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Here's a letter from Marine Lt. Pantano who was courts marshalled last year. He blasts Murtha for convicting these Marines in the media.

Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgment
Sunday, May 28, 2006; B06
A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me ["Marine Officer Cleared in Killing of Two Iraqis," news story, May 27, 2005].
So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident ["Death Toll Rises in Haditha Attack, GOP Leader Says," news story, May 20]. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.
Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes.
Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt -- unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.
ILARIO PANTANO
Jacksonville, N.C.
The writer served as a Marine enlisted man in the Persian Gulf War and most recently as a platoon commander in Iraq.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company

I was aware of the resolution of the case against Lt. Pantano. As soon as the trial imploded and it became obvious that the Lt. was a target in a political frame up by anti American elements, things got real quiet. Michael Savage, as unusual as he is, pegged it right from the start, anti American operatives fabricated evidence and attempted to frame Pantano. Judging from the MSM glee and the interesting circumstances plus the players, I propose that this is round two, with the same cast in the background.

My main concern is that like IED's, they get better with practice, I don't want to allow this to be the frame that worked.

The MSM are writing in a manner that implies the Marines are already proved guilty, a tactic they seem unwilling to use on, for instance, William Jefferson D-La. I wonder why. Probably Goebbels could explain it to me.

When these Marines are exonerated, Murtha should have to pay under the Patriot act in Gitmo, I would do the honors.