, but if he hasn’t figured it out by now, he’s never gonna figure it out.”
Walker is a tool and the North County Times is a tool box. Anything anti-Marine is fodder for them. Bah.
TC
Thanks for the post and ping, Lancey!
So much dishonor going down within the Marine Corps. at this point, likewise I am without words.
How long till we run out of Generals?
You’ve been doing a damn fine job of keeping the faith. I’ve been reading your pings on this issue. I don’t comment because I’ve got nothing to say that would pass the word filter. My thoughts on this issue are not fit for expression where kids, ladies or faint hearted males may be within listening range.
Semper Fi.
Semper Fi.
Thanks for the ping, Jaz..
I thought this case was essentially over.. I agree with your comments, I have nothing to add that can be said in public!
Dang1 more prayers needed for the Col. Why can’t they let this go?
Thanks for keeping us up to date on Haditha, Lancey. Hopefully the general will finally bring this to an end for Lt Col Chessani.
The questions are:
1. Was there anything about that day that higher was not sufficiently aware of? They had eye in the sky, they had firefights all over Haditha (not just with Wuterich’s bunch), and they were aware of the movement of insurgents.
2. Chessani gave a thorough briefing (via powerpoint if memory serves correctly) within short order.
3. What was the accepted means of reporting at that time in the heat of battle...many times informal means are deemed acceptable when in the heat of crisis? Were there any such informal conventions used on this or any other reports? What had they accepted from Chessani in the past? What were they accepting from other battalion level combat commanders?
4. What impact does NOW knowing that the true situation of that day did NOT involve any criminal convictions have on a reassessment of Chessani’s understandings and actions? What impact does knowing that the Time report was an insurgent propaganda effort have on any reassessment? What impact does the reality of Murtha’s prejudicing of the case have on any reassessment? What impact does knowing that there definitely were insurgents in those houses have on reassessment? What impact does knowing that the “civilians” had advance knowledge of the attack have on reassessment?
5. Two independent inquiries shortly after Haditha established no retributive actions, only military actions. These reports have never been brought into an assessment of Chessani’s eventual actions. Do they not verify his analysis that this was a justifiable anti-insurgent action with regrettable collateral casualties?
Finally, this guy from NC Times is not making a mistake when he continues his use of the incendiary “24 civilians.” It's past the point of oversigght. He's doing it on purpose. It's time to acknowledge that he has a dog in this hunt, and that he's anti-Chessani, anti-HadithaMarines.
Excellent post.
AND there’s nothing I can say that would be “acceptable” except WTF!!!
I hear you, Mom.
God bless you all!
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