Posted on 08/09/2007 12:17:06 PM PDT by RedRover
LOS ANGELES – All charges were dropped against a captain accused of failing to investigate the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, the Marine Corps announced Thursday. Also, all charges were dropped against Marine Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, who had been accused of killing three Iraqi brothers in response to a roadside bomb attack in Haditha in 2005.
Capt. Randy W. Stone, 35, a battalion lawyer from Dunkirk, Md., was one of four officers charged with failing to adequately probe the killings.
"It is clear to me that any error of omission or commission by Capt. Stone does not warrant action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice," Lt. Gen. James Mattis wrote.
Earlier Thursday, the Marine Corps announced that charges had been dismissed against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, who was accused of murdering three brothers in the assault.
"The evidence does not support a referral to a court-martial," Lt. Gen. James Mattis wrote in his written decision in the Sharratt case. Under military law, a commanding general has total jurisdiction over a case.
Sharratt, 22, of Canonsburg, Pa., had been charged with murder in the deaths of three of those killed after the bomb attack on Nov. 19, 2005.
The decision to drop the charges followed an earlier recommendation from a hearing officer who listened to evidence in the case.
In his recommendation, Lt. Col. Paul Ware said murder charges brought against Sharratt were based on unreliable witness accounts, insupportable forensic evidence and questionable legal theories.
"The government version is unsupported by independent evidence," Ware wrote in an 18-page report. "To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary."
Prosecutors alleged Sharratt and other members of his battalion engaged in a revenge-motivated assault on Iraqi civilians after a roadside bomb killed a fellow Marine. Sharratt contended the Iraqi men he confronted were insurgents and at least one was holding an AK-47 rifle when he fired at them.
Ware said prosecution of Sharratt could set a "dangerous precedent that ... may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and its mission in Iraq."
"Even more dangerous is the potential that a Marine may hesitate at the critical moment when facing the enemy," Ware said.
Mattis said he made his decision after looking at all the evidence presented at the Article 32 evidence hearing, much like a preliminary hearing in criminal courts.
"You have served as a Marine infantryman in Iraq where our nation is fighting a shadowy enemy who hides among the innocent people, does not comply with any aspect of the law of war, and routinely targets and intentionally draws fire toward civilians," Mattis wrote.
"Operational, moral and legal imperatives demand that we Marines stay true to our own standards and maintain compliance with the law of war in this morally bruising environment," he said.
"With the dismissal of these charges, you may fairly conclude that you did your best to live up to the standards ... in the face of life or death decisions made by you in a matter of seconds in combat."
Besides Sharratt, two other enlisted men were charged with murder. Four officers were accused of failing to investigate the deaths.
Wonder what Murtha will say now about Haditha? Visit this thread for a reminder of how outrageous Murtha's claims were and help take action: Dear Mainstream Media: You and Congressman Murtha must set the record straight
Shame, thy name is Jack Murtha.
“”With the dismissal of these charges, you may fairly conclude that you did your best to live up to the standards ... in the face of life or death decisions made by you in a matter of seconds in combat.””
Take that, Murtha, you traitor!!
will be reported on Page Z99 of most main stream media outlets (if at all).
This bodes well for the rest of the Haditha Marines, I think. I pray.
As for Murtha, he cannot hide behind the “it is an ongoing investigation, so I cannot comment” line anymore.
Time for Murtha to do dowwwwwn. And speaking of Time, yoo hoo, McGirk....
Thanks for the news Red!!! Have a great weekend! ~Pandy~
God bless our brave troops.
This is GREAT news about Capt. Stone and Lance Cpl. Sharratt. Lt. Gen. Mattis has made the correct decision, he waited for the evidence to come forward unlike the despicable John Murtha who slandered these Marines in May of 2006 and continues to do so.
The media should be contacted and asked to demand answers from Murtha for the grossly untrue statements he made to Wolf Blitzer, Chris Matthews and other media about the Haditha Marines. What he said was blatantly false and he deprived these Marines of their presumption of innocence.
Murtha’s offices should also be contacted to demand an accounting from him.
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv/ CNN contact page for shows and individuals
MSNBC
hardball@msnbc.com Matthews
joe@msnbc.com Scarborough
Tucker@msnbc.com Carlson
GeneralComments@feedback.msnbc.com
FNC
Special@foxnews.com (Brit Hume)
Myword@foxnews.com (John Gibson)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html FNC contact page
John Murtha’s Contact information:
Telephone:
800-289-2642 from Western PA
814-535-2642
202-225-2065
Snail Mail:
647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901
Fax:
814-539-6229 — District
202-225-5709 — Washington
Hey, great to see you, pandy! You have a splendid weekend as well!
Murtha’s comment:...................................................................................................................................................................
Excuse me for not being up-to-date on this, but are there any other marines being charged at this time for the Haditha incident?
Hoo Rah! Now for the rest of them!
FYI
Your son is a hero.
Thank him for me (us) would you?
Thank God the truth came out (to enough of a degree to exonerate your son and his Hero Friends.)
Thank God! Glory Halleluia!
But I seriously doubt it....
NOTHING will happen to him....
NOTHING!
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