There is so much that is troubling me about all of the prosecutions of Marines serving in combat that I scarcely know where to begin. I have been trying for some time to get my mind around what possible motive there can be to go after so many of them in such a heavy handed way and with so much ferocity. The best I have been able to come up with is this.
In the case of the MARSOC incident in Afghanistan the Army Officers in charge saw fit to act as judge, jury and executioner before an investigation had barely gotten off the ground. The Marine Corps command seems to have been knocked backwards by it and with its collective tail between it’s legs has ordered an “legal tribunal“, a move that is almost without precedent, to further investigate. One cannot but suspect that they are just stringing this out so that someone can be thrown under the wheels of the bus, but latter, when the public has lost interest and not watching so closely.
In the Haditha cases there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the various outcomes so far. I think we can safely assume that the whole thing really got off the ground because Gen Hagee was a “weak sister” prone to panicky over reactions. And his little chats “just between us girls” with Congressman Murtha, boneheaded beyond belief, made things far worse. Hagee, a clear embarrassment to the Marine Corps, was quietly pushed upstairs then out the door. Ring knockers always look out for their own.
Gen Mattis is more of a mystery to me. He completely exonerated Justin Sharratt, and in no uncertain terms, yet based on essentially the same evidence and with an identical recommendation from the article 32’s hearing officer, ordered Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum
to stand trial. Some of the 3/5 officers were ordered to stand trial and some were not. Again while in my opinion all are innocent of the charges, warring the “ring” may have been the deciding factor in the varied outcomes. Also Gen Mattis ruled quickly on Sharratt and Tatum but in the case of Sgt Wuterich , again based on no better or worse evidence than in the other cases, refused to issue his opinion before being awarded a fourth star and reassigned leaving the matter for his successor. One might be cynical and believe that the General was a man of such high moral character that he could not be bought off for less than a fourth star. I hate to think that could be the case, but if it is, then it would make sense for him not to give up all of his bargaining chips. Of course this would have to presuppose that some one, perhaps the Sec of the Navy, wants convictions in these cases very badly. Many on this board have already speculated as to why that may be. He would of course be in a position to influence the selection of Gen Mattis’s replacement, but hopefully Lt. Gen. Helland doesn’t feel he owes Secretary Winters any favors.
The latest case is perhaps the most troubling. It relies almost exclusively on NCIS’s stock in trade. Agent testimony about summaries of interrogations of people who heard things from other people about an incident during the Marine Corps most deadly firefight since Vietnam.. Non of the interrogations were recorded so the validity and truthful of NCIS testimony is left up to the panel. The secretary of the Navy who has the power to help or destroy panel member’s careers has stated publicly that the NCIS is an agency who’s professionalism and integrity are above reproach. The new twist of trying Sgt Jose L. Nazario in civilian court may help get a conviction the NCIS and JAG craves. Civilian jurors may wants to send a signal about their opposition to the Iraq war in general, regardless of the strength of the evidence presented or any mitigating factors someone with combat experience may be expected to take into consideration..
Motive: there is a lot of bad blood between the services, even between the Navy and the Marine Corps. Also Murtha is a powerful member of the military appropriations committee and as such has friends, deserved or not, high up in the Pentagon as well as the Marine Corps. He has been instrumental in protecting the Marine Corps one big weapons development program, they are after all the Navy’s poor step- child, the Osprey. One can only speculate that the services, particularly the Marine Corps, would do a lot to protect Murtha’s reputation.