Posted on 06/01/2006 1:51:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
A Marine captain who was relieved of command after members of his battalion allegedly shot and killed civilians in Haditha, Iraq, said he became a "political casualty" as senior commanders at Camp Pendleton scrambled to defuse an explosive situation.
"It makes my blood boil to see my name lumped in with this massacre, when I was in a different city not playing any role in this incident," Capt. James Kimber told The Associated Press.
Kimber, 33, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., was one of three officers relieved of command last month and reassigned to new duties for what the Marines said was "a lack of confidence in their leadership abilities." The Marines did not specifically link the action to the Haditha shootings and none of the three has been charged with wrongdoing.
"I believe I was a political casualty as a result of the Haditha incident," Kimber said in a telephone interview Wednesday from his home in the northern San Diego suburb of San Marcos.
A Camp Pendleton spokesman did not immediately return a message left seeking comment.
Separate investigations seek to determine whether the Nov. 19 killings in the western Iraqi city of Haditha were criminal and whether the Marines involved and their commanding officers tried to hide the truth.
On Nov. 19, Kimber, the commander of 160 Marines in the battalion's India Company, was in the neighboring city of Haqlaniyah when he heard over military radio that a Marine convoy had hit a roadside bomb, killing one Marine. The Marine Corps had initially attributed 15 civilian deaths to the bombing and a firefight with insurgents, eight of whom the Marines reported had been killed.
"After it was all over, it seemed to be just another day," Kimber said.
During city council meetings and talks with local leaders in the following weeks, Kimber heard nothing about a civilian massacre.
"It would have been huge, there would have been no question it would have filtered down to us," he said. "We reported no significant atmospheric change as a result of that day."
He said he first learned in February about the shootings in Haditha when he heard that a Time Magazine reporter had visited the western Iraqi city and was asking questions about civilian deaths.
Two months later, Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, Pendleton's commanding officer, summoned Kimber to his office and relieved him of command. The reason Kimber was given was that his subordinates had used profanity and criticized the Iraqi security forces they were training during interviews with Britain's Sky News TV. The troops also violated Marine policy by appearing on screen without their protective eyewear.
"I was in shock when I walked out of the office," said Kimber. "When you get relieved of command, that's it, your upward mobility is finished."
This is unbelievable, stinking more and more every day. And not one officer, not one politician is standing up for these Marines. Everyone in the media, in Washington and in the Marine Corps has already tried and convicted them. Even that crap for brains President we have.
This makes me sick at my stomach.
bttt
This kind of thing has happened before, because I remember reading it somewhere. And it's sad that these Marines are being hung out to dry. But when that happens, they are more than likely covering up something else. Something that will save somebody else's hide that doesn't deserve to be saved...
The darnedest things happen to cut and dry "cold-blooded murder" cases when the other folks get to tell their side of the story...
Thanks, Coop.
BUMP...
I don't see how it's any worse than you attacking their Commander in Chief without cause. But go for it. You're angry.
"I was in a different city"
Mmmmmm, MSM wrong again?
I neglected to thank you for calling my attention to Capt. Kimber's significant statements. [tipping hat]
Looks like after three years that the left/media/scumocrats have pretty much succeded in turning Iraq into Vietnam.
Aside from the left/media/scumocrats, I blame President Bush for allowing this to happen. Maybe if he had, even just a few times, stood up against the MSMdims over the past five years and thrown some of their crap back in their faces, things never would have reached these depths. But noooooo, that would have been mean-spirited. Meanwhile, the attacks and slander by the MSMdims just keeps getting worse and there is still nary a peep about it from the Stoopid Party.
Like wow, that is, like, so yooo-neeek! Cool!
Ya know, my weedeater crapped out on me yesterday, and that stupid SOB POTUS still hasn't repaired the dern thing!
Remember, he probably picked up his field grade promotions in the Clinton Years.
I'm hoping he meant to slide the word 'alleged' between the words 'this' and 'massacre'.
Nice well reasoned debate there. Guess he must have pissed you off with the Bush remark. Of course it must really piss you off to know that he's at least half right.
you know, if I didn't "know better", I would wonder if this was a pre-arranged set up for Time Magazine..
There have been many that have made much of the three Marine officers being relieved to bolster the validity of the charges against these Marines including some here at FR.
Some things certainly take on a different light when we hear the other side of the story.
Thanks for the ping and the post.
Best evidence yet that the "massacre" never happened. Or if it did, it wasn't US Marines doing the massacring.
The dog that didn't bark. (And those particular dogs love to bark)
I'm telling ya...PC is going to DESTROY this country..and we'll lose more Soldiers and Marines because of it..
This is APPALLING.
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