HADITHA: SINS OF THE GENERALS
Strategic Legalism
Bob Weimann | December 31, 2011
…”Strategic legalism”…the use of laws or legal arguments to further larger policy objectives, irrespective of the facts or laws… Law and War: An American Story by Peter Maguire
Peter Maguire defines “strategic legalism” in his book Law and War: An American Story. His book focuses primarily on the Nuremberg Trials immediately after the Second World War. Mr. Maguire discusses the extraordinary effort the US made to ensure the German war criminal trials are just and legal. In addition, he exposes an implied mission “that the trials would do more than render justice; they would also serve to "reeducate" the German people.” The strategic legalism occurs when the German war criminals sentences are systematically commuted and the convicted are quietly freed from prison. The United States releases these war criminals because as a nation, we are well into the Cold War and the US needs to curry favor and the loyalty of West Germany people.
I appreciate Mr. Maguire’s work, especially the crystal clear definition of strategic legalism. For me, it was a bit of an epiphany as I researched the reasons for the unfair political prosecutions of SSgt Wuterich and the Haditha Marines. Bam! There is was in black and white on page nine...it has a name. The definition pulled all the loose ends and rabbit trails together, including the Breaker Morant story which is the British version of strategic legalism....
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THE NEVER ENDING BATTLE
by Nathaniel R. Helms | Thursday, December 29, 2011
Three weeks after The New York Times carped about the fellow in Iraq cooking fish with scraps of “classified” U.S. documents, “once closely guarded as secret of war” the long declassified observations of the witnesses detailed in the 400 pages of purloined interrogations are finally going to come out – maybe. That is if the scuttlebutt is dead wrong and no miraculous last minute intervention by someone on high puts a merciful end to arguably the most divisive event to ever test the honor of the United States Marine Corps.
Whether anyone cares enough to notice either way is a much bigger question than why a New York Times reporter wouldn’t bother to actually check the classification status of the documents he was peddling before selling it as fresh fish. He could have found out everything he needed to know just by clicking on Defend Our Marines...
Haditha Marine ping!
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One would think that now that we are out of Iraq there would be no need for this politicized redux of Breaker Morant but I guess once the machinery gets going there’s no stopping it. Prayers for the Marine, he’ll need it.
I hope this Marine is cleared of the charges.This has gone on for way too long.
Father God, be with SSgt Wuterich, his lawyers and the judge.
Have this end quickly and have this man be set free.
I cannot wait for the not guilty verdict as this vulgar stain on American values comes to an end. What these guys went through is mind boggling. We’ve fallen far.
Muzzie Lovin’,Christian hating, American Politicians should send their own sons to fight and die, then you’ll never see a Court martial, such as this farce.
It would sure be great if you could bump this up so it’s visible on the sidebar in Activism/Chapters or Extended News! :)