Marine Charged With 13 Civilian Murder Counts (Haditha)

MSNBC ^ | 12/21/06

[areafiftyone]

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - A Marine Corps squad leader was charged Thursday with 13 murder counts stemming from the killings of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, his attorney said.

Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich was charged with 12 counts of murdering individuals and one count of murdering six people by ordering Marines under his charge to "shoot first and ask questions later" when they entered a house, according to charging sheets released by defense attorney Neal Puckett.

As many as eight Marines could be charged in the case, the biggest U.S. criminal case to emerge from the war in Iraq in terms of people killed.

The deaths occurred on Nov. 19, 2005.

Lawyers for two Marines already have said they expect their clients will be charged and it’s believed up to six others could join them.

[fishergirl]

I despise Sites! I sent him an a--ripping email when that happened with that Marine in Fallujah.

[lowbridge]

Associated Press

AP. Strike one.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Some Iraqis

"Some" Iraqis. The "Some Say" school of journalism.

Some Iraqis: Translation: A tiny minority of Iraqis whose opinions we chose to listen to because we at athe AP agree with them. To hell with any Iraqis who have a differing, pro-american, point of view, even if they might be in the majority.

[armymarinemom]

Thanks. Given time I will open my mouth about all of this.

[Just A Nobody]

they are entitled to a trial.

Yes, it would have been the honorable and right thing to do. Unfortunately, a fair trial has been denied them over four months before any investigation was complete.

Friday, May 19, 2006 john al-Murthawi, played judge, jury and executioner while denying them the basic right of innocence until *PROVEN* quilty!

"There was no firefight. There was no IED that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they
killed innocent civilians in cold blood,"
Murtha said.

"They actually went into the houses and killed women and children," the congressman said.

[Just A Nobody]

Newt....said the Military plan on Iraq was turned upside down by the State Dept and Bremer....

That would have been the POWELL State Dept. Would Newt really be in a position to know, though?

[nicotinefiend]

Please add me to your ping list.

[Non-Sequitur]

Wrong. I would have a medal-awarding ceremony for them.

They're accused of murder. Hardly deserving of a medal.

[jazusamo]

And how many Marines and soldiers will hesitate in a dangerous situation because of the threat of being criminally charged later.

Exactly, and that is what this is about. From accounts I've read for several months they took fire from those houses.

[Just A Nobody]

I know.....I know......

Keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers.

[RedRover]

Something jumped out at me from the list of Marines who've been charged. A name is missing.

Just before Thanksgiving, "anonymous DOD sources" leaked names of five Marines who were "about to be charged". The five Marines were Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, Corporal Hector Salinas, Corporal Sanick De la Cruz, Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum, and Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt.

But Corporal Hector Salinas has not been charged.

I haven't seen any reporting about this, and there could be another explanation, but signs are pointing in a particular direction: Corporal Salinas copped a plea.

For reference, this is the list of the Marines who've been charged:

1. Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey R. Chessani
Charges: Violation of a lawful order and dereliction
2. Captain Lucas M. McConnell
Charge: Dereliction
3. Captain Randy W. Stone
Charges: Violation of a lawful order and dereliction
4. First Lieutenant Andrew A. Grayson
Charges: Dereliction, False Official Statement, and Obstructing Justice
5. Staff Sergeant Frank D. Wuterich
Charges: Unpremeditated murder, Soliciting another to commit an offense, and False official statement
6 Sergeant Sanick P. Dela Cruz
Charges: Unpremeditated murder and False Official Statement
7. Lance Corporal Justin L. Sharratt
Charges: Unpremeditated murder
8. Lance Corporal Stephen B. Tatum
Charges: Unpremeditated murder, Negligent Homicide, and Assault

[jazusamo]

You've been added nicotinefiend, welcome.

[fishergirl]

I'd heard that, too. In fact, I also heard from more than one source that one of the children, I think a girl, said her relative had told her to cover her ears because an IED was fixing to blow up. The adults apparently knew about it -the one that killed the Marine. Hell - you're either with us or against us and if your're against us then suffer the same fate as the terrorists.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

He said he knew what the Military planed prior to the invasion....and what actually happened was a change.

[fishergirl]

"anonymous DOD sources leaked the names". Damn!! I'm so sick and tired of these stupid leakers!! Hang 'em by their toes - whose side are they on?!?! Well, better yet - drop 'em off in the middle of Anbar province naked with pink panties on their heads and see what else they leak.

[Blue Jays]

You've got to be kidding, zemo.

[armymarinemom]

Thanks:)

[BykrBayb]

I've read that too. I believe one of the sources I read that from was the DOD's own website, though I can't find a link now.

If our troops are not allowed to shoot back, how are we supposed to win the war? Oh yeah, we're not.

[HKMk23]

Hang 'em by their toes...

Nah. Hook 'em a bit higer up...with a barbed gaff hook. Dangle 'em over the edge of the Grand Canyon and wait for the carrion birds.

[KeyLargo]

All of this persecution of the Marines leads to more deaths of Marines who now are hesitating to act on a threat to their life and that hesitation can be deadly for them.

Good website:

Politically Correct Rules of Engagement Endanger Troops
Published December 6th, 2006 by Herschel Smith in Weapons and Tactics, Iraq |

In his article Spinning Haditha, Marine W. Thomas Smith made the following sad but prophetic observation:

… every student of military science understands the ugly nature of insurgencies; where insurgents are un-uniformed, unconventional fighters who move freely throughout the community during the day, and become bushwhackers at night. They routinely use women and children as human shields, and often coerce the latter into the service of operating guerrillas.

This is particularly effective against U.S. forces, because the enemy knows that no matter how much stress they may be under, American soldiers will go to great lengths to avoid killing women and children; and even hesitate (at great risk to themselves) when they see women and children shooting at them.....

http://www.captainsjournal.com/2006/12/06/politically-correct-rules-of-engagement-endanger-troops/

[jazusamo]

There are many, many links to the coverage of this incident at this site Defend Our Marines that RedRover has put together. It's definitely the most comprehensive site on the incident and probably has the links to most of the news stories.