I still think there's an issue whether it was 23 or 24 total people killed. Also, if you read the USMC charges for each Marine, I count 20 total charges of murder (unless the last charge on Frank Wuterich encompasses the last 3 or 4). According to the article, Reasonable Doubt, it says
..."The relatives of each victim were paid a total of $2,500, the maximum allowed under Marine rules, along with $250 payments for two children who were wounded. Major Hyatt said he also compensated the families for damage to two houses.
"I didn't say we had made a mistake," Major Hyatt said, describing what he had told the city council member who was representing the victims. "I said I'm being told I can make payments for these 15 because they were deemed not to be involved in combat." "....
This was payed in the December/January time frame. After this, in January, 2006 is when the video taken by Taher Thabet in Haditha was passed to Time magazine.
In June, a lawyer and also a relative of some of those killed complained the compensation wasn't enough. At Sweetness and Light http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/haditha-lawyer-wants-more-compensation
.."A lawyer who had several relatives among 24 Iraqis allegedly slain by U.S. Marines last fall and is representing kin of other victims complained in a videotape Saturday that American compensation paid to the families was inadequate.
Khaled Salem Rsayef also said U.S. officers accused him and other relatives of lying when they recounted the shootings in their first meeting with the military after the Nov. 19 deaths in the western town of Haditha. He did not say when they met.".....
..."Rsayef, who had a brother and sister-in-law, an uncle, an aunt and several cousins among the 24 killed."...
....""When I received the compensation money, I found out that it was $2,500 for each victim," Rsayef said. "I told them that it’s a small sum that does not match the magnitude of the disaster."
He noted that Libya’s government paid millions of dollars in compensation to the families of the Lockerbie airline bombing victims. "Is American blood worth more than Iraqi blood?" he asked."......
Sounds like Rsayef received at least half of the compensation, but he was hoping to become a millionaire.
I still can't figure out number of women/children. The doctor in Haditha said 8 women, 5 children; the interview with CBS said 3 women, 6 children.
I don't think any other compensation has been paid to deaths in Haditha, at least it's not public info.
I can't recall the answer to how Dela Cruz and Wuterich are both charged with the deaths of the same people. Do you happen to know the answer?
Sergeant Sanick P. Dela Cruz and Staff Sergeant Frank D. Wuterich
1. did murder Ahmed Khutar Musleh, also known as Ahmed Fenr Muselh.
2. did murder Wagdi Aida Alzawi, also known as Wgedi Aida Abd.
3. did murder Kaled Aida Alzawi, also known as Kaled Aida Abd.
4. did murder Mohmed Tabal Ahmed, also known as Mohmed Betel Ahmed.
5. did murder Akram Hamid Flaeh, also known as Akram Hmid Fluih.
Staff Sergeant Frank D. Wuterich and Lance Corporal Stephen B. Tatum
6. did murder Zainab Unes Salim.
Lance Corporal Justin L. Sharratt
7. did murder Jasib Aiad Ahmed.
8. did murder Kahtan Aiad Ahmed.
9. did murder Jamal Aiad Ahmed.
Lance Corporal Stephen B. Tatum
10. did murder Noor Salim Rasif.
11. did unlawfully kill Abdul Hameed Husin Ali.
12. did unlawfully kill Guhid Abdalhamid Hasan.
13. did unlawfully kill Asmaa Salman Rasif, also known as Asamaa Salman Rasif.
14. did unlawfully kill Abdullah Waleed Abdul Hameed, also known as Abdullah Waleed Abdul.
Staff Sergeant Frank D. Wuterich
15. did murder Huda Yasin Ahmed.
16. did murder Aida Yasin Ahmed.
17. did murder Mohmed Yunis Salim.
18. did murder Aisha Unes Salim.
19. did murder Sebea Yunis Salim.
20. did murder Marwan Aiad Ahmed.
The Corps says that 24 Iraqis were killed. Marines have been charged with the murder of 20.
Even accepting that all 20 were "civilians", what were the other four?
Every media outlet says that 24 Iraqis were killed (and they always add "including women and children") in Haditha. But that's not supported in the charges.
So why isn't the USMC Public Affairs office straightening this out with press? Why are they letting the public believe that 24 Iraqis died in Haditha--and none were insurgents?
pink, maybe this would be worth blogging.