Posted on 06/17/2008 9:50:16 AM PDT by jazusamo
CAMP PENDLETON ---- A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.
Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement.
Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.
They’ve braved a certain amount of heat for saying so, but several outstanding military jurists (including LtCol Vokey, USMC) feel as you do.
I’m with you 4woodenboats - I’d like to get more info on the Gates-Gitmo connection. I still think Gates is the lynch-pin to Murtha.
was ewers involved in the pendleton 8 investigation/hearings? would be interesting to track his role in all of the pendleton investigations.
Hey ya...at the sound of the tone....LtCol Vokey may be able to retire as scheduled.
Most of this was in auto before Gates became SecDef. Remember Rumsfeld's shadow group was called Rumsfeld's shadow group, because Rumsfeld created it. Gates has had his hands full putting out all kinds of fires, trying to reorgnize behind Petraeus to do COIN, the air force losing nuclear weapons because they had no one in charge of not losing nuclear weapons. This probably did not seem like a problem that needed fixing. Also, I don't think Gates is on the military procurement gravy train, which requires sucking up to Murtha, in quite the way Winters was. Gates has been a fed most of his life, and then a University President, not a corporate suit.
I've also braved an incredible amount of heat on this forum for suggesting that the so-called traitorous 5 SC justices had a lot of help from incompetents within the administration who sabotaged the intent of the tribunals that the DTA created. We are Americans. What do we have to fear from a fare and neutral process that brings out the facts?
I don’t know when Col. Ewers became Mattis’ top legal adviser. We know he was sent to Iraq to investigate for the Bargewell report in March, 2006 (I think). So, I’m assuming it was after that. I don’t know if Mattis had seperate legal advisers for the various cases, and Ewers was more a general one. I just don’t know.
Sorry Andy - had a brainfart - meant to say Sec Navy Winters not Gates...
How ironic that the same narcissistic prick could so badly screw up both ends of the war effort by employing the same Stalinist tactics.
Thank you Meek. That’s an old Murtha animation but I still like it and it still applies.
SEMPER FI GREAT NEWS. I can’t believe the Military charged them to start with.
BTTT
Dyna and I have been checking for confirmation. Nothing on the wires or at the NC Times. Nothing at TMLC site. Figured you guys could help keep an eye out! I'll let you know if I hear any word.
And I sure pray I am wrong.
Thanks to you both, I’ll start checking different places.
Thanks, jaz! I keep refreshing the NC Times homepage. They often have it there before Google picks up the link.
What are they appealing....the UCI?
Trouble is, either way, 72 hours still has to pass before Col. Chessani is safe.
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