Marines face scrutiny in Iraqi deaths

LA Times ^ | 5 Jul 07 | Tony Perry

[xzins]

CAMP PENDLETON — Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents are examining allegations that Marines killed as many as eight unarmed Iraqi prisoners during a battle in Fallouja in November 2004, according to civilian and military sources.
(snip) In the Haditha case, three enlisted Marines face murder charges, and four officers are accused of failing to investigate the killings. Preliminary hearings are underway. (snip)

The two cases do not involve any of the same Marines. But some of those being interviewed in the Fallouja case were expected to serve as character witnesses for colleagues accused of murder in the Haditha case. (snip>

(Sgt Robert) Mitchell is a possible character witness for the Marines in the Haditha case. He was not part of the squad under investigation in the Fallouja incident. Nonetheless, some family members of Haditha defendants have voiced suspicions that the investigation of the Fallouja allegations is aimed at discrediting character witnesses.

[xzins]

Another attack on our Haditha Marines.

[llevrok]

Go to war
Blow up things
Shoot bad guys
So what's the question?

[Lancey Howard]

Here we go again.

This is what can be expected again and again when you have a weak President like Bush who decides to place the ACLU scumbags of JAG, along with their corrupt minions at NCIS, in charge of running a war.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“This is what can be expected again and again when you have a weak President like Bush who decides to place the ACLU scumbags of JAG, along with their corrupt minions at NCIS, in charge of running a war.”

Verbatim!!

[tanuki]

Under the current rules of engagement, virtually the whole WWII USMC would have been sentenced to life imprisonment on a Pacific atoll. I don’t know how to begin to change the culture, but until we once again trust and rely upon the judgment of our service people to honorably and effectively execute the awesome power and responsibility we have given them, we and decent people around the world will continue to suffer the scourge of our enemies.Is that really what we want?

[pissant]

Who the F**K is running the show over there? Get these F*****G jags the hell away from the combat.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Throughout MSM land you can hear, “Hot damn! U.S. military in another jam!” “24/7 oh what heaven!”

[vox humana]

Political correctness is going to get us ALL killed.

[RaceBannon]

makes me sick

[xzins]

They appear to have an unlimited budget to investigate and to prosecute. That is certainly not fair to our troops.

[mcshot]

I second that excellent rant.

[Girlene]

More info on this investigation on Fox news, thanks to lily. Navy Probes Claims Marines Killed Unarmed Iraqi Insurgents in Fallujah

From the article, ...A defense lawyer and former Marine captain who fought in Fallujah in December 2004 said the government would have a near-impossible task if it decided to prosecute the case.

"This is a huge rabbit hole and I can't see it going anywhere," attorney Brian Rooney said. "I was in Fallujah, it was nearly destroyed. The house is either gone or rebuilt completely, the bodies of the alleged victims are gone. Forensically you have no evidence."

Rooney, who represents Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, one of four officers accused of failing to investigate the deaths of the 24 civilians in Haditha, said prosecutors would have to rely on eyewitness testimony to corroborate Weemer's account. With many of the Marines present at the time of the alleged killings already out of the Marine Corps, that could prove difficult.....

I'm not sure what the point is here by NCIS in investigating deaths of insurgents nearly 2 1/2 years ago, in a battle where ROE were pretty loose and got looser as the battle waged. I can only presume as Tony Perry, LA Times, indicated it may be an attempt to limit the Haditha character witnesses testimony.

[xzins]

It seems pretty obvious to me that investigating an incident from a time 3 years ago when the place itself is destroyed is really unususal.

[Girlene]

NCIS may want to stop some of their shenanigans while they still have their TV reputation. Word is leaking out....

From the LA Times article, Some of the Marines interviewed by the NCIS have retained lawyers and one tape-recorded his interview. The NCIS does not record its interviews, and disputes about the accuracy of its agents' notes are common during military court proceedings.

[xzins]

The truth about NCIS is leaking out. What bothers me more, though, is their and the prosecution’s budget. Where are they getting all this money?

[Girlene]

According to the article, after the insurgents were killed,...Minutes later an airstrike demolished the house, burying the bodies in rubble. There's no building, no forensic evidence to investigate.

[Girlene]

Where are they [NCIS] getting all this money?

From We the People. Us Peeps would like to know what's been spent to date. We need an accounting.

[RedRover]

We need an accounting.

I'll second that, Girl!

[freema]

I call for the vote.