Posted on 01/02/2012 10:28:48 AM PST by smoothsailing
January 2, 2012
It certainly seems appropriate that the last defendant in the Haditha case is the squad leader, SSgt Frank Wuterich. Leaders take responsibility, and SSgt Wuterich has taken full responsibility for the actions of his squad in Haditha. His stance from the outset has remained clear:
As the last Marine originally charged in the deaths of Iraqis in Haditha, Iraq in 2005, SSgt Wuterich will be seated at the defense table in his general court-martial two days from now, Wednesday, January 4th. Barring last minute motions or outright dismissal of charges, jury selection will begin Wednesday or Thursday. SSgt. Wuterich will be tried by a jury of combat-experienced Marines, and the panel will include at least two Marines from the enlisted ranks.
Much has been written over the last six years about Haditha, and links to some of the most recent news articles and commentaries are included at the bottom of this post to help bring readers up to date. For older Free Republic postings, please use this link or enter the keyword Haditha in the Free Republic search engine.
The purpose of this Free Republic thread is to serve as a "Master Post" where trial news and updates can be brought together in one place for easy reference by those interested in following the proceedings as they unfold.
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Recent News and Commentary:
MILITARY TIMES-Haditha Marine Faces Trial
Count Down to the Last Haditha Trial
MILITARY: Two high-profile cases set for Pendleton courtrooms
Remember SSgt Frank D. Wuterich: The last Haditha Marine goes on trial
Don’t rewrite Murtha’s legacy (Haditha Marines)
I would assume a juror having this knowledge would work to the defense’ benefit, Lancey.......but, who knows.
My favorite part, "Plagued with a terrible memory, the inability to articulate his thoughts, and a deer-in-the headlights demeanor, Dela Cruz didn’t seem to reinforce Sullivan’s case."
Camp Pendleton, Calif. – Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz, a battle-rattled combat Marine who made a deal with the government to avoid court martial for murder, testified Wednesday morning that he saw Staff Sergeant Frank D. Wuterich shoot five unarmed Iraqi men after a roadside bomb exploded in Haditha in November 2005.It is either the fourth or fifth version of his observations since he failed a polygraph, and then elected to accept immunity from prosecution, counting the two versions he presented at trial today. (More at the LINK).
I would think Puckett could ask Dela Cruz about each version at some point. The panel seeing him trying to keep his stories straight would be priceless.
Is the fact that Dela Cruz flunked a polygraph admissible in this trial?
That would be a hoot, especially after he already admitted he flunked a polygraph in his testimony.
Another good article by Nat!
“You can get your point across that the witness is the biggest liar in the world without mentioning the polygraph," Jones admonished Faraj.
Apparently, the judge would not allow the word "polygrah" to be uttered. Still, that's a pretty funny comment by the judge.
Yeah, I thought that was pretty hilarious!
Justin should be up tomorrow.
What started that in the courtroom was that Dela Cruz volunteered on the stand that he failed a polygraph, he’s not very bright.
I think I'm starting to take a liking to LtCol Jones! :)
Another one of Wuterich’s men who was there that day, former Marine Sgt. Hector Salinas, testified the squad came under heavy small-arms fire after the bombing.
Salinas said he also saw an Iraqi man running from the first of several homes the Marines stormed after the bombing and believed he could have been the one responsible for the attack.
He fired numerous shots at that man, and then took part in a series of “house clearing” operations that resulted in the deaths of 19 people inside that home.
The man seen running was never found.
That testimony could be key for the defense. It’s seeking to convince jurors Wuterich responded to the attack in accordance with his training. The civilian deaths, while regrettable, were not the result of criminal acts, the defense argues.
Either that or he's smarter than he seems. I don't know if witnesses can be "prepped" for testimony by the respective camps that plan to call them to the stand, but I can hardly think of a better way for Dela Cruz to sabotage the government's case than by casually mentioning that he flunked a lie detector test.
That’s a valid point, Lancey that never crossed my mind.
Good for Salinas, that’s powerful evidence.
Salinas was on the stand this morning again. Not sure if they’ve gotten to Justin yet or not.
Thanks, Red. Anxious to see what else Salinas said and also Justin’s testimony.
This is worth reading...
Thanks, Smooth. Excellent piece, Kesler knows what he’s talking about.
How could I tell from the headline that wasn’t a New York Times story?
LOL! Looks like P & F don’t go for NY Times headlines.
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