Marine at Haditha: 'I Can Still Smell the Blood'

ABC News ^ | May 29, 2006 | JONATHAN KARL

[Marli]

Only hours after Iraqi civilians were killed, a second team of Marines was sent in to take the victims' bodies to a local morgue.

Lance Corp. Ryan Briones was among the Marines sent in to recover the bodies, and he told the Los Angeles Times he is still haunted by what he saw, including a young girl who was shot in the head.

"[The victims] ranged from little babies to adult males and females," Briones told the newspaper. "I can still smell the blood."

Briones says he and another Marine were told to photograph the bodies. Military officials say those photos — which they say show people shot at close range in the head and chest — clearly contradict initial reports that the civilians were killed by a roadside bomb.

[mystery-ak]

...it has happened before in Iraq and Afghanistan.....I'll let the military investigate it before I condemn these Marines....I don't believe a thing that is written about the military in the MSM......they cannot correctly identify aircraft for crying out loud.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

the guy is NOT an eyewitness to the shootings....unless he lied to momma:

"Lance Cpl. Briones told his mother he saw the bodies of 23 dead Iraqis.
Susie Briones got a panicked call that day from her son, who said he did not see the shootings but was told by his supervisors to go into the houses and remove the bodies"

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14690460.htm

[Eagles6]

"Somebody(s) lost control and may have killed 24 innocent civilians for no reason."

Perhaps you should start writing for the msm yourself. So far, the only info that we have that a crime was committed is from the msm, iraqis, politicians and "unamed" defense members, all with 0 credibility. 'Course you seem to have bought it.

Me? I'll wait for the courts martial, the evidence and the sworn testimony under oath.

Perhaps you read Lt. Pantano's letter to murtha today? If not I suggest you do.

[Pukin Dog]

Them's screwed up priorities there, bud.

You are wrong on this one, Sink. I understand where you are coming from, but we are still at war, and anything that aids our enemy is less important then the objective, which is to win this war with a minimum of casualties on both sides. The press can only hurt that goal with their sensationalism and bias.

Soldiers are human beings who can make mistakes, but the media will only use this incident for their own biased objectives. No soldier should assist the media, because ultimately it works to embolden the enemy and their defenders on the left.

[FlingWingFlyer]

There are many, many books out there describing this. It was the VC's way of winning the hearts and minds of Liberals in this country.

[jveritas]

If this is true then this was just an incident and not what so ever a behavior of our troops in Iraq as the media is saying and is going to say in the coming weeks. I know that you agree with me on this but we have to go on the offensive on this one rather than the defensive. As I said before the rarity if incidents like this one is a great testimony for the extreme discipline and professionalism of our troops, of course IF, big IF, a handful of marines killed the civilians in Haddytha.

[Americanexpat]

I drove into Haditha once, with my security team, having to detour off the road while the Marines were clearing an IED.
We got stopped by a local and he told us "We will not kill you this time, but do not come back here again." I looked around and saw several men with AKs and an RPG standing around us. I smiled and we left and I never drove through that town again. There are Marines stationed on top of the Haditha Dam about a mile away over looking the town and they told us it was an extremely bad place and to avoid it.

Haditha is a hot bed of terrorist activity, a lot of Americans have been killed and wounded around there, and I think it should be bombed off the face of the earth.

I will not prejudge these Marines, but I do not trust anything an Iraqi tells me about all edged atrocities they have been caught lying before. There is the possibility that these people may have been killed by the terrorist too. Were the terrorists fighting from these houses? If there was fire coming from the houses then they could have been killed in the exchange. All this will come out in the investigation and trial if there is one.

[MJY1288]

Exactly,

We see all these "ifs" and mays" posted here while considering the Marines guilty. Well what "if" these people who were killed actually told the Marines where the Terrorists were hiding and after the fire fight the Terrorists "may" have went in and killed the all of those people for helping the Marines.

Until the facts come out, Marines, just like all American's) are innocent until proven guilty

[mystery-ak]

but I do not trust anything an Iraqi tells me about all edged atrocities they have been caught lying before.



That is exactly what my hubby said, he's been to Iraq too and now my son is about to leave.....

[Jet Jaguar]

Bump to your post.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

and it Worked back then....and even now, there are a LOT of peo-ple who listen to jane Fonda and John "jengis khan" Kerry.

[Peach]

The Marine who wrote this letter to the Editor of the Washington Post was charged with premeditated murder and other war crimes in Iraq.

Autopsy evidence showed he did not do what he was charged with doing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/27/AR2006052700846.html

[MJY1288]

"This was calculated."

This is about as ignorant as it gets!

sinkspur... I have lost all respect for you, you are reading what people think what General Pace might be hinting,

You are being played like a cheap guitar

[jveritas]

That is why we need to counter their stupid and treasonous argument that if our troops are stretched and cannot perform their duties well then incidents like this should happen much more often. Since it is happening very rarely most probably one or handful of times at the maximum then the opposite is true, i.e. in this type of war where our military fight constantly in civilian centers it is their great discipline that are making these type of incidents very very very rare.

Morever let us wait for the truth to come on this "Incident".

[sinkspur]

So far, the only info that we have that a crime was committed is from the msm, iraqis, politicians and "unamed" defense members, all with 0 credibility.

Don't forget that two Marine commanders were relieved of duty, and that numerous Marine officials have been dropping hints for two weeks that the outcome of this investigation is not going to be good.

Every single one of those people has 0 credibility?

And how come the Pentagon knew nothing of this until three months after it happened?

[TheCrusader]

""Something broke down here in the sense that no investigation was conducted immediately," said Gen. Jack Keane. "Therefore, people most likely in the chain of command who had knowledge and should have taken action appropriately did not and they will be under investigation for the failure to do that."

And so goes the nuttiest war in U.S. history, where every battle or skirmish that ends in Iraqi deaths must be immediately and fully investigated by the military and treated as possible homicides until the investigations are completed and the troops are 'exonerated'. When any question arises regarding those deaths our troops are tried and convicted by the media and the military does zilch to defend those troops from premature conviction in the press. In fact, to appease the lynch-mob media vultures they actually seem to assist in the process.

Frankly, if I were fighting in this war, with all the ridiculous 'engagement' constraints and with every battle fought under the microscope of the anti-American media, I might be more afraid to pull the trigger than not to.

This is supposedly the most professional and best trained American military force ever, and I believe that is probably the case. Yet, we have had more of our troops investigated and convicted of either "abuse" or 'murder' than any other war that I am aware of. So what gives? Are we being too harsh on our troops by holding them to impossible standards and straining them beyond all reasonable human expectations? Are they fighting too long and without enough manpower and hence are so stressed out that they go over the edge and kill innocents? Or are these type of incidents not really so rare in a prolonged, intense war, but are just being publicized more today because the media are as much a part of the war as the troops?

I am not going to condemn any American soldier or Marine until they have received a full and fair trial and are convicted. In any case, how are we ever going to win a war being fought under the watchful eye of the world's hateful, anti-American media, all the while holding our own troops to the standards of this liberal, pc media?

[Coop]

This incident is only now being investigated because it was hidden from the higher ups at the Pentagon for over three months.

Hidden? So then why the photos from the second unit, Sink? You've been falling all over yourself to blame these Marines for murder, and I find your behavior despicable.

[Peach]

I just posted the letter you referenced about that Marine who was charged with premeditated murder in Iraq but autopsy evidence showed he did not do what he was charged with doing.

There used to be a presumption of evidence in this country; it's one of the freedoms those Marines are fighting for.

[SevenMinusOne]

It could be very bad in many ways.

No, it won't - The reality is this will have absolutely little to (more then likely) no effect on the greater war effort -

This WH and RNC simply need to get on the offensive 24/7 touting the overwhelming success we've had to date - Along with the immeasurable number of instances of incredible good our soldiers have done for citizens throughout Iraq and Stan -

There is more to this story then is being reported (and where reckless action took place) there is a reason for pause....in which most good Americans will be able to stomach it....and understand on the whole the tremendous good we are doing....along with the tremendous sacrifice we are giving (and a growing segment of the Iraqi people know this as well).

[Peach]

Your son is leaving for Iraq, mystery? I did not know. I'll keep him in my prayers every day.