[smoothsailing]

Yesterday Wuterich’s co-counsel Haytham Faraj revealed that 30 percent of the expended cartridges found in the second of two houses cleared in the Marines initial attack were apparently fired by insurgents. His revelation is the first evidence that insurgents had used the houses as strong points, as the Marines believed.

When asked to explain why he had voluntarily joined Wuterich’s team ordered to “clear South” by platoon leader Lt William Kallop, Tatum told the court “I had served with them for a long time. I proceeded to join the group going toward House 1. The house had been declared hostile. Any individual there was hostile.”

At one point Tatum told Puckett he heard an AK-47 being “racked,” a sound he recognized instantly.

“Once I heard that AK-47 racking, I wasn’t going in that room to endanger myself or my Marines. At Fallujah we learned we never went into a room without throwing in a grenade.

Yesterday Faraj was talking about house #2. Today Tatum is apparently referencing house #1. So now the jury has heard testimony strongly suggesting that insurgents were present at BOTH houses. This is good!

[RedRover]

That's right: House 1. Tatum told NCIS he heard the AK being racked and it was on the map he drew of the engagement recreated here...