Posted on 08/21/2007 7:04:43 PM PDT by RDTF
CNN) -- A former Marine sergeant accused of killing two Iraqi captives in a 2004 battle in Iraq said his squad fabricated the entire story.
Jose Luis Nazario has pleaded not guilty to voluntary manslaughter charges brought by federal prosecutors in southern California. He left the service in 2005.
According to an affidavit from a Navy investigator, Nazario killed one prisoner and then asked his squad: "Who else wants to kill these guys? Because I don't want to do it all myself."
The prisoners -- four men who had been captured in a house that was the source of hostile gunfire -- were killed so the Marines could keep up with the rest of their unit in the early days of the November 2004 battle to recapture Falluja, the affidavit states.
But Kevin McDermott, Nazario's attorney, said his client denies the allegations completely.
"They didn't happen," McDermott told CNN.
He called the charges "a fish story" that originated from a former member of Nazario's squad who first made the allegations during a 2006 polygraph test the squad members took when applying for a job with the Secret Service.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
ping
Where’s Murtha on this one?
This story doesn’t pass the SMELL TEST. The Accussers and that includes NCIS/Secret Service/FBI agents could well be about to get “NYFONGED.”
It appears that these so-called “murders” in Iraq are just the Pentagon’s way of pacifying the DemocRATS and giving the DNC the American blood that it craves and needs to win elections.
And ping!
That sure doesn't sound like the prosecution has a dead-bang case to me.
Thanks for posting this.
Cobra’s Corollary Number Seven
Other then the words “United States” nothing should be attached to the Front of Marine, and only Veteran should follow when describing all Marines not presently serving in uniform. Someone alert the press to this decision so that they can correct themselves and quickly.
Yeah, I agree with the lawyer - - the whole thing is a fish story.
That's all you need to know. Most likely another publicity-seeking witchhunt from corrupt prosecutors.
This is not an unusual thing in a military unit. The telephone game creates things that never happened. It does it by speculation, retelling, additional speculation, more retelling, embellishing, etc. After a while an entire memory is created of something that was a telephone-game-fable....something that never happened.
Somewhere in the origin of the story, there's a kernal of truth.
There are no bodies, no names, no crime scene, and no evidence.
We have one man Nazario who has passed a polygraph about war crimes: McDermott said his client passed two polygraph tests before joining the police force and was specifically asked during those sessions whether he had violated the laws of warfare during his military service.
We have another who raised the original charges being held incommunicado by his lawyer. This one, if I recall correctly, rather than take the polygraph told this story of prisoners being executed, although he says he did not witness it.
To Sgts. Nazario and Nelson. Talk to no one, especially if you are innocent. Do not talk to 60 minutes or newsweak or anyone else.
I don't understand. I thought the charges were brought because someone applying for a job with the secret service took a polygraph where they admitted to an "unlawful" killing? Are you saying the accuser didn't take a polygraph but the accused did? The accused passed but the accuser was afraid he wouldn't?
Cindie
Prayers up for this Marine.
An accuser that was not a witness.
Dismissed. I hope.
The alleged murders were revealed last year by former Corporal Ryan Weemer, once a Marine rifleman from 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, Third Battalion, 1st Marines.
http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/Blog/DefendOurMarines-Fallujah04-NatHelms.htm
Even in the case of Murtha?
Someone please tell NCIS that auditions for America’s Got Talent are over.
Yeah even in the case of Murtha. I thought long and hard about it too and since the media would get former confused with ex it is best that it also applies to Murtha as well.
I do however look forward to the day when it is Ex congressman Murtha.
As I remember it, he was either preparing to take a polygraph or he was in the middle of a polygraph and some question about unlawful deaths came up. I understand that he did not or would not answer that question, but then went off the system to tell what he did know.
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