Why Did "Rights Group" Delay Revealing Haditha "Massacre"?

Sweetness & Light ^ | June 7, 2006 | N/A

[Sam Hill]

The man Time Magazine first described as a "budding journalism student" Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi is now portrayed as an "Iraq Investigator" by the DNC's Associated Press.

But excerpts from the AP's article raises some questions about him and his group's only other member, Abdul-Rahman al-Mashhadani:

Secretary-General of the Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights and Democracy Monitoring, and also a Haditha resident who witnessed parts of the incident, Thaer al-Hadithi, gives a detailed account of the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqis by U.S. Marines last year, to an Associated Press reporter at the offices of the group in Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, June 6, 2006.

Iraq Investigator Tells AP About Haditha

June 7, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A small group of U.S. Marines alleged to have killed up to two dozen Iraqi civilians conducted a house-to-house hunt that stretched over three hours, while other Marines in Haditha did not intervene, according to an Iraqi human rights investigator.

The Associated Press interview of the activist is the most detailed account yet of Iraqi accusations that Marines went on a rampage after a comrade was killed by a bomb. Two separate U.S. military investigations of the incident are under way.

Thaer al-Hadithi, a member and spokesman for the Hammurabi human rights association, a Sunni Muslim group, recounted with the help of a satellite map when and where Iraqi civilians cowered and sometimes died.

The case, which came to public attention two months ago because of a video released by the Hammurabi group, is threatening to further weaken popular support for the Iraq war in the United States and has tarnished the military’s image in Iraq and around the world...

Hammurabi chairman Abdul-Rahman al-Mashhadani told the AP on Tuesday that his group was investigating other violations of Iraqi civil rights by Western forces in the mainly Sunni Arab provinces of Anbar and Salaheddin to the west and north of Baghdad. He said the group also was looking into violations by Iraqi security forces, militias and tribal clans.

"We are also against terrorism," he said...

Al-Hadithi did not attend any of the meetings between victims’ families and the U.S. military, but he based his account of what the Marines officer said on briefings from Hammurabi’s Haditha representative and conversations with the families.

Al-Mashhadani, Hammurabi’s chairman, who lectures on economics at Baghdad’s al-Mustansiriyah University, said the organization was publicizing the Haditha incident to make sure it’s not repeated...

But back in March when this story first was reported by Time Magazine we were told by Time reporter Ghosh that Thaer Thabit (aka Thabet) al-Hadithi did not want his name known out of concern for his personal safety.

Why start a human rights group if you want to remain anonymous?

But that is just the start of the many questionable aspects of Thabit’s accounts.

Bear in mind that this "budding journalism student" waited until the next day to videotape this alleged atrocity, which supposedly happened on his very doorstep.

Not that this same "budding journalism student" and self-proclaimed human rights watcher did not bother to turn over his video to a media outlet or a real human rights group from November 2005 until March 2006. A four month delay.

That’s how eager they were to make sure such a crime is never again repeated.

And look at the Thabit's partner at Hammurabi, Abdul-Rahman al-Mashhadani .

Al-Mashhadani is described in a December 15, 2005 article from the Institute For War And Peace as an election monitor. In fact, he expressed great satisfaction with the turnout in the Iraqi elections:

Abdul-Rahman al-Mashhadani, an election monitor in Baghdad with the non-governmental organisation Hamurabi, said no major violations occurred in Baghdad. He expected 90 per cent turnout in Sunni Arab areas.

(Which is quite ironic, given that only 150 people out of 90,000 dare to risk their lives to vote in the earlier October referendum in Haditha.)

But if Abdul-Rahman al-Mashhadani was talking to the media in December about the election turnout, why didn't he tell them then about this alleged atrocity at Haditha that had just occurred three weeks before?

Wasn't that the purpose in starting the Hammurabi group?

It just doesn't make sense.

[AliVeritas]

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/

[spunkets]

" That's some guy named Hamza talking, not the Captain."

Hamza's the mayor. You have 2 choices. Either the story he told Hamza, that it was a mistake is true, or not. McConnell told Maj. Watt and 3rd battalion intel the same thing.

[SE Mom]

The stench of lies...

[pissant]

A 3rd choice is that Hamza is not getting his quotes quite right. Do you think a mayor could survive in Haditha if he did not have at least tacit approval of the terrorists? I'm not willing to take him at his word, or at least I would need more than his word.

So which article is Maj. Watt telling the press that McConnell said it was a mistake?

[Sam Hill]

I cut it out of the AP article, just because I didn’t want to confuse the timeline point. But the article noted that Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi worked at the Haditha hospital under Dr. Walid Abdul-Hameed al-Obeidi, before he decided he wanted to become a journalist/human rights activist:

A native of the town, al-Hadithi was an administrator in the Haditha’s main hospital before he took leave to work with Hammurabi, which was set up 16 months ago.

Dr. Walid Abdul-Hameed al-Obeidi is the head of the Haditha hospital, where he serves at the pleasure of the terrorists.

He is the doctor who claims US soldiers kept him prisoner for a week, beat him up regularly and threatened his life.

He’s also behind the claim that all of the victims were shot at close range. And he probably signed the death certificates.

What a small world, huh?

[spunkets]

" I'm not willing to take him at his word, or at least I would need more than his word. "

There's only 2 choices, because the Marines involved did kill the 2 families. Either they killed them by mistake, or they killed them deliberately.

[pissant]

It's a small, phony pile of dung, best I can tell.

[nopardons]

Fishy indeed!

[pissant]

No, the terrorists could have killed some of them. That is a distinct possibility. But I'll take your bait.

If they killed them by mistake, in the course of a firefight, then that is NOT a massacre. Unfortuante, yes, but not a massacre. And there is NO INDICATION from anyone OTHER than the iraqi "witnesses" that it was such. The entire MSM is relying on the massacre meme, meaning they believe the "witnesses". If it was a "massacre" Kimber would have heard about it, it would not have taken months for the video to be given to the MSM, the witnesses would not be these shady, terrorist approved citizens.

Did you know that the Hammurabi Human Rights group was also responsible for the trumped up charges at Ishaqi? The one where the men were just cleared from.

[delacoert]

Found it. Thanks

[pissant]

Sorry, was going to link you but got sidetracked. LOL

[spunkets]

"No, the terrorists could have killed some of them. That is a distinct possibility."

Not a chance. The Marine's involved claimed they killed all of them when they raided the house.

"massacre"

I've never used the word. I refer to it as the incident.

"Did you know that the Hammurabi Human Rights group was also responsible for the trumped up charges at Ishaqi? "

I really don't care about these clowns. This story wouldn't have any gas at all if it weren't for the false press release generated by Kilo Co.

[pissant]

They claimed they killed all of them????? Where? Where did they claim to kill women, children and an old man?

I'm not directing the massacre comment at you, you have been careful in your use of terms. It is directed at the MSM who is driving this story, based on shakier than hell sources. The same type of clowns in the Ishaqi debacle, that you don't care about.

The false or mistaken initial after action report, which no one has published, is barely a whisper in the story anymore. It's moved onto "haditha Massacre" from "alleged Haditha Massacre" in large swaths of the press.

[spunkets]

"They claimed they killed all of them????? Where? Where did they claim to kill women, children and an old man? "

See any reference to the money paid out, the preliminary investigation, or Cpl Terrezas's family's comments.

[pissant]

OK. I know all about the money paid out. What is a good source for the initial investigation?

And Cpl Terreza's father said that the marines told them "they did what the had to to protect themselves". I did not see anywhere where he said they told him they killed woman and children. In fact, when the NCIS questioned Mr. Terrezas the other day, he said he knew next to nothing. In other words, the Cpl's comrades did not tell him they killed women and children.

[spunkets]

"The false or mistaken initial after action report, which no one has published, is barely a whisper in the story anymore."

It's in almost every story! It's a press release and I gave you the Reuter's article based on that press release from Nov 20, 2005. Here it is again: Nov 20, 2005

Roadside bomb kills 15 Iraqis, U.S. Marine in Haditha"
(excerpt)

HADITHA, Iraq (Reuters) - A roadside bomb that killed a U.S. Marine in the restive town of Haditha on Saturday also killed 15 Iraqi civilians and led to intense clashes with insurgents, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

The powerful bomb detonated as a U.S. military convoy was passing through the town, a militant stronghold on the Euphrates river about 220 km northwest of Baghdad.

Immediately after the blast, gunmen opened fire on the convoy, the U.S. military said in a statement. U.S. and Iraqi soldiers returned fire, killing eight insurgents and wounding another(taxi driver) in a firefight.

...

Congressman Kline (R,MN) a former Marine that recieved the same briefing everyone else did about this incident said, "the Marines lied about it"(the incident). With Kline's background and support for the war effort. it's unlikely he'd lie about it. 2nd Time article...Premium content, "The Shame Of Kilo Company".

[spunkets]

" What is a good source for the initial investigation?

Any article that mentions Sgt Wuterich's testimony to Watt, or Watt's comments.

"I know all about the money paid out."

Then you know intell attached to 3rd bn determined the families were killed by the Marines. They don't pay out for those killed by terrorists.

[pissant]

I've read dozens of stories in the last few days. It's being left out of many, I can assure you. And it certainly is not the focus of the MSM's articles, even when included.

That is NOT an after action report, it is a press release, either mistaken or purposely false, I do not know. But a mistaken or false press release does not imply guilt. First reports are often wrong, and this one was, apparently.

Uhg. I'm going to have to wade through that putrid Time article again to pick it apart. That 2nd Time article relied heavivly on the first one, and that first one is a load of crap, relying on the Iraqi witnesses.

[pissant]

More searching coming. As far as I know, they have not released ANY investigative reports. And every article I've read mentioning them it has been vague as can be.

Will catch up with you tomorrow. Gotta run

[spunkets]

"That is NOT an after action report, it is a press release"

The press release was generated by the after action reports of Staff Sgt Wuterich and Capt McConnell. They may have corrected these in Battalion, but the correction was not sent to Div. All Lt Col Johnson had in Jan was the initial release and probably the intial reports filed from bn.

"a mistaken or false press release does not imply guilt. "

It most certainly does.

"That 2nd Time article relied heavivly on the first one"

Congressman Kline's comments only appear in the 2nd article, near the beginning and then later.(on pg 2 I think) He's on the record and stands by those commmets.