They can try Wuterich and Chessani and convict them, but there is no way that an informed person can avoid RATIONALLY thinking that they were unjustly railroaded by a command team that was shaken when the congressman in charge of all of the Marine Corps’ money went on record saying that he already considered them cold-blooded killers.
There is no way, without a thorough investigation of Gen Hagee and his staff, to believe that there was NOT command influence.
At this point, knowing what we know, and with Murtha’s admissions that the Commandant was involved, the LOGICAL presumption is that there WAS command influence, and these troops have been unfairly dealt with.
Forty-three million dollars was expended to convict them, and there’s no evidence that the Marine Corps spent even a dime to defend them. Leaks about their case came regularly from the highest level. The media hype detrimental to them was continuous. The Marine Corps schools call Haditha a massacre in their official literature. They teach their students that it was a massacre. They assign a special prosecution team to see to their conviction. NCIS is permitted to play fast and loose with the facts of the case.
Is there ANYTHING resembling fairness that has gone their way?
There should be an official investigation of the SecNav’s office, the Marine Commandant’s office, Murtha’s Office, and everything from brigade on up so far as it concerns these troops’ chain of command.
Down comes the house of cards! By this time next year, all this will be history, and Frank can star in a movie as himself doing what Marines do best. Frank, I think you’re great, and you’re going to be okay. Go get Murtha! Mr Sharratt should take his place in Congress.
Those are the exact reasons the Pentagon wants these cases to simply go away without any trials. If they go to trial, a lot of very powerful people who don’t want to be witnesses will be forced to testify. All this stuff is going to fade away in the next six months.