Statements from Lt. Gen. James Mattis (USMC)

Statement from Lt. Gen. James Mattis concerning his decision to drop all charges against Capt. Randy Stone in the Haditha murder case. The Marine Corps released his remarks Thursday:

"I have thoroughly reviewed and considered all of the evidence surrounding the Haditha incident and Captain Stone's conduct with respect to command reporting of and response to the incident. It is clear to me that any error of omission or commission by Captain Stone does not warrant action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

"The Article 32 Investigating Officer recommended that the case not be tried at court–martial. I am aware of the line that separates the merely remiss from the clearly criminal, and I do not believe that any mistakes Captain Stone made with respect to the incident rise to the level of criminal behavior.

"In determining the appropriate disposition of this case, I have also considered Captain Stone's conduct and performance in full context. During the time period at issue, Captain Stone was in his first assignment serving as a Marine judge advocate under difficult circumstances as a staff member of an infantry battalion engaged in combat operations. He willingly volunteered for this assignment and took on challenging duties with enthusiasm. Similarly, his attentiveness to training the Marines in the law of war and rules of engagement and willingness to share their hardship to better appreciate the challenges facing them are notable. By patrolling alongside the infantrymen in his Battalion, he helped them embrace the imperative of ethical behavior in combat. In this manner, he directly contributed to our Nation's effort to fight a shadowy enemy who hides among and endangers innocent people and does not comply with any aspect of the law of war.

"Captain Stone and his fellow Marines served in the most ethically challenging combat environment in the world. Nonetheless, Marines are expected to withstand the extreme and fatiguing pressures inherent in counterinsurgency operations, protecting the innocent, while tirelessly fighting the enemy with relentless vigor. I have no doubt that he now understands the absolute necessity for objective inquiry into the combat actions of our Marines in such an environment, especially when innocent lives are lost.

"Captain Stone's experience in this incident offers many hard learned lessons that I am confident will serve him well in the future. It is incumbent on him to ensure that the lessons he has learned provide guidance for future judge advocates who may serve under similar circumstances in an infantry battalion in combat.

"I have impressed upon Captain Stone the fact that the Marine Corps' investigation into the Haditha incident has been driven solely by the interests of justice. Now that his case is resolved, I know that he will continue to serve with motivation and dedication, and with the understanding that he has much to contribute to the success of his unit and the Marine Corps."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statement from Lt. Gen. James Mattis concerning his decision to drop all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt in the Haditha murder case. The Marine Corps released his remarks Thursday:

"The events of November 19, 2005 have been exhaustively reviewed by Marine, Army, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigators. An independent Article 32 Investigating Officer has considered all the facts and determined that the evidence does not support a referral to court–martial for LCpl Sharratt. Based on my review of all the evidence in this case and considering the recommendation of the Article 32 officer, I have dismissed the charges against LCpl Sharratt.

"LCpl Sharratt has 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. The challenges of this combat environment put extreme pressures on our Marines. Notwithstanding, 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.

"The experience of combat is difficult to understand intellectually and very difficult to appreciate emotionally. One of our Nation's most articulate Supreme Court Justices, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., served as an infantryman during the Civil War and described war as an 'incommunicable experience.' He has also noted elsewhere that 'detached reflection cannot be demanded in the face of an uplifted knife.' Marines have a well earned reputation for remaining cool in the face of enemies brandishing much more than knives. The brutal reality that Justice Holmes described is experienced each day in Iraq, where Marines willingly put themselves at great risk to protect innocent civilians. Where the enemy disregards any attempt to comply with ethical norms of warfare, we exercise discipline and restraint to protect the innocent caught on the battlefield. Our way is right, but it is also difficult.

"With the dismissal of these charges LCpl Sharratt may fairly conclude that he did his best to live up to the standards, followed by U.S. fighting men throughout our many wars, in the face of life or death decisions made in a matter of seconds in combat. And as he has always remained cloaked in the presumption of innocence, with this dismissal of charges, he remains in the eyes of the law – and in my eyes – innocent."

An apology from Murtha is clearly unacceptable...
The Admiral Boorda “solution” is called for in circumstances as criminally traitorous as this...

Murtha would have to take Boorda’s lead, go quietly into the yard and blow what remains of his brains out.....before I would consider his debt paid...

How many of our warriors have been needlessly killed, because they hesitated too long to attack a threat, or place an “insurance” round in a down enemy’s head?

You MUST know this is the case and the charges and stink raised by Murtha and company had that VERY effect...

Our young warriors had this case held before them as what could happen to them in the event they fired an instant too soon...

Below received in an email from Colonel Khan:

I have personally observed Gen Mattis' physical courage in combat - being out in front of his Marines, exposing himself to the same enemy and dangers that his Marines were exposed to.

Attached letter exemplifies his moral courage - sifting through the complexities of combat where split second decisions determine right or wrong; dead or alive. Rather than throw another brave Marine who went into harms way for our nation, Gen Mattis made the right decision - because he personally has been in combat which is much different than being in a combat operation - or hiding behind a curtain of PSD protection.

From personal experience I have seen too many senior officers throw Marines under the bus because they think that moral courage and being tough is destroying careers for minor infractions or errors in judgment.

For too long our culture has been ruled by the likes of these false leaders - my personal run in with Amos and McKenzie's (HQ Heroes) and other senior officers in our military who churn fine Marines (and Soldiers) like a well oiled Bush Hog and fabricate events to get the Combat Action Ribbon - never having fired a round at the enemy or received a round in their direction - or advance their careers through embellishing actual events, or far worse manipulate investigations to cover their asses (Tillman and many others).

These Gucci Gladiators, in high and tights spewing slick propaganda slogans, have not gone toe to toe with enemy - but steal all the credit from their Marines to advance their own careers. They are slicker than most Foreign Service officers I see out here. They have left a path of destroyed careers which equals Sherman's march across Georgia.

Their definition of moral and physical leadership is to stay isolated in their Digital COCs (or HQs) watching video feeds of the carnage and then pass detached judgment - they want plausible deniability in case something goes wrong. Their example is one of officers sitting in the rear rather than being out front of their Marines leading the assault. In my view this is cowardice not combat leadership - leaving it up to our young to make the critical decisions - between life and death.

At the end of the day Combat Leadership comes down to willing to lay your life down for your Marines. To do this you have to be leading from the front of your Marines - not behind them.

Mattis on the other hand is paving the way for true combat leaders to follow - to train and fight with their Marines - while killing or capturing the enemy.

Mattis is the right man to transform our military culture - not the clowns who are currently in high positions. They need to be weeded and replaced by real combat leaders like Mattis and the upcoming generation of LtCols and Cols who have actually fought alongside (or in front of) their Marines; not those who have participated in combat operations - from the rear - and written bullshit articles about what combat is all about.

If we don't solve our leadership problem - all the fancy weapons, equipment and gear is not going to be a substitute.

My hats off to Jim Mattis - once again, he stands taller than life protecting our military culture and our youngsters. I would trust him with the life of my son - the others I would not trust being behind me - for fear of being stabbed.

Asad Khan, LtCol, USMC (Ret.)

Semper Fidelis,
fontman

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