Posted on 12/18/2006 5:43:28 PM PST by pinkpanther111
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military plans to charge Marines in the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the case. ADVERTISEMENT
The November 2005 killings, which enraged Iraqis, are one of a series of cases in which U.S. service members have been accused, and some convicted, of being involved in killing Iraqi civilians.
The charges in the Haditha case could include murder and are expected against at least five Marines, defense officials said. They will be announced from Camp Pendleton, California, where the Marines are being held.
Two investigations were launched into the Haditha case -- a murder inquiry and a probe into the Marines' procedures after the killings.
Under the murder inquiry, military criminal investigators have reviewed evidence indicating Marines deliberately shot to death the Iraqi civilians, according to a Pentagon official. The investigation into the military's response found Marine officers failed to respond properly to the conflicting reports of the killings, another official said.
Defense attorneys for some of the accused Marines have said their clients followed military rules of engagement and believed they were under attack when they fired.
Ping on Haditha for thursday
Ping
Murtha and the media, and a cabal inside the pentagon, are going to get their "mai lai" show trial.
Thanks Red. Looks like it is coming down to the wire.
Sigh.
If the charges are true, those marines should be hammered to the full extent of the law. If they are false, they should be exonerated.
Why we have trials.
"Murtha and the media, and a cabal inside the pentagon, are going to get their "mai lai" show trial."
Your point ?
"mai lai" never occured or should have been just covered over or ignored ?
you didn't think they built that fancy new media center at Pendleton, to show john wayne re-runs, did you?
Wow, they didn't get one single solitary terrorist?
Enough with the daily, it's coming. Do it or shut up.
The Haditha incident happened 13 months ago. Finally filing charges 4 days before Christmas tells far more than any charges will.
Goddamn them all to hell. That's not a curse. That's a hope.
the media and the left want another one "created" - at all costs. they want to be able to toss around the "war crimes" mantra.
this is their next abu ghraib, they took a bunch of undisciplined fools with digital cameras conducting frat house pranks - inappropriate and beyond the bounds of military conduct for sure, but systematic prisoner torture and abuse, no way.
it will be interesting to see the charges, to see who count as "the civilians". those college students in the car running the checkpoint, are they civilians? I would have blown them to hell also had they driven towards me in that environment. Hell, NYPD just did the same thing - in new york no less.
Thanks for the pings. I'll refrain from comment on al-Reuters wording.
Finally filing charges 4 days before Christmas tells far more than any charges will.
I know this is sad.
Exactly, it's pathetic!
"....undisciplined fools with digital cameras conducting frat house pranks...."
good way to describe it.....
Since June, "anonymous defense officials" have been tossing out different numbers every few weeks. They've said it'd be five, then five to eight, and most recently, "at least six".
It may not seem to matter much. But matters a great deal if you are a member of the Kilo Company squad, waiting to see if you'll be charged with murder.
"this is their next abu ghraib, they took a bunch of undisciplined fools with digital cameras conducting frat house pranks - inappropriate and beyond the bounds of military conduct for sure, but systematic prisoner torture and abuse, no way."
? ... So this should NOT be persued, because the other things that WERE TRUE turned out to be not important enough - simply frat house pranks ?
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