Even if those reports ARE true - we have no idea who fired the shots (Marines? Insurgents?) and whether the bodies were arranged by others in certain positions.
We don't know if any of the Iraqis had guns or pointed them at Marines.
We don't know if anyone made any false moves. (Remember the NBC video that purportedly showed a Marine executing an innocent sleeping Iraqi in cold blood?)
We don't know if the Marines had reason to believe that the people in those houses could have been suicide bombers themselves - which might explain why women and children were also among the victims.
There's a whole series of questions that need to be asked - and answered with proof beyond a reasonable doubt - before this story should be covered the way the MSM is currently covering it.
It's also worth remembering that it's not up to us - or the Marines - to prove their innocense. It's up to their accusers and military prosecutors. And if the witnesses against them all come from a hotbed of terrorism, I would think that hurts their case considerably.
Viewed from the perspective of who has to prove what here, there's very little evidence currently in the public domain that ties the Marines directly to the commission of this atrocity.
So far the media's case rests on the premise: How else could this have happened?
Help me understand. We are not supposed to hear about this until AFTER marines in question have been convicted by courtmartial? Never thought I'd hear that from a newsman. I mean it's not like the information isnt out there. Supposedly the Iraqi version is all over the middle eastern websites. So its only the American public that needs to be protected by the media?
Well the original reports by the Marines were that those civilians killed were killed by the IED along with the Marine. They have subsequently admitted that was not true.
The marines claimed they were in a several hour long fire fight following the bombing. Later reports indicate that was not true.
The top three officers onsite at the time have been relieved of their commands for a series of reasons, not just Haditha. Republican officials who had seen the evidence admit it doesnt look good although they are not spinning it like Murtha.
We will know a lot more in a few weeks.
Thank you, Carl.
Given the Muslim propensity for lying, it would not be surprising if these people were killed by insurgents with weapons stolen from our guys, then they staged the whole scene to make us look bad.
And the stinking media need to slapped down and slapped down hard.