MILITARY: Mixed ruling for Marine in civilian slayings in Iraq (LtCol Chessani)

NC Times ^ | December 11, 2009 | Mark Walker

[jazusamo]

I never thought about it but took for granted a 2-1 would be all that’s required, I may be wrong.

[smoothsailing]

The highest-ranked Marine accused of bungling the military's response to the slayings of two dozen Iraqi civilians after a lethal 2005 roadside bombing displayed substandard performance, but he should not be demoted, a three-member Board of Inquiry ruled Friday.

Same old crap from Walker with the "two dozen". And what is it with the "accused of bungling"? Where does that appear in the UCMJ?

I accuse Mark Walker of buffoonery.

[Lancey Howard]

I don’t know the answer to your question but I think that for practical purposes a split decision would be extremely rare. I figure they just deliberate among themselves and come to a consensus. In this case, I figure that during their deliberations one of them wondered, “Hey, is there a bone we can throw to the prosecutors?” And so they came up with the embarrassingly lame line about Chessani’s performance being substandard because he “failed to provide as detailed and accurate a report as possible.”

[jazusamo]

Most appropriate, Phil. Thanks!

[dsc]

“There’s nothing “mixed” about it.”

Well, the poor guy will never pin chickens on his collar.

[jazusamo]

I accuse Mark Walker of buffoonery.

I'll second that. Every insurgent killed in Iraq must be a "civilian" in his eyes because they didn't have uniforms on.

[Lancey Howard]

Okay everybody, fasten your seatbelts.
One more Marine to exonerate.
You KNOW the scumbags are going to try to hang Wuterich and they’ll be coming after him with every lie in their arsenal.

[smoothsailing]

“failed to provide as detailed and accurate a report as possible.”

Isn't that ridiculous, at first it was he didn't report, now it's we don't like the report. They might as well have said he used the wrong color ink or paper size.

[smoothsailing]

G'Night Uncle, glad you got the news before you hit the sack!

[xzins]

"failed to provide as detailed and accurate a report as possible."

That's a ridiculous conclusion for two reason: 1. In a situation with plenty of time, who EVER provides as detailed a report as possible?

2. Given this situation in the middle of an active, insurgent uprising that lasted well beyond the Haditha incident, show-and-glow, schoolhouse-style reports just don't happen. You get the down and dirty. People's lives shouldn't be wasted because someone's writing a pretty report.

[jazusamo]

One more Marine to exonerate.

Well said, Lancey. It's time to concentrate our efforts and help SSgt Wuterich in whatever way we can.

Frank's website

[smoothsailing]

You KNOW the scumbags are going to try to hang Wuterich and they’ll be coming after him with every lie in their arsenal.

Agreed. But we know this, Frank's case is tainted by the same UCI as Chessani's. IMO, the defense has the upper hand going in. No time to let down our guard, though.

[Marine_Uncle]

As Lancey indicated: "You KNOW the scumbags are going to try to hang Wuterich and they’ll be coming after him with every lie in their arsenal."
As he wrote it, I probably was thinking it as many of us where. I couldn't hit the rack, had to thank the good Lord for answering prayers for the LtCol.. Now prayers must be continued for a great Marine Sargent who has his life held in limbo for performing with excellence in the line of duty to protect his unit and kill the enemy.

One irony is that the Iraqi even remotely involved in that incident if we want to call it that, probably have not a clue as to what has been going on. They all most likely just moved on after being paid for the deaths of some civilians.
Their province is now quiet as a church mouse and al Qaeda does not go around lopping their heads off, due to the immediate contributions the United States Marines did for so many years in that province.
Now perhaps I shall hit the sack.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for the prayers, MU and like you say, Frank will be needing them also. I believe many here will be helping out.

[Saoirise]

Maybe, but the Sec NAV doesn’t have to go with the Board’s decision - Look what Mabus just did to the Hamdania guys (Shumate, Jackson, Jodka and Bacos) ordered them out of service last month after their pleas deals from 2 years ago.

[Lancey Howard]

But we know this, Frank's case is tainted by the same UCI as Chessani's.

There is absolutely no doubt about it. I suspect that Frank's defense lawyers were waiting for this final resolution of Chessani's case before going proactive. Perhaps they'll start filing motions like crazy at this point.

[jazusamo]

The UCI in Frank’s case is definitely there as it was in this case.

I believe I read that Neal Puckett was waiting to file it in Frank’s case until the Chessani case was over but don’t know if it was the courts-martial or this board of inquiry.

[jazusamo]

You make a good point and I thought of that but didn’t want to. After him doing that with the Hamdania Marines anything is possible with him.

[Lancey Howard]

but the Sec NAV doesn’t have to go with the Board’s decision

That's a very good point. Ubama the Kenyan communist and his jack-in-the-box clown brigade are the wild cards in this whole fiasco. God only knows what those sick scumbags might come up with.

[whatisthetruth]

Damn! Just damn!