Posted on 12/21/2006 11:03:18 AM PST by 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 its believed up to six others could join them.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family, also.
This all must be gut wrenching, USMCPOP. Somebody on a previous post reminded us that the darkest hour was just before dawn. It doesn't help when you wake up, read the news and think, "My God, the world has gone insane."
I'm not sure of anything much anymore including the military brass and our current civilian leaders.
But I believe with all my heart that your son and all the sons and daughters who have sacrified their lives and limbs for their country, for Iraq and Afghanistan and freedom everywhere did so in a just and noble cause. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise.
I am sorry I haven't posted much on this. My heart is just too full to make coherent comments.
You are a man I have come to admire greatly. Thank you for reaching out to these families. And thank you for your son.
You're pathetic.
Every thing is just co-pacetic, huh?
My Bro was Marine whose rules of battle were simple: if you are fired upon, return massive fire until the enemy is eliminated. It worked for him in numerous engagements, even in China in 1945. He passed away three years ago, but if he were still with us, he would be truly chagrined at the trial of these Marines who were, after all, in an engagement and had lost a man to an IED in a nasty Iraq neighborhood.
Amen, Justa. Thank you for sharing that with us.
A Very Merry Christmas and Great New Year to you and yours.
Cool! Can't wait to see if pulled together. Gets confusing sometimes to remember if something was posted already or not!
M E R R Y
C H R I S T M A S!
Why do avoid addressing the facts?
What the heck are you two arguing about anyway?
What this says is that "pre-emptive strikes" are good for planning and as reasons to dispose of tyrants, but are not good for application.
Merry Christmas mom. I am doing catch up to many pings, and have very limited time to get engaged.
You've been a gift to the Defend Our Marines team here at FR. It's great to have you on our side.
BUMP! :-)
LMAO.
It is the old Michael New saga. Eleven years have elapsed since New received a Bad Conduct Discharge for failure to obey a lawful order. All of his appeals thus far have been rejected. This would seem to be self evident that the order was lawful. However, some have a different opinion regardless of the adjudicated facts.
Local residents recall friendship with Marine accused of murder.
PABLO ROS Tribune Staff Writer
GRANGER -- Chris Scheetz, 22, and Justin Sharratt, 22, met in 2001. They share the same birthday, went to Penn High School together, and have similar interests--football and off-roading, mainly. To Scheetz's parents, Sharratt is like a son.
So when Scheetz received an e-mail message from Sharratt's mother earlier this year informing him that Sharratt was one of several Marines involved in the killings of 24 Iraqis, including many women and children, in the town of Haditha in November 2005, he could not but react with strong feelings.
"It was shocking, but at the same time I knew Justin as a really good friend, and it wasn't like him to do something like that," Scheetz said Saturday in his Granger home.
Now Scheetz and Sharratt, who had wanted to become a Marine since he was a child, may add another bond to their friendship. Scheetz enlisted in the Marine Corps a month and a half ago. He said he would not comment on the reasons for doing so because he hasn't yet been admitted.
Sharratt, on the other hand, was nearing the end of his contract with the Corps when the Haditha incident took place and was talking about reenlisting, Scheetz said.
Every time he came back from Iraq he talked about how he was "helping people and how gratifying that was for him," said Scheetz's father, Michael Scheetz, also of Granger.
Chris Scheetz said of his friend that when he was on leave from Iraq he always came back to Granger to visit him and other friends before heading home to Pennsylvania, where Sharratt's parents moved to not long ago. On those occasions Sharratt usually stayed with the Scheetz family.
"We kind of feel like his extended family," said Michael Scheetz.
"He's respectful, honest, just a pleasant person to be around," said Chris Scheetz's mother, Mary Scheetz. "He's the kind of kid that you're glad your son hangs around with."
Scheetz said he has not spoken with Sharratt since the Haditha incident, but if he had a chance to he would tell him that, "I'm all for him."
"He's part of our family and we're here to support him," said Michael Scheetz.
Sharratt's parents, Darryl and Theresa Sharratt, had a chance to see their son on Friday at Camp Pendleton in California, where he awaits trial.
Theresa Sharratt said in a phone conversation that her son is doing "wonderful" and in "very good spirits."
Theresa Sharratt also said that she and her husband have been disappointed with the lack of support her son and other Marines accused in the killings have received from the Corps and from U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who this year alleged that the Marines had acted "in cold blood."
"Justin just says he followed the rules of engagement," Theresa Sharratt said of her son, who was charged on Thursday with three counts of unpremeditated murder for allegedly killing three Iraqi men.
The Sharratts made Granger their home for nine years. Justin Sharratt attended Discovery Middle School, and played soccer and hockey at Soccerzone.
Good find, jaz!
The railroading of Michael New when he refused to wear an unlawful uniform.
Sorry, I don't know the case. What uniform was he ordered to wear?
The U.N. uniform. It was during Klintons Islamic war against the women and children of Kosovo.
Got it. Yes, I remember now. Thanks.
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