So that last paragraph does indicate how unusual it was to release these letters and that the military was trying to affect public perception. I don't know,,,,, we need more info. on record to add credence to these allegations. If true, it is VERY troubling. General Mattis was initially listed as the Convening Authority for the investigation and all subsequent activities stemming therefrom. Absent any bias or intentional influence, there should be no reason for anyone else to insert themselves into the judicial sequence. It appears that is exactly what has happened here, and as I found in one of the news reports the following indicates just why this is a damnable intrusion:
Letters of censure cannot be appealed, a senior Marine official said during a briefing in Washington, D.C., yesterday afternoon. He spoke on condition of anonymity so he could address personnel matters concerning Huck, Davis and Sokoloski.
The censured officers can file rebuttal statements that will become part of their military records. They have five days to confirm receipt of their censure letters, then 15 days to submit any rebuttal, the senior Marine official said.
So if all of the cases result in exoneration of all charges, just how do these Marines recover their good names? No -- this entire debacle is nothing more than a political pandering to the propagandists and insurgent supporters in both the Iraqi and American governments, and the buck for that falls squarely on President Bush's desk, put there by Rumsfeld, Gates, Winter, and Helland.