Definitely a great interview - Thanks to Justin & Darryl for always reminding everyone that the entire squad is innocent. Let’s hope lots of people saw this!
I was a great interview. Enough detail for those who are new to the case and enough meat for the rest of us. Justin and Darryl were very clear and very moving, and put the blame on the media and the Murtha, to their credit.
Mom, I am frustrated that I can’t get the truth to the American public. Murtha has tarnished these fine Marines and the majority of the American people have no idea as to the truth. Maybe this will get out and people will respond.
No matter how many times I appear on television. No matter how many times I say it on radio. The American people still do not know the truth about Haditha. It is frustrating that our citizens do no take up arms and demand to know the truth about these brave men who fought for their lives in Haditha, Iraq.
I have in my hand a document, once classified as “SECRET”, now unclassified, that the world may never see. The document is an intelligence report detailing the impending insurgent ambush in the city of Haditha. On or about 17 November 2005 the USMC, Pentagon and our US Government knew Syrian insurgents were planning a major operation in the City of Haditha. The insurgents conducted the planning in Albu Hyatt. It would be an orchestrated attack with two main elements: multiple IED’s, small-arms attack on Route Chestnut to begin the day; and then small –arms fire ambush on EOD responders and targets of opportunity. This was a typical insurgent TTP- tactic, technique, and procedure and there were fifteen insurgents involved. “What I was trying to do was paint a picture of how the enemy executed this attack city-wide to give us an indication of the planning that went into it.” “This indicates the……what made the complex attack a complex attack, and that is the IED detonation and the SAF engagement executed upon the IED detonation.”
How can we allow our government to put these braves Marines on trial for defending themselves from an attack we knew was coming as early a 17 November 2005? Should we ask the parents of LCpl Miguel Terrazus why their son died in an attack we knew was coming?
Put yourselves in the shoes of those Marines after reading this intel assessment that was given them in late October, 2005.
Q. Did you….did you disseminate it down to the..the lower levels, the Company levels as well?
A. Yes, sir
Q. Tell us about the significance of this event.
A. What happened in general terms was force recon entered a….entered a house. I believe it was part of a targeted raid. They entered the house, and one individual at the front of the stack so-to-speak entered the door. He observed four military-aged-males laying under blankets on mats on the floor, and he—he assessed the threat and—and evidently they—they—they lifted those AK-47s from underneath the blankets, engaged him: and——and he was killed.
Q. Was it your understanding the Force Recon team went into this—this structure soft — so-to-speak? They went in without—without fires going into this area?
A. Yes, sir
Q. And you had individuals that were under blankets appearing to be sleeping but then pulled back the blankets and ambushed these Marines?
A. Yes, sir.
In the Art 32’s of LCpl Tatum and SSgt Wuterich I keep hearing an inference to the questions, is this how a reasonable person would have responded to the events on 19 November 2005?
I would have probably dug a huge hole and hid in it. But these were Marines! They responded to the threat and followed their ROE and Marine Corps training. Why will our government not let the truth set them free? Why can’t the msm print the truth and our politicians let the Generals fight the wars. These Marines are innocent and we must pray and support them with our last breath.
God Bless Our Haditha Marines
Darryl Sharratt