Posted on 01/02/2012 10:28:48 AM PST by smoothsailing
January 2, 2012
It certainly seems appropriate that the last defendant in the Haditha case is the squad leader, SSgt Frank Wuterich. Leaders take responsibility, and SSgt Wuterich has taken full responsibility for the actions of his squad in Haditha. His stance from the outset has remained clear:
As the last Marine originally charged in the deaths of Iraqis in Haditha, Iraq in 2005, SSgt Wuterich will be seated at the defense table in his general court-martial two days from now, Wednesday, January 4th. Barring last minute motions or outright dismissal of charges, jury selection will begin Wednesday or Thursday. SSgt. Wuterich will be tried by a jury of combat-experienced Marines, and the panel will include at least two Marines from the enlisted ranks.
Much has been written over the last six years about Haditha, and links to some of the most recent news articles and commentaries are included at the bottom of this post to help bring readers up to date. For older Free Republic postings, please use this link or enter the keyword Haditha in the Free Republic search engine.
The purpose of this Free Republic thread is to serve as a "Master Post" where trial news and updates can be brought together in one place for easy reference by those interested in following the proceedings as they unfold.
Freepers Smoothsailing, Red Rover, and Jazusamo will monitor the thread, post updates, and attempt to answer questions or direct readers to information sources. Jazusamo maintains the Haditha Marine Ping List. Please ask Jazusamo to be added to the ping list if you wish to be alerted to updates.
Recent News and Commentary:
MILITARY TIMES-Haditha Marine Faces Trial
Count Down to the Last Haditha Trial
MILITARY: Two high-profile cases set for Pendleton courtrooms
Remember SSgt Frank D. Wuterich: The last Haditha Marine goes on trial
Don’t rewrite Murtha’s legacy (Haditha Marines)
Thanks for linking it, Smooth!
Neal Puckett is interviewed here by your typical ditzy liberal cow who seems perturbed that 24 people died and... "nobody is going to jail?" During this interview Puckett makes it sound like he was convinced they could win the case, BUT.... Wuterich pled out because, "He wanted to take responsibility" for the tragedy that day, and the actions of his Marines! He made it sound like Frank has been harboring a guilty conscience this whole freaking time and gave himself up like a martyr when he didn't really have to! NOT ONCE does Puckett state the obvious - - that the deaths of those people must be laid solely at the feet of the terrorist insurgents who ambushed the passing convoy and killed LCpl Terrazas. Period. Freaking PERIOD. If the fix was indeed in, I gottta wonder about Puckett.
"Had all the Marines involved gone to trial, some measure of justice might have been achieved ... and perhaps the government would have seen - - if there were bad actors that day - - who those bad actors were." - Neal Puckett
I can't take this anymore.
Even the article smooth put up from Jonathan F. Keiler on American Thinker had this at the end:
Like the both of you I was not impressed in the least by Puckett. Thanks for linking, brityank.
I’m deeply disgusted by Puckett’s remarks. They are offensive on so many levels.
If there were “bad actors” in Frank’s squad, it was his duty to report them. He WAS responsible—he’s not “taking” responsibility.
But if, as I believe, there were no “bad actors”, it casts unnecessary suspicion over everyone—including those like Tatum and Sharratt who could have thrown Frank under the bus.
To say the least...
I still cannot get over how the trial was breaking totally in favor of Frank Wuterich, with prosecution witness after prosecution witness turning into defense witnesses and the embarrassed prosecutors flopping around helplessly, when suddenly there was a "delay", and a "deal" was reached.
???
It was like the lawyers had to stop everything so they could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I will never believe that a panel of Marine combat veterans would have convicted Wuterich of anything.
It almost sounded to me like Puckett was apologetic for the end result that nobody went to jail for what happened at Haditha.
That interview was a real head-scratcher. VERY disappointing and downright screwy.
By the way, I posited a theory a couple of weeks ago that maybe Dela Cruz is smarter than people give him credit for. I mean, he takes a deal to get off completely in exchange for throwing Wuterich under the bus, but then the first chance he gets at trial to do so, he matter-of-factly mentions from the stand that he failed a polygraph??
You're precisely right, Red.
I was taken aback listening to Puckett in the vid, this has never come up in the years this persecution has been going on by any defense team that I'm aware of. It sure should not have been brought up during the cases nor did he have any valid reason to bring it up at this point when this is finally over.
I tend to agree with you Lancey on the panel not convicting but I fully support Frank's decision as I know you do, he was in a very difficult position.
The way I see it, it is impossible for there to be any "bad actors" in a hot battle zone where there has been an ambush that resulted in one Marine getting killed and others wounded, and gunfire erupting from nearby houses. Puckett seems to be shrugging that, yeah, maybe "war crimes" were committed, but since all them other court martials were never pursued by the prosecutors, we'll never know for sure. He just dumped on everybody.
I can't get over that.
I'm sure you speak for most of us.
I need somebody to speak for me or else I would be Zotted. Hmmm maybe I want the zot? Tempting isn’t it?
I hear you, he did dump on everyone. I doubt anyone who’s followed this will get over it.
Yeah, everybody feels the need to risk riding the lightning, sooner or later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.