Posted on 06/01/2006 7:46:12 PM PDT by WildPlum
Criminal investigators are hoping to exhume the bodies of several Iraqi civilians allegedly gunned down by a group of U.S. Marines last year in the city of Haditha, aiming to recover potentially important forensic evidence, according to defense officials familiar with the investigation.
A source close to the inquiry said Naval Criminal Investigative Service officials have interviewed families of the dead several times and have visited the homes where the shootings allegedly occurred to collect as much evidence as possible. Exhuming the bodies could help investigators determine the distance at which shots were fired, the caliber of the bullets and the angles of the shots, possibly crucial details in determining how events unfolded and who might have been involved.
The possible evidence was disregarded at first because the slayings originally were not treated as crimes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Those detectives will make one hell of a target. What a mess.
Good to hear that...Sam, FYI
Wonder if the bullets are US issue...that is, if they are still intact. This whole Haditha mess smells like a major frame-up against the Marines.
BTW, Murtha is a pig whether the Marines are guilty, or not.
dig them up.
Regardless of their findings, the MSM will present it as horrid.
Just watch for the outcry of desecrating the bodies of the dead and the violation of muslim tradition in tomorrows evening newscasts.
watch for the next shoe to drop - "islamic traditions prevent the exhumation of the bodies". islamic tradition doesn't prevent them from planting IEDs or using children as scouts and spotters for the insurgents of course.
And whether they were shot before or after they died.
After I pressed 'Send', I wondered if that can be determined so long after death.
Here's another one.
Fine with me. No exhumation, no evidence, case dismissed!
It looks as if the DOD and the NCIS are carrying out the investigation without first saying that the Marines are guilty of cold blooded murder, they are doing a professional job.
Attention Congressman Murtha!
You are an elected official in the United States of America and a Representative of the people.
In this country we have what is known as the presumption of innocence.
You not only owe these Marines an apology, you owe every person in this nation one followed by your resignation.
I can't believe that they are so naive as to give any creedance whatsoever to the testimonies of the "fine citizens" of Hadith. This is a solidly pro insurgent town, thus any witnesses would be tainted and totally without credibility.
The JAG should be put back in it's cage where it belongs.
What we are witnessing is the slow death of the volunteer military. If combat troops are to be "second Guessed" by the pampered pu$$ies of the JAG, one would have to be crazy to join.
I had hoped that we would not fight anymore PC wars like Viet Nam. I've been bitterly dissapointed.
Time to pull out the troops - immediatly!
A very interesting story, even if it is in the Washington Post.
Investigator state that it is hard going because it was not until FOUR MONTHS LATER that the incident was reported to them as a crime.
First: What the hell was going on with the civilian witnesses, if indeed this was a bunch of "cold-blooded murders." NO ONE reported this as a crime for four months? Very strange.
Second: It sounds as if investigators are working with almost NO evidence. So how can anyone take the position "beyond all reasonable doubt" that a crime was even committed, let alone that any particular marines commited it?
So, 4 months after the fact (now almost 8) we've got the likes of Jack Murtha and a bunch of drooling Libs in D.C. trying to establish what is being touted as the worst military abuse of the war (stand back, Abu Graib) and we are supposed to believe to buy into it hook, line and sinker, just because we're told to.
Yeah, it's a mess. Yeah, it really might be as bad as advertised. But given the circumstances, the passage of time, and the dearth of evidence, can we ever know with enough certainty. It just isn't about the truth, anyway. Just another U.S.-bashing, soldier-bashing, Bush-bashing opportunity.
The frenzy continues.
Regards,
David
ping
I have some commentary written by a WO serving in Iraq:
http://mrmeangenesnews.blogspot.com/2006/06/guest-post-this-is-copy-of-online.html
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