Posted on 12/22/2006 8:55:51 PM PST by RedRover
Eight Marines are charged in the deadliest criminal case to arise from the Iraq war, but prosecutors say the actions of just one led most directly to the deaths of 24 unarmed civilians and a subsequent attempted cover-up.
According to court papers, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, killed 12 people and was responsible for the deaths of six others in the Iraqi city of Haditha last year, telling three other Marines under his command to "shoot first and ask questions later, or words to that effect."The four are charged with unpremeditated murder, and four officers are charged with dereliction of duty for failing to report or properly investigate the killings.
After the killings, Wuterich lied about the circumstances, prosecutors say.
His lawyer, Neal Puckett, said he thinks prosecutors will try to pressure those serving under Wuterich to testify against him in exchange for reduced charges or sentences.
"They work really hard on the lesser actors to try to get them talk about the greater actors," Puckett said. "It's a common practice to flip the little guys against the big guys.
"If convicted of unpremeditated murder, the four could each face life in prison.In a similar case at Camp Pendleton, seven Marines and a Navy corpsman were charged with kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian in the town of Hamdania. Four pleaded guilty, agreeing to testify against others in return for reduced charges and prison sentences.
Military prosecutors have declined to discuss the case, which has drawn great interest in Iraq.Prosecutors say Wuterich, 26, of Meriden, Conn., showed a "wanton disregard for human life," murdering six people in a home after "disregarding the requirement to have positive identification prior to engaging a target.
Afterward, they say, he told his men to lie to investigators and himself gave a false statement when he said his squad came under fire from four men in a car.
All four Marines accused of murder have said through their lawyers that they followed rules of engagement after a roadside bomb killed one of their comrades. They say they came under small arms fire from nearby houses and responded appropriately, using approved tactics to eliminate the threat.
Besides Wuterich, the others facing unpremeditated murder charges in the case are Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz, 24, of Chicago, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 22, of Canonsburg, Pa., Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum, 25, of Edmund, Okla.Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, 42, of Rangely, Colo., 1st Lt. Andrew A. Grayson, 25, Capt. Lucas McConnell, Squad Leader Key to Haditha Case 31, of Napa, Calif., and Capt. Randy W. Stone, 34, face charges in connection with how the incident was investigated or reported.
Put daisies in their gun barrels and give peace a chance. /sarc
Of course, what should one expect from a military strategy that allows Mookie Sadr and Iranian President Imanutjob to dictate the terms of battle.
Let jazusamo or me know if you want on the Haditha Marines Ping List!
Also, see a summary of highlights at post 351 on the previous Haditha Marine thread.
It strikes me as odd that a corporal in Wuterich's squad was not charged--despite DOD leaks that he would be.
I'm pig ignorant about the workings of military justice. Do people cop pleas in court martial cases?
Also, the only officer on the scene that morning was not charged with anything either. Doesn't that seem like something is going on behind the scenes?
This was a common saying for GI's in WWII movies. While I trained for Vietnam, the Hispanic DI's would tell us the same thing. It's only common sense.
What our military desperately needs is a sense of justice for its soldiers. Take the JAG officers and give them front line duty in real combat for a year before they get rear support support assignments. Maybe they will get a new perspective on reality.
I'm real worried the only justice we seem to have is for our enemies.
Insurgents controlled the population. They beheaded people they didn't like in the square on Saturdays mornings. DVDs of the beheading were on sale by the afternoon. It was reported that the kids especially enjoyed the DVDs and preferred them to cartoons.
In brief, our Marines were not taking a ride through Pleasantville, U.S.A. where old people and kids are harmless.
Ping, Phil!
Around the time the US entered WWII, Adm. "Bull" Halsey said by the end of the war, the Japanese language would be spoken only in hell. Today, he would have been brought up on charges/s
Well, to your point, Staff Sergeant Wuterich was out Christmas shopping earlier today. None of the Marines are confined. That's driving the leftwingers nuts!
Yes.
Great quote. Halsey had it right.
The great thing about when Adm. Halsey said that, I'm sure every US Admiral and General agreed with him.
Could you point me toward information about court martials? I'd like to know more about what's ahead.
Well that is nice news. I hope they all are at least enjoying the little comforts of home to some extent. That makes me feel a bit better. Have a great upcoming day. I gotta hit the rack.
I believe that the Marines will do the right thing. I far as I know that was done vis-a-vis the proceedings against Lt. Pantano.
But as with the charges against Lt. Pantano I am appalled by Washington's "cut deals and run from controversy" way of doing the Nation's business of war.
Here we have another instance where the details were much publicized and rather than stand up for the troops IMO Washington ran away fearing confrontations with the ACLU, the MSM, and others of the enemy's powerful propaganda forces around the world.
Both Lt. Pantano and these Marines were in combat situations. Please don't anyone try to compare that to the soldiers found guilty of rape and murder. TIA.
What would Washington have Sgt. Wuterich do and say?
I will of course defer to those with the experience of Sgt. Wuterich and his Marines.
I am strengthened in my thankfulness that the W.W.II generation fighting men could freely use "approved tactics to eliminate the threat" and did not have an arbiter of combat civility.
Thanks to that generation of Washington leaders I've had a long life full of opportuntity, pride and happiness -- and didn't have to learn to speak German or Jappanese, just Spanish (my wife is Spanish); which just may come in handy here.
(Yes, I know -- the tens of thousands of German and Japanese civilians had no chance -- no apologies, it was better them than us. It was war.)
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