Officer: Drop murder charges against Haditha Marine
Via Allahpundit, here’s the latest on the Haditha Marines. I recommend everyone e-mail and fax this North County Times story to John Murtha ASAP:
A Marine Corps official has recommended that murder charges be dismissed against a Camp Pendleton squad leader accused in the deaths of 17 civilians killed in the Iraqi city of Haditha two years ago.
The official, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, said in a recommendation obtained by the North County Times that rather than face murder charges, squad leader Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich should be tried for the lesser offense of negligent homicide in the deaths of five children and two women.
Ware recommended 10 other murder charges against Wuterich be dismissed.
“I believe after reviewing all the evidence that no trier of fact can conclude Staff Sgt. Wuterich formed the criminal intent to kill,” Ware wrote in reference to the women and children. “When a Marine fails to exercise due care and civilians die, the charge of negligent homicide, and not murder, is appropriate.”
Ware’s report, issued to prosecutors and defense attorneys this week, found the evidence against Wuterich contradictory. Ware’s role as the case’s investigating officer is akin to that of a judge presiding over a pretrial hearing.
“The case against Staff Sgt. Wuterich is simply not strong enough to conclude he committed murder beyond a reasonable doubt,” Ware wrote. “Almost all witnesses have an obvious bias or prejudice.”
Instead of drafting resolutions condemning Rush Limbaugh, Congress ought to be drafting a resolution condemning the slandering John Murtha.
***
Previous:
*Charges dropped against Capt. Lucas McConnell
*Charges recommended dropped against Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum
*Charges dropped against Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt
*Charges dropped against Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz
***
Yoo-hoo:
Flashback May 18, 2006:
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Let me ask you Mr. Murtha to give us some details about that. Draw us a picture of what happened at Haditha.
REP. JOHN “JACK” MURTHA: Well, I’ll tell you exactly what happened. One Marine was killed and the Marines just said we’re going to take care – they don’t know who the enemy is, the pressure was too much on them, so they went into houses and they actually killed civilians. And, and –
MATTHEWS:—was this My Lai? Was this a case of – when you say cold blood Congressman, a lot of people think you’re basically saying you got some civilians sitting in a room around a field and they’re executed. Just on purpose…
MURTHA: That’s exactly it. This was not an action…this was troops…they were so stressed out…
***
Murtha’s fax numbers:
814-539-6229 — District
202-225-5709 — Washington
***
Allah’s take:
The final call belongs to Gen. James Mattis, who can either accept Ware’s recommendation of dismissal or press on. He did take his advice in the case of the other two Marines, which bodes well for Wuterich. As for Murtha, as I recall his line on this has always been that the Marines acted out of “fatigue” or “exhaustion” caused by the stress of extended tours. That’s his way of shifting blame away from the troops, whom the left is always leery about faulting, and over to Bush, who can be safely demonized. If Wuterich is convicted on negligent homicide charges Murtha will simply spin it as vindication of his theory. If he isn’t convicted, well, then Happy Jack’s going to have himself a tough month in the blogosphere, at least.
For all the background and info on how to support the Haditha Marines, go to Defend Our Marines.
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Trackbacks
- The Jawa Report
- Take Our Country Back
- Chickenhawk Express
- Sister Toldjah
- Haditha: Small Victory, But Still BS | Euphoric Reality
- Old War Dogs
- Stageleft:. Life on the [lower] left side » Blog Archive » Nah, No Criminal Intent At All
- Report: Al Qaeda Planted Haditha Story at Forward Deployed
- 45df3a3777ea30d05654
- We’re getting porked: Time for Murtha to get the boot | BitsBlog
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Murtha fax:
814-539-6229 — District
202-225-5709 — Washington
A fine fine idea, printing and faxing now. Let’s stick his nose in it…
ROFL. People still don’t realise the whole reason behind the attacks on Rush has been to cover their own outragous statements.
Both faxes have been sent downrange. “Faxes” is that correct?
But they support the troops, right? Hello… hello… anyone…
skreee-skreeee-skreee-skreeee-
skreee-skreeee- (crickets)
I really don’t understand how this guy keeps getting re-elected? Is this really the best Pennsylvania has to send to Washington?
John Murtha is to due process what Geraldo is to journalism.
Thanks Schweggie fax sent and phone call attempting to be made (was busy will keep trying).
Also, saw in the Augusta Chronicle where this movie called “the Battle of Haditha” which recounts this case will be made. Funny, this case is falling apart, whatever will the libs who are making this do?
Looking over his Vietnam service this guys sounds like John Kerry Jr. All talk and no action, Literally!!!
Emailed him a link to the article but I really don’t think he can read. What a loser. There has to be someone better than this clown somewhere in his district. Wake up PA democrats. You can do better.
The reason Burtha is always re-elected is because he is the pork king.
Hope that the soldiers that it defames don’t sue?
“stressed out” and “fatigued” huh.
Well I have been watching the new Ken Burns documentary called “The War” about WWII. The interviews with the participants is very revealing. Are any of our current congress critters aware that there were units and soldiers back then who were in the combat zone for the entire duration of the war? Glad these guys weren’t in charge back then or we would have quit after the invasion of Sicily or the Marshall Island.
Fire In The Hole!
Now this is the real slander of our troops — not the rubbish Media Matters is trying to accuse Rush of.
Murtha is a disgrace.
Good news guys and gals…
The news that Staff Sgt Wuterich was going to be permitted to proceed to discovery in his defamation suit against Congressman Murtha
I was born and raised in his district, and my parents still live there. They have vowed to never vote for him again over his Iraq war stance, and these issues. At least we have 2 “No” votes.
Alot of Marines I know call him an ex-Marine.To a good Marine that is an insult and means you are unworthy.They proudly call themselves “Former Marines”
and they will take you to task over that.
BTW Murtha shows some class as well
Murtha expletive
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today slammed Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and his colleagues for purposefully putting up roadblocks and barriers to hinder earmark accountability and reform. According to Congressional Quarterly Weekly, Rep. Murtha’s response
to a reporter’s inquiry regarding the difficulty ofmatching up earmark information in appropriations
bills was: “So, you have to work.
Tough (expletive).”
I think he is more like an ex-con…without the ‘ex’! Wish he would take me to task over that.
Calling those Marines murderers for political gain – what a dirtbag. Hope they win big against him for defamation. For a guy who looks on tape like he’d be willing to take a bribe, it’s unimaginable that he’s still in Congress.
Even if the good SSgt’s suit goes through, how will that hurt Murtha? After all, T Kennedy killed a person and is now a lefty hero. All Murtha did was try to kill a reputation. Congress is cool with uninformed criminal loudmouths…if they’re Dumb-o-crats.
There is that creepy picture of him again.
Aloha – DIRTBAG is right!
Let’s see , Rush accuses (at worst, which he didn’t anyway) some active duty soldiers of being phonies… and Murtha accuses some of being cold-blooded murderers…. and congress is more upset with WHOM?
That is a well meaning statement, but they won’t do it. Animals don’t go to the bathroom where they sleep.
John Murtha has no honor.
You can’t pay me enough to listen to Dirt-tha. Nope, I can’t watch it. I am on my wife’s laptop and I just do not feel putting my fist through her screen would make her happy. Suffice to say, if I had access to a fax in Haiti, we would blast him. The only thing I can do is pray for him.
Murtha…
pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft!
Murtha’s treatment of my men and women in uniform is abhorrent. I’m a ‘former’, and Murtha has flushed any credibility he ever has as a Marine (yeah, I capitalize it, even when not used as a proper noun, like UNITED STATES MARINES).
Since he is a democrat, I guess I can understand why he would convict first and never worry about facts, reputations, lives, etc.
Pennsylvania can do so much better than this slanderous, corrupt tub of lard.
And wasn’t he Pelosi’s pick for majority leader?
It’s funny how the liberals want to let all of the criminals out of jail and are for lenient sentences for child molestors, but want to throw the book at innocent soldiers.
#21- Feebie
I have a Beetlegeuse moment when feebiebabe yells: “DIRTBAG”.
Murtha is a phony (pick your own noun).
Looking at Murtha trying to walk in that clip by the elevator, it appears Murtha is doing without the services of many things besides honor (although that is certainly true.)
He appears to be in miserable shape and poor bodily health. It is affecting his brain.
Pork will always be king.
There is alot of bad news around the country this morning.
Which leads me to ask: Where is aj? In mourning? 19 in a row. yeeks. I feel you, Bro. Don’t taze me.
I’d pick him to be a shovel holder down in La Jolla where the landslide happened. It’s a porkable situation. He’d fit right in.
M-U-R-T-H-A-TTMoney- i feel you on that. The image is perfect. The Pork King. Exposed. In a tub.
EW!
Murtha is the spitting image of this woman in my town. Her name is Bertha his name is Murtha. Hes a bag-man shes a bag-lady separated at birth? Maybe.
Though to be fair Bertha has a slight edge in the marbles department.
If you go to Murtha’s website and try to send him a message through his website form, he makes you jump through hoops to get to the point where you can actually send him a message.
Hint:
If you type in the following, you’ll get right through (this is Murtha’s office address and info):
Address: 647 Main Street
City, State: Johnstown, PA
Zip: 15901-2140
Phone: 814-535-2642
He requires that you be one of his constituents, living in his same zip code (including proper 4-digit code after the zip) and have a PA phone number in order to send him a message.
That sorry old man must get tons of hate mail, because now it takes an act of congress just to get to where you can send Murtha a message.
Hopefully this will make it easier. Come on, ya’ll, send that old fart your thoughts.
It’s hard to get my head around how much Marines (currently serving and retired) must truly contempt this fat tub of pork eating goo.
I think it is fundamentally wrong for elected officials to be able to commit slander and libel and hide behind their office! We are all equal but some are more equal than others.
Murtha was last seen fleeing to Okinawa where he intends to redeploy his political career.
Sue the SOB right outta congress…
Make the inevitable settlement be not only a Pile of Money (Hereafter known as “one metric butt-ton” or “one cubic ass-load”), but that Murtha resign immedeately, and never again hold an elected or appointed position.
Cpt Willard Apocalypse Now (1979)
“… charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500.”
So, can we start calling Murtha, Durbin and the rest of their ilk “Phony Senators”? With any luck, maybe they will send out a Fatwa (censure) against me. Suitable for framing….or wrapping fish.
I have said it before but I reiterate that I will not even use this POS name in the same sentence with any reference to my Marine Corps …
He doesn’t even rate being called “ex” as even that proscribes too much of an honor on this sorry excuse for ______ (fill in the blank appropriately) as it would require Marine next to it …
It is a good thing I am all the way across the counrty because it means I will most likely never have to come face-to-face with this slime … I wouldn’t trust myself to maintain if I did …
SSGT, USMC, 3 tours plus in Nam
Traitorous Abscamer. Should be shot. If cowards like this were around earlier in our history, we’d be speaking the Kings English, or perhaps German or Japanese. What a horrible human. Even though he delivers lots of pork to his district, they would still vote him out if they had any decency.
Murtha is a disgrace to Marines who have done far more for their fellow man and the nation.
Murtha is a scum sucking traitor.
Toodles, Murtha, it’s been a ride…