Posted on 02/18/2007 10:00:45 AM PST by verbosevet
If these men, like the Pendleton 8 before them, become sacrificial lambs, it will be Taps for the US Marine Corps, having turned it's back on that which it depends for it's existence; 16 of it's riflemen who answered their country's call and survived, only to be devoured by the very legal system they fought to protect.
Facing charges of murder:
Facing charges of failing to report/investigate:
Read the entire article at War Of Wits
(Excerpt) Read more at warofwits.org ...
The Marines did that, because Pantero's sgt accused him of the crime. The Marines cleared Pantero didn't they. That is what's to be focused on. It's seems the sgt that made the false accusations doesn't matter, since it's the Corps that needs to the bad guys.
Welcome verbosevet... Thanks for posting this!
The Sgt did didn't court-martial the LT, the Corps did and it's Lt. Pantano, not Pantero.
I'm still giving the Haditha Marines the presumption of innocence as everyone should, especially here at FR.
You have to distinguish between the Corps and the whole UCMJ apparatus. The investigators of all these cases are all civilian. They do not share Corps values.
did didn't=didn't
You wrote, "The Marines cleared Pantero didn't they."
My take, based on what I remember is that Pantano fought the charges with help from his family, contributions from strangers, help of a good defense civilian attorney along with his military attorney (s) and won. By the way, anyone know how much defending himself cost? Did the Marines compensate Pantano when his charges were dropped?
BUMP!
"Mr Pantano, now retired from the Marines after he was acquitted of all charges, offers us a memoir that sets the record straight and makes clear why and how this nation has become so great--because we have sons like him."
Exactly!
Hey, verb! Do you want on the Haditha Marine Ping List? Or are you not hanging around that much?
Thanks, Rover, you can add me to the list, probably will be checking in and out over the next couple of weeks, but always interested in discussing this case, and the issues it presents
You're in, verbosevet. Welcome aboard!
Welcome, verbosevet and thanks for the post.
Pantano, yes. When a Sgt makes charges against their Lt, and the others present at the incident back him up, the Corps takes those charges seriously. Are they just supposed to drop the matter? By the way, it was NCIS that provided the evidence that cleared him, under the direction of USMC command, and Pantano was never court-martialed. Maj Gen Huck made the decision not to do that.
NCIS cleared Pantano. They were under the direction of the Corps. The Corps controls the hearings, and the Corps controls the decision whether, or not to hold a court-martial.
There are more than a few of us who had spent countless hours tracking every published report we could find from the first moment the shit hit the fan -- people that care about right and wrong.
I hope you still have an open ear for further information that might convince you of the innocence of those Marines.
I don't know.
"Did the Marines compensate Pantano when his charges were dropped?"
I doubt it. He was being charged with crimes. If anyone should compensate Pantano, it should be Sgt Colburn, and the corpsman that lied to back up Colburn.
"Pantano fought the charges with help from his family, contributions from strangers, help of a good defense civilian attorney along with his military attorney (s) and won."
He also got help from the Corps. It was NCIS work that got him cleared. That work is the main reason why MAj Gen Huck decided not to hold a court-martial.
Yeah, I was there. I'm not wrong about the false field reports. It's a fact that those false field reports were filed by Wuterich and McConnell. Lt Col Chessani also had a hand in it.
Where were you, when, in what capacity?
This is FR right?
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