THE TRIAL OF SSGT. WUTERICH: POSSIBLE DEAL IN WORKS

Defend Our Marines ^ | 18 January 2012 | Nathaniel R. Helms

[RedRover]

Camp Pendleton, Calif. – Defend Our MarinesA source close to the trial said a lack of money on the defense side, a lack of evidence on the prosecution side, and the likelihood that the eight-member panel will find SSgt Frank Wuterich not guilty of voluntary manslaughter and related charges have all combined to bring the case to a possible conclusion.

Wuterich was charged in December 2006 with murder stemming from the multi-million dollar, worldwide investigation triggered by a specious Time magazine story in March 2006. Wuterich is also charged with Dereliction of Duty and Assault with a Deadly Weapon after 14 Iraqi civilians were killed when the fire team he was leading "cleared" two houses suspected of harboring insurgents using grenades and rifle fire.

The Marine infantryman, described repeatedly by prosecution witnesses as a great Marine who did everything right, has been in limbo since he was meritoriously promoted to Staff Sergeant for his excellent performance as a leader in Iraq. That characterization is challenged by two former squad members, Sgt Sanick Dela Cruz, who made a deal with Marine prosecutors to avoid prosecution for five murders, and Sgt Humberto Mendoza, who testified today he was coerced by Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agents who threatened the Venezuelan native with deportation if he refused to cooperate with the government.

Although speculation is rampant, a clearer picture will emerge tomorrow morning when the court martial is scheduled to resume.

[RedRover]

If there is no deal tomorrow morning, and the trial goes forward, I’ll take that as a victory with exoneraton as the goal.

I’m sure exoneration is what Frank really wants—and deserves.

[BOBWADE]

Someone with photoshop needs to take the pic with the marines pi$$ing on the terrorists and put Murtha’s ugly face on one of the bodies. That would bring a smile to my face.

[jazusamo]

I’m sure exoneration is what Frank really wants—and deserves.

You're point is well taken and correct, Red.

[smoothsailing]

For what it’s worth, the North County Times is reporting:

Late in the day, the Marine Corps said the court would reconvene at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/military-deal-might-be-in-works-in-wuterich-haditha-prosecution/article_6a9c37a6-a229-562d-88d2-667258882e23.html#ixzz1js8iYv4f

[jazusamo]

I hear you.

[RedRover]

I’ll check on that. It’d save me from having to miss a morning at work!

[TexasSecede79366]

Sgt Humberto Mendoza, who testified today he was coerced by Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agents who threatened the Venezuelan native with deportation if he refused to cooperate with the government.

Do what?

[smoothsailing]

:)

[Gene Eric]

>> ... who testified today he was coerced by Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agents who threatened the Venezuelan native with deportation if he refused...

Nat's beating the drum to deafening levels. I like it.

[bigheadfred]

And there’s a lesson for us all: when the media lies, most people will swallow it whole. Even those who believe they don’t fall for such things.

Or the government. Never should have been in Iraq.

[Gene Eric]

>> I don’t like the word “deal”.

Agreed.

[fatima]

Sounds like it will be GREAT News:)

[lilycicero]

You’re the best!!!

[Shelayne]

I don’t like the word “deal”. Wuterich deserves nothing less than full exoneration.

My thoughts exactly. This crap has been going on for waaaaaay too long, and for what--this crap for a case! This has been a witch hunt from the word GO off of that traitor McGirk's fingertips.

[Lancey Howard]

I’m sure Frank agrees but the defense coffers are bare.

I'm scratching my head about running out of money with about a week left in this five year ordeal..

[Steve Newton]

Well said

[bksanders]

Amen to that one, there is a God.
Semper Fi SSgt Frank!

[Velveeta]

He needs to be exonerated....now.

Prayers ongoing.

[Marine_Uncle]

I've been off the site for a bit. Been so busy trying to set up "chat servers" to allow communications through my head set (ear phones and mic) to communicate with a special Carrier Operation server where one can through Microsoft's FSX (Fight Simulator X) fly with other pilots and aviators....
Finally got everything working right and for most of this evening had spent on and off the "multi-User" service of FSX. In short gentlemen.
Ahem.....Through my head set communicated with the flight officer of the Nimitz stationed in this multiuser flight session of the coast of Brazil, Rio area.
Chatting with him, he is also the LSO (Landing Signal Officer) on that carrier..... set up the proper TACAN frequencies and LSI freqs then allowed him to talk me to the carrier from a land landing field I took off from.
Found the carrier in my TACAN.....I see the carrier coordinates, bearing, heading, etc....... fly to the carrier, then for the next hour and a half ....sweating my balls off....this is so close to being real.....have the LSO take me around about a dozen times of flying what we call the pattern. In a nut shell, speed, directions around a race horse around the carrier at given distances, blah blah..... and of course required within their NATOP standard Carrier Patterns for CVN carriers... keep proper altitude...
After a few go arounds at attempts to do a carrier trap (land the beast...in my base a rather sophisticated F18E SuperBug Hornet, I paid for this addon package....it is so real with all internal cockpit switches and control handles and the way the HUD and all the display panels look etc., I drop flaps to full, check my speed to keep it at 135mph, line up with the LSI cursors and lines in the HUD, so I am on the proper flight path to the carrier's fan tail, of course having to also keep the proper glide path, drop the hook, and landing gear ...blah blah....
BINGO!
I land on I think the third wire and come to a stop, while all the steam is coming out of the flight deck and deck personel are moving about as well as deck vehicles....
I love it! And at sixty five years old!
So much different then just doing carrier ops in a free flight session. Where one does not have other pilots or aviators flying about, instead of computer generated AI aircraft.
And one can talk with those in the air and on the ground.
So.
Logging into FR a short time ago....4:30 plus AM.... and seeing this great announcement about our Marine, is just supper great. It is like two really nice things happening for me today.
God is good. And I hope HE has heard all our prayers for Sgt Wuterich in full, and it will PLEASE HIM, to have this whole horror story work out in the end in the best interests of our Marine.
It sure looks like HE has heard and has perhaps for a long time decided to honor all the prayers lifted up for this Marine, and those in his squad and associations in the Haditha incident, as to our prayer requests.
Thanks for the ping Red. And you all have a safe, healthy, stress free upcoming day.
Don't try to land Super Hornets on CVN carriers in your spare time. It will lead you to drink......
Semper Fi.

[RedRover]

Yes, you don’t have to prove citizenship to join the Armed Forces. Mendoza was not a citizen.