Posted on 01/23/2012 11:56:54 AM PST by SmithL
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) -- A Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children pleaded guilty Monday to dereliction of duty in a deal that will mean a maximum of three months confinement and end the largest and longest-running criminal case against U.S. troops to emerge from the Iraq War.
Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn., led the Marine squad in 2005 that killed 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha after a roadside bomb exploded near a Marine convoy, killing one Marine and wounding two others.
It was a stunning and muted end to a case . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Looking forward to the Defend Our Marines post on this outcome, given the tenor of the posts late last week as this plea deal appeared to be rejected and the trial moved forward. They usually have interesting insights that are not seen in typical media reports.
fyi
bump
This just totally sucks.
This is so sad.
Makes me sick to my stomach.
*sigh*
Well again, we show how we are one of the few nations that genuinelly get enraged and sickened when our troops are implicated in killings of noncombatants from enemy territory. The vast majority of nations around the world ignore or openly celebrate these kinds of things.
I have never posted, so here is my best shot: If you can’t post it I’m OK, but it is the way it is. It IS a different incident, but the attempts are the same, screw our Warriors. Write to your Congresspeople and say that NJP is enough for these guys, NO MORE
YOU PEE FOR ME, MARINE
by Bob Lonsberry
You pee for us all, Marine.
This has to do with the video that popped up yesterday. Its 40 seconds, and it shows four Marines standing above the bodies of some dead Taliban.
Peeing on them.
Have a great day, buddy, one of the Marines says to the corpse at his feet.
Lets review.
America is at war with militant Islam. In Afghanistan , the Taliban is militant Islam. In Afghanistan , the Taliban gave refuge and support to Al Qaeda as it prepared the attacks of September 11. In Afghanistan , the Taliban works around the clock to put American servicemen in their graves.
The Taliban is the bad guys.
And the United States Marines are the good guys.
And this is much ado about nothing.
Because the brass are crapping their pants.
This is egregious, disgusting behavior, said Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby. It turned my stomach.
Kirbys branch of the service is not listed, but Im guessing its Girl Scouts.
It turned his stomach?
We are a nation at war. Weve had thousands of Americans die. Weve brought hundreds of thousands home with losses of limb and mind, and THIS turns his stomach?
Thats not exactly a warrior spirit.
And it makes you wish that men like those urinating Marines were running this operation.
But they are not.
And they will be crucified.
Because our military establishment specializes in throwing young GIs under the bus. Any number of desk jockeys and political generals are glad to backstab as many warriors as they can. In the White House and at the Pentagon, the god of political correctness is fed with the frequent sacrifice of young soldiers careers.
You send people to war, but heaven help them if they act like it. Hamstrung by Marquis of Queensbury rules in a bar fight with savages, our GIs are attacked by enemy fighters on one side and government lawyers on the other.
Its a funny game where no one has their back.
Except the American people.
Which gets me back to my point.
You pee for us all, Marine.
That group of Camp Lejeune snipers is condemned by the political generals, but embraced by the American people.
Because thats what you get when you screw with the United States of America . You get a bullet through the brainpan, and were going to line up to spit on the pieces.
Unless we have a full bladder.
And show the YouTube far and wide, as a warning to your pals. This is what it means to mess with America . The pantywaists in the Pentagon might want to win your hearts and minds, but the men pulling the triggers want to snap your freaking necks.
And some 310 million real Americans feel the same way. Mess with the best, die like the rest. The sooner the better, the more the merrier, and dont be surprised if its not holy water you get sprinkled with.
Real people arent bothered by this.
Real people believe this is how war should be fought.
Real people think that weve pussyfooted around long enough, its time to make the rubble bounce. Pull the B52s out of the barn and lets light those mo-fos up.
And real people are sick and tired of the feigned indignation coming out of the Pentagon and White House. Life is not group therapy and war is not run by Robert Rules of Order. War is where you kill people and break the will of a society.
War is where you make the other guy cry Uncle.
Ask the people of Hiroshima and Dresden .
Or Atlanta , for that matter.
You attack the United States and you die. You die ugly. There are only two sure winners us and the maggots. And any people, nation or religion that cant stand that heat should stay the hell out of the kitchen.
So if you dont want to be blown to bits and pieces, and pissed on by fine examples of American manhood, then you better stay home with mama. You better lay off the jihad. You better learn some manners and mind your Ps and Qs.
Because Lady Liberty is shaking her fist.
And thats not just some words in a song.
Thats our pledge.
Were going to kill you, and were going to cheer the men who do it.
And the rest of you goat-bearded savages better shake in your sandals, because those Marines pee for us.
And theyre coming for you next.
Ridiculous.
It probably went like this:
They most likely made the downside of accepting the plea so egregious, and the upside (only 90 days) so appealing, comparatively, that they got their guilty plea.
Now let’s assume, for the point of argument, that what the government claimed really happened. Completely innocent civilians in no way connected to anything nefarious or in the proximity of anyone nefarious being gunned down in cold blood....... only 90 days?
90 days represents the government saving face.
I hope the Sgt can get on with his life without regret.
“I hope the Sgt can get on with his life without regret.”
He may regret joining the Marines... but then, that’s what the liberals intended, isn’t it?
The question now is the sentence.
As a Staff Sergeant, he has years invested in the Marine Corps including the last 6 years spent in limbo while this trial ground along. If required to, he could do the 90 days in confinement and pay the fine easily enough. But if he is reduced in rank to Private, all those years of hard work getting up to Staff Seageant are gone. He is unlikely to be promoted again - too touchy politically. If he retains his rank, he still might be able to serve until retirement but it will be a long lonely road. Might be better just to get out and make a fresh start.
Wuterich’s former squad members testified that they did not take any gunfire during the 45-minute raid on the homes or find any weapons.”
I don’t believe this is true. I believe they testified they were taking fire immediately after the ied and I know that the 3 brothers shot by Justin Sharratt’s & Sgt Wuterich were armed. Then there was the day long battle that wounded 11 Marines following the blast.
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