Col. Watt tells hearing: It all started with e-mails from McGirk

Defend Our Marines ^ | March 20, 2008 | David Allender

[RedRover]

In an exclusive story by correspondent Nat Helms, NewsMax has revealed that it was a Time magazine reporter's unsubstantiated allegations that sparked the notorious investigation into the death of civilians on November 19, 2005 in Haditha Iraq and subjected eight Marines of Kilo Company, Third battalion, 1st Marines to years of unwarranted harassment and prosecution.

The NewsMax story does not identify the Time correspondent by name but Defend our Marines can report it was Time reporter Tim McGirk.

The wildest of McGirk's allegations were never reported in print. Neither did McGirk inform his readers about the evident problems his sources had with the truth.

In shocking testimony during pre-trial hearings in the case of Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum in Camp Pendeton, California, Army Colonel Gregory Watt recalled that he was sent to Iraq largely to investigate McGirk's allegations, made in e-mails to a military Public Affairs officer in Baghdad.

According to Col. Watt's sworn testimony, McGirk had charged that Marines dragged a man and his wife from a passing car and shot them in cold blood, left a wounded Iraqi man lying on the road for six hours until he bled to death, and forced four brothers into a closet and then shot them full of holes.

None of this was true.

It was McGirk's false allegations, based on lies fed to him by known insurgent propagandists, that caused Rep. Murtha to charge the Marines had committed cold-blooded murder and led the government to launch a multi-million dollar investigation that resulted in various charges against the Haditha Marines--many of which have since been dropped.

Thanks to NewsMax which from the very beginning has reported the real Haditha story, it is now clear that the real assault was upon the Truth.

And it was the mainstream media who wielded the hatchet.

So now the record clearly shows. The shameful harassment of eight heroic Marines that has led to court martials for two officers and two enlisted men, cost families hundreds of thousands of dollars, subjected a courageous Marine lieutenant colonel to the threat of years in prison and subjected the Marine heroes to a painful ordeal, all began with e-mails from Tim McGirk--emails filled with accusations proven to be false.

[RedRover]

[RedRover]

[pissant]

McGirk need to be hanged for treason. Along with Murtha.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for confirming what most of us knew, McGirk is a slimy SOB.

[TexGuy]

Sue, Sue, Sue ... Time-Warner has the dough! Go get some.

[brityank]

... made in e-mails to a military Public Affairs officer ...

I don't fault McGirk for asking the questions, but I do damn him to hell for his use in his reports without confirmation.

In truth, the PAO and the Military have learned nothing from Viet Nam. The exact same propaganda was used successfully to swing the MSM and Dumb Ass Public to become useful idiots for the commies. The PAO's should be personally responsible for the legal costs of all these Marines!

[RedRover]

Many people would gladly donate the rope.

[Semper Fi Mom]

And I’m the one who would GLADLY donate and PERSONALLY DELIVER the rope! After all of the evidence that these Marines are innocent and that the story by McJerk was nothing but an attempt to get his name “IN LIGHTS” why are we continuing with this persecution?

[smoothsailing]

Michael Kraft, writing in the Charlotte Conservative News on June 23,2007; wrote an excellent article exposing McGirk.Time and Haditha Lies

McGirk and Murtha, PosterBoys For Sedition and Treason.

[Chickenhawk Warmonger]

And meanwhile McTurd doesn’t testify... GO FIGURE! Wonder if a civil suit would be an appropriate fallback?

[AliVeritas]

As we knew forever...

McGirk should’ve swung long ago... in public.

[brityank]

I’d rather he were used to train our Marines. How’s about a little bayonet practice?

[brityank]

Wow; thanks for that — he really laid it out in a concrete fashion. Bookmarked.

[jazusamo]

The courageous McGirk has now refused to testify at Chessani’s Article 32 hearing where defense attorneys insist he would have been torn to pieces in cross examination.

Excellent piece by Kraft. I love these articles that point out what a weasel McGirk is, all they do is print the facts!

Thanks for the ping and link.

[freema]

A rope is too kind.

[xzins]

In the article it appears to be saying that McKirk made claims to a Baghdad PAO and that went to Murtha who then made the accusations of cold-blooded murder. Propagandists --> McKirk --> Baghdad PAO ---> Murtha ---> Nation For these soldiers to receive justice, they must know the route the allegations took from the Baghdad PAO to Murtha.

I seriously doubt that a Baghdad PAO (LTC, perhaps?) would personally call a congressman.

[Girlene]

Army Colonel Gregory Watt recalled that he was sent to Iraq largely to investigate McGirk's allegations,...

According to Col. Watt's sworn testimony, McGirk had charged that Marines dragged a man and his wife from a passing car and shot them in cold blood, left a wounded Iraqi man lying on the road for six hours until he bled to death, and forced four brothers into a closet and then shot them full of holes.

Well, I'd heard about the allegations of the 4 brothers in a closet (which was physically impossible for the closet-type), but the other two allegations are new. So, Col. Watt did this whole investigation and didn't find evidence of a massacre. NCIS was sent in, interviewed Iraqi witnesses, and tried to manufacture a massacre with their initial charges. Murtha claims it was cold-blooded murder. Muliple media types claimed it was a massacre.....

And what have been the results after two years? A question about the ROE's at the time, families with the hardship and heartbreak of defending their Marines, but no massacre.

Yes. I think McGirk needs to be questioned about the damage he caused to the familes, the military, and the truth. I think Marine leadership needs to really question themselves about how this snowballed so out of control and how they prevent this mess in the future. And I really think these Iraqi witnesses need to be cross-examined in a trial. The remaining Marines who face trial deserve to face their accusers. Period.

[Lancey Howard]

I believe Murtha claimed he first learned of the “Haditha massacre” when he read about it in McGuirk’s shoddy TIME article.

[xzins]

Yep. But he also claimed he was told by some Pentagon source that that it was cold-blooded murder.

[jazusamo]

And I really think these Iraqi witnesses need to be cross-examined in a trial. The remaining Marines who face trial deserve to face their accusers. Period.

Absolutely!! And the jury panel derserves to see these lying witnesses in person, that's a whole lot different than watching a tape.