Posted on 12/20/2006 7:32:37 AM PST by RedRover
It appears charges are forthcoming against Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt in connection with the killings of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha.
Sharratt, whose parents, Darryl and Theresa Sharratt, live in Canonsburg, has been ordered not to go on leave from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and his civilian attorney, Gary Myers, said that is a sign that charges are imminent.
"It means we are on the brink," Myers said.
Theresa Sharratt said her son had done nothing wrong.
"They were in a firefight, and they responded the way they were trained," she said.
In an earlier interview, the Sharratts said their son had been "deserted" by the Marines, and they excoriated U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, for his comments about the Haditha incident.
"He said they killed innocent civilians in cold blood, right on TV," Theresa Sharratt said then. "It was on every channel, slapping our face every time we turned on the TV."
Meanwhile, the leader of the squad of Marines investigated in the case also expects to be charged, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, has been asked to return from leave to sign papers at Camp Pendleton, indicating that charges will be served Thursday, said attorney Neal Puckett.
Two military officials have said a group of Marines would be charged Thursday in the killings. The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the charges ahead of their announcement. A Marine Corps spokesman declined to comment Tuesday.
The charges would follow an investigation into the actions of a Camp Pendleton-based Marine squad belonging to Kilo Company of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, in connection with the Nov. 19, 2005, killings.
Wuterich was in charge of the squad, which killed 24 Iraqis in the aftermath of a roadside bomb blast that left one Marine dead and two injured.
"He thinks he's going to be OK because he didn't do anything wrong," Puckett said. Puckett did not know what the charges might be.
A day earlier, the attorney for Capt. Lucas McConnell, 31, said his client was told by his commanding officer that he will be charged with dereliction of duty. Attorney Kevin McDermott said he did not know why, because McConnell was not present when the killings occurred.
The Marine Corps initially reported that 15 civilians died in a roadside explosion. Citing survivor accounts and human rights groups, Time magazine reported in March that the killings were deliberate acts by the Marines, prompting the criminal investigation.
Let jazusamo or me know if you want on the Haditha Marine Ping List.
SEMPER FIDELIS
ALWAYS FAITHFUL
Loyalty: Up AND Down!
Anything more severe than disorderly conduct is a travesty.
These people watched as the insurgents planted the bombs and probably cheered when they went off.
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