Free Republic

NORTH COUNTY ---- Civilian attorneys hired by eight Camp Pendleton men accused of murdering an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania have years of legal experience, including many gained during long stints in the military. One of them, Carlsbad-based attorney David Brahms, is a retired brigadier general who, when he left the service in 1988, was the Marine Corps' top-ranking attorney and had been counsel to the commandant. Jane Siegel of San Marcos, another of the attorneys tapped for the case, once served as the chief for all Marine Corps defense counsel. They and seven other private attorneys, many of whom spent...

The following is a Free Republic exclusive. Freeper Flightline has been in touch with a family of one of the Marines accused of murder

CAMP PENDLETON -- Attorneys for the so-called "Pendleton Eight" are getting their first look at the government's evidence against their clients. A 250-page Pentagon report shows maps, diagrams, photos, and statements about an alleged incident in Hamdania, Iraq, in which military investigators say seven Marines and a sailor took an Iraqi civilian from his home, shot him and then tried to cover it up. Tuesday, the attorneys questioned the credibility of the Iraqi accusers, asking why it took the victim's family four days to report the death. Attorneys also said confessions were coerced, and that military members were not given...

VIDEO OF DEMOSTRATION

Lawyers for some of the seven Marines and a Navy medic charged with murdering an Iraqi man are questioning the credibility of their Iraqi accusers, suggesting they may have been motivated by money or sympathy for the insurgents. The defense attorneys said they will also try to get the troops' incriminating statements thrown out. The lawyers are starting to put together their strategy now that they have been given copies of the Pentagon's investigation into the April 26 killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in Hamdania. Authorities say Awad was kidnapped from his home and shot during a search for insurgents....

There is almost an epidemic of incidents in which American military forces are accused of atrocities in Iraq, and virtually tried and convicted in the media before the evidence is heard, based on shaadowy and inconsistent sources. Even worse, some politicians jump on the bandwagon, and contribute to the media firestorm. But when military brass seem to play a role in fanning the flames investigation is warranted

After holding seven Marines and one sailor in maximum pretrial confinement for three weeks, Camp Pendleton officials have decided to ease up on them. The eight men are from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. They're being jailed at the Camp Pendleton brig on suspicion of killing an unarmed Iraqi man in Hamdania, Iraq, on April 26. Their attorneys and military officials have predicted that charges of murder, assault, kidnapping and conspiracy are in the offing. Yesterday, base officials said they were switching the security level for the suspects from “maximum custody” to “medium-in” custody. The change, they said, followed...

ABC News has learned that charges will be filed against 7 Marines and One Navy Corpsmen. The charges are expected to include murder, conspiracy and obstruction of justice in relation to the killing of an unarmed Iraqi civilian in the town of Hamdania.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Marine Corps on Wednesday planned to charge seven Marines and one sailor with murder in connection with the April death of an Iraqi civilian, a defense official said. At Camp Pendleton, California, where the eight accused service members have been held in a military prison since late May, officials announced that a news conference would be held later Wednesday concerning the alleged killing of the Iraqi in the village of Hamdaniya. The announcement did not mention murder or other charges. The official who disclosed the Marine plans asked not to be identified publicly because the...

Marines, sailor to be charged with murder By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer 6 minutes ago The Marine Corps on Wednesday planned to charge seven Marines and one sailor with murder in connection with the April death of an Iraqi civilian, a defense official said. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., where the eight accused service members are being held in a military brig, officials announced that a news conference would be held later Wednesday concerning the alleged killing of the Iraqi in the village of Hamdaniya. But the announcement did not mention murder or other charges. The official who disclosed the...

The military justice system is taking center stage now that murder and kidnapping charges have been filed against seven Camp Pendleton-based Marines and a Navy corpsman in the alleged premeditated abduction and slaying of an unarmed Iraqi man. The case against the Kilo Company members from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is one of the most serious to arise out of the U.S. presence in Iraq, and military officials are taking the first procedural steps toward a possible court-martial for the accused. In many respects, the military's system of justice works the way it does in the civilian world....

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Friends and family are rallying around the seven Marines and a Navy medic charged with killing an Iraqi civilian, setting up Web sites to raise money and draw attention to what they claim is an unfair prosecution. The troops are charged with premeditated murder and could face the death penalty if convicted. Supporters are scrambling to raise tens of thousands of dollars to pay defense attorneys. "We are not rich, but we are doing anything we can," said Diann Shumate of Matlock, Wash., mother of 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Jerry Shumate Jr. Military prosecutors allege the...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- The Marine Corps on Thursday defended the treatment of seven Marines and a Navy corpsman being held in the base brig as investigators probe the alleged killing of an Iraqi civilian on April 26. The men from the Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's Kilo Company are being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for the alleged kidnapping and slaying of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad al-Zobaie. Family members of the servicemen have told the media that they are being held in solitary confinement. A base spokesman disputed that characterization Thursday, saying none of the eight...

THE CAMP PENDLETON 8 By Michelle Malkin · June 14, 2006 10:40 AM ***update: We've captured and posted the video of Hillary getting booed as she asks progressives to support the troops. Guess they won't be helping out the Camp Pendleton 8...LGF asks: What's wrong with Marine brass?*** My column this week calls attention to the Camp Pendleton 8--7 Marines and Navy corpsman being held in shackles with no charges against them as higher-ups investigate an alleged murder of an Iraqi man earlier this spring in Hamandiya. Excerpt: Did you know there are seven young Marines and a Navy corpsman...

(MONONGAHELA, June 12) – Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey – reacting to an article in yesterday’s Washington Post regarding the alleged "massacre" at Haditha, and U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha’s continued insistence on prejudging Marines before any charges are filed – today released the following statement: "Jack Murtha was wrong to prejudge the Marines of Kilo Company, the First of the Third, for their actions in Haditha last November 19. And now the Marines under investigation are saying so directly. "For the first time since allegations were made against his unit, the senior enlisted...