Posted on 06/10/2006 7:14:36 PM PDT by saquin
A sergeant who led a squad of Marines during the incident in Haditha, Iraq, that left as many as 24 civilians dead said his unit did not intentionally target any civilians, followed military rules of engagement and never tried to cover up the shootings, his lawyer said.
Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told his attorney that several civilians were killed Nov. 19 when his squad went after insurgents who were firing at them from inside a house.
[...]
A corporal with the unit leaned over to Wuterich and said he saw the shots coming from a specific house, and after a discussion with the platoon leader, they decided to clear the house, according to Wuterich's account.
"There's a threat, and they went to eliminate the threat," Puckett said.
[...]
Although it was almost immediately apparent to the Marines that the people dead in the room were men, women and children -- most likely civilians -- they also noticed a back door ajar and believed that insurgents had slipped through to a house nearby, Puckett said.
[...]
At one point, they saw a man in all-black clothing running from one of the houses they had searched. The Marines killed him, Puckett said.
They then noticed another man in all black scurrying between two houses across the street. When they went to investigate, the Marines found a courtyard filled with women and children and asked where the man was, Puckett said.
When the civilians pointed to a third house, the Marines attempted to enter and found a man with an AK-47 inside, flanked by three other men; the first Marine to enter tried to fire his weapon, but it jammed, Puckett said. The Marines then killed those four men.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I've posted this before, but it makes a point:
When I was 14 or 15, I was walking with my girlfriend and my best friend Eddie when some kids a block away in a field started throwing rocks towards us.
Me and Eddie warned them Brooklyn-style to knock it off, or else.
Now, my girlfriend launched into lecturing us about peace and non-violece, etcetera.
Her admonision of our response ended abruptly when a rock bounced off her forehead, which quickly developed into an egg-shaped lump.
We had to hold her back then, because now SHE wanted to kill them!
I learned that day that liberal philosophies aren't worth a damn once the rock bounces off YOUR head!
God bless our military!
We also should all remember that Haditha was/is a well-known terrorist stronghold. The Marines knew they weren't dealing with some ordinary town.
Three months earlier, 20 Marines were killed around Haditha during a three-day span. Fourteen were killed by a bomb that destroyed their troop carrier. A six-man sniper team was ambushed and killed while on foot patrol and the Haditha terrorists released a video showing the battered body of one of them.
ping
Having been born & raised in Brooklyn, I love that line!
Which is why any sane person would hold the terrorists responsible for any innocent deaths in this incident.
Sounds like the first house was shot up by the insurgents.
Considering they target women and children every day, I'm inclined to believe that the our black clad shooters executed the women and children long before the Marines arrived.
I hope Murtha doesn't get reelected....shame on him, how can he appear in public?
Murtha or our Marines?
Is there any question who I will give the benefit of the doubt? Not now and not ever.
God bless our Marines.
Thanks for the ping!
Loved the story. Thanks!
We sure do spend a lot of time and money investigating false charges, as if war were not a matter of life and death.
These Marines are innocent.
This information simply supports their innocence.
Well, the incident occurred in the Rockaways, so we poured on the linguistics extra-special like.
Well, they're not innocent, but they're certainly not culpable or guilty either.
REM: I know what you mean.
Thanks for the ping Coop. Sounds like a reasonable chain of events. It certainly differs with Murtha's account.
If those bodies can't be exhumed for examination, I don't see how any charges can be filed but that's just my take.
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