Travesty Of Justice: Charges Dismissed In Haditha Killings

[jpeyton]

This decision just adds to the mockery the military courts have made of the law in order to protect their own. Nearly everyone involved in this act of cold-blooded murder has been granted immunity, or had their charges dropped or severely reduced. In one house alone, six children ages 1 through 14 (5 girls, 1 boy) were shot at close range or obliterated by indiscriminate grenade fire. It seems the Marines in this incident forgot an important lesson: if you commit a crime, don't leave any witnesses, like a nine-year-old boy who recalled:

I couldn't see their faces very well - only their guns sticking in to the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny.

Text

Haditha Wiki

A military judge dismissed charges Tuesday against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.

Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a four-star general overseeing the case was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha.

"Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," Folsom said. "In order to restore the public confidence, we need to take it back. We need to turn the clock back."

Chessani, of Rangely, Colo., was the highest-ranking officer to face a combat-related court-martial since the Vietnam War.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom barred Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement in the case.

Of eight Marines originally charged in the case, only one is still facing prosecution in the biggest U.S. criminal prosecution involving Iraqi deaths to come out of the war.

The incident occurred after a Marine was killed by a roadside bomb.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, who faces voluntary manslaughter charges, and a squad member shot five men by a car at the scene. Investigators say Wuterich then ordered his men to clear several houses with grenades and gunfire, leaving women and children among the dead.

Wuterich has pleaded not guilty.

Folsom's ruling comes two weeks after Gen. James Mattis took the stand ? a rare courtroom appearance for such a high-ranking officer ? to address the judge's initial finding that there was evidence of unlawful command influence in the case.

Col. John Ewers, the military lawyer who investigated the killings and took Chessani's statement, later became a top legal adviser to Mattis and sat in on briefings that helped Mattis decide who would be charged.

Mattis testified he never talked with Ewers about Haditha, although Ewers was present during a number of legal meetings where Haditha and Chessani were discussed.

Military policy prohibits Ewers from offering legal advice because he also was an investigator in the case.

Mattis approved the filing of charges against Chessani when he was both commander of the Marine Corps Forces Central Command and the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. He has since been promoted and serves as commander of both NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and commander of U.S. Joint Forces.

Four enlisted Marines were originally charged with counts related to the killings and four officers were charged in connection with the investigation, including Chessani.

 

[PokerGuy]

Great message this sends to the Iraqis. "Trust us, we're the good guys.... and when some of our guys do bad things, nothing will happen, nobody will be held accountable." Hmmm... and we wonder why it's so hard to win hearts and minds.

 

[EagleKeeper]

What is wrong with having an impartial investigation that is not being influenced by the higher ups.

You complain that Bush/Cheney/Rummsfield manipulated information.

Yet when the military prevents it from happening you still complain.

Does your hatred of the military/authorities interfere with your sense of justice?

 

[palehorse]

YAJHTUMT... *Yet Another Jpeyton Hates the US Military Thread*

nothing to see here kids.. move along...

 

[sadguy]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
What is wrong with having an impartial investigation that is not being influenced by the higher ups.

You complain that Bush/Cheney/Rummsfield manipulated information.

Yet when the military prevents it from happening you still complain.

Does your hatred of the military/authorities interfere with your sense of justice?

what are you smoking, and could you pass some this way?

 

[brencat]

So it's a travesty of justice because women and children died, yet only one of 8 marines still faces charges...all because you say so jpeyton? Circumstances in the aftermath of the roadside bombing and evidence be damned right? Make love not war, Bush lied thousands died. Blah blah blah.

The military is probably THE most honorable and just institution we still have left. I trust they will come to the right punishment if justified...much like for those involved in Abu Ghraib. You military-hating liberals sicken me :|

 

[Fern]

Geesh :roll:

Another P&N thread that demonstrates most don't read the links/articles.

Some of you are acting as if a baby killer was released.

Read the fvcking story. First sentance:

A military judge dismissed charges Tuesday against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.

The guy had nothing to do with the Haditha deaths, wasn't involved. He was an investigator.

Fern

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
This decision just adds to the mockery the military courts have made of the law in order to protect their own. Nearly everyone involved in this act of cold-blooded murder has been granted immunity, or had their charges dropped or severely reduced.

[/quote]

I'm getting close to calling you a troll, and charging you with acting Dave-like for distorting the living sh!t out of stuff :|

Fern

 

[LTC8K6]

Poor John Murtha...

He hated them too...

Now he doesn't want to talk about it...

 

[Grunt03]

It doesn't matter anyway all of their careers are over, I dought any of them will stay in the service after being dragged through the mud. Just remember you do not have all of the fact, you only know what you have read and what has been released to the media.

Oh yeah lets take the word of a child that was raised from birth to hate all Americans....

 

[jpeyton]

The cover-up for these killings began on day one (the initial story was that an IED killed these civilians, which was quickly proven false); Chessani was rightly charged for failing to do his duty to investigate these killings properly. But that's what this entire thread is all about: our military failing to hold their own people accountable for murder.

On April 17, 2007, the Marine Corps dropped all charges against Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz in exchange for his testimony. Seven other Marines involved in the incident have also been granted immunity.[48]

On August 9, 2007, all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt and Capt. Randy Stone were dropped.[35] On October 19th, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt's commanding officer decided the charges should be lowered to involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault..[11]

On September 18, 2007, all charges against Captain Lucas McConnell were dropped in exchange for immunity and his cooperation with the investigation. [49]

On March 28, 2008, all charges against LCpl. Stephen Tatum were dropped. [50]

On June 17, 2008, all charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani were dropped.

Notice a pattern? "All charges were dropped." ONLY ONE PERSON is still facing charges; Frank Wuterich. A group of Marines murdered 24 Iraqi civilians, only 8 were initially charged, and now only one is still facing charges. That's justice?

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: brencat
So it's a travesty of justice because women and children died, yet only one of 8 marines still faces charges...all because you say so jpeyton? Circumstances in the aftermath of the roadside bombing and evidence be damned right? Make love not war, Bush lied thousands died. Blah blah blah.

The military is probably THE most honorable and just institution we still have left. I trust they will come to the right punishment if justified...much like for those involved in Abu Ghraib. You military-hating liberals sicken me :|

I guess the 'military-hating liberals' include Thomas Jefferson, who said:

"There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation and which place them so totally at the mercy of their governors that those governors, whether legislative or executive, should be restrained from keeping such instruments on foot but in well-defined cases. Such an instrument is a standing army." --Thomas Jefferson to David Humphreys, 1789. ME 7:323

"I do not like [in the new Federal Constitution] the omission of a Bill of Rights providing clearly and without the aid of sophisms for... protection against standing armies." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1787. ME 6:387

"Nor is it conceived needful or safe that a standing army should be kept up in time of peace for [defense against invasion]." --Thomas Jefferson: 1st Annual Message, 1801. ME 3:334

"Standing armies [are] inconsistent with [a people's] freedom and subversive of their quiet." --Thomas Jefferson: Reply to Lord North's Proposition, 1775. Papers 1:231

"Bonaparte... transferred the destinies of the republic from the civil to the military arm. Some will use this as a lesson against the practicability of republican government. I read it as a lesson against the danger of standing armies." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Adams, 1800. ME 10:154

"The spirit of this country is totally adverse to a large military force." --Thomas Jefferson to Chandler Price, 1807. ME 11:160

The right, like you brencat, constantly lie about the left in describing their views.

When liberals are against bigotry and discrimination on gay marriage, the right say they want to destroy marriage.

When the left stands against the wrongs our nation sometimes does, like President Grant saying the American war that took half of Mexico was "one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation", the right says they hate America. The right also loves to lie about liberals criticism of government policies, such as when Grant said "I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico. I had a horror of the Mexican War, and I have always believed that it was on our part most unjust. The wickedness was not in the way our soldiers conducted it, but in the conduct of our government in declaring was", that the liberals don't "support the troops".

When the left wants to create opportunity by lessenging the burdens of poverty, the right says the left hates responsibility.

And here you go again. The liberals are against the problems with the military - when it used to casually, as many generals have warned against; when as an institution its power grows to the point as to threaten corrupting our democracy, as Eisenhower warned against, you say the liberals simply hate the military. No, the liberals are very respectful of the correctly used military. It was one of our most liberal presidents who led our nation to and in our largest foreign war. You see liberals supporting our military if there were a real threat of our nation being invaded, but that's not the situation in the modern era. You see liberals warning against the military moving into a position where human liberty is threated, such as the militarization of space, something Eisenhower and Kennedy spoke out against.

You lie about the liberals and say that their concerns about the problems with the military are simply hating the military, a lie which evades the discussion of the issues.

Which shows that you hate democracy, and simply want your own way, hating the rational discussion of issues that democracy is about.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Grunt03
It doesn't matter anyway all of their careers are over, I dought any of them will stay in the service after being dragged through the mud. Just remember you do not have all of the fact, you only know what you have read and what has been released to the media.

Oh yeah lets take the word of a child that was raised from birth to hate all Americans....

All Iraqs, you imply, were raised from birth to hate Americans and will lie at any chance to get them in trouble, so no Iraqi can ever testify against any American. How convenient.

 

[Craig234]

Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a four-star general overseeing the case was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha.

"Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," Folsom said. "In order to restore the public confidence, we need to take it back. We need to turn the clock back."

Fine. So, where are the charges against the four-star general and the investigator who obstructed justice, with penalties as severe as for the crimes they prevented jusice on?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Grunt03
It doesn't matter anyway all of their careers are over, I dought any of them will stay in the service after being dragged through the mud. Just remember you do not have all of the fact, you only know what you have read and what has been released to the media.

Oh yeah lets take the word of a child that was raised from birth to hate all Americans....

Yeah, who cares, their careers are over, so that's all the punishment they should get. And let's ignore the child, he is an America hater, despite plenty of evidence to support that these were criminal acts. He should be glad he is free now and thank a marine, not try and get one in trouble. What a fvcking ingrate.

 

[Lemon law]

Originally posted by: palehorse
YAJHTUMT... *Yet Another Jpeyton Hates the US Military Thread*

nothing to see here kids.. move along...

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What palehorse fails to see is the Iraqi reaction to this. And one fine day this will be just another reason why the Iraqi people tell the US military to get out and stay out.

As it is, the US military has brought more death and destruction to Iraq than Saddam ever could. Even though much of the death is not directly related to incidents like this, its still come in on the wake of US caused anarchy and a bungled occupations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: Grunt03
It doesn't matter anyway all of their careers are over, I dought any of them will stay in the service after being dragged through the mud. Just remember you do not have all of the fact, you only know what you have read and what has been released to the media.

Oh yeah lets take the word of a child that was raised from birth to hate all Americans....

Yeah, who cares, their careers are over, so that's all the punishment they should get. And let's ignore the child, he is an America hater, despite plenty of evidence to support that these were criminal acts. He should be glad he is free now and thank a marine, not try and get one in trouble. What a fvcking ingrate.

You can bet he's an "America hater" now. Especially after his whole family was slaughtered in front of him. Is there anyone here who wouldn't hate someone who did that to their family?

 

[nick1985]

Jpeyton, we know you FUCKING HATE soldiers. We get it. Move on to something else...

 

[JSt0rm]

Originally posted by: dainthomas

You can bet he's an "America hater" now. Especially after his whole family was slaughtered in front of him. Is there anyone here who wouldn't hate someone who did that to their family?

Well he should just understand that an american life is worth more then a Iraqi life and love us for being there.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: nick1985
Jpeyton, we know you FUCKING HATE soldiers. We get it. Move on to something else...

But yet he loves the freedom to spout his hatred that the military allows him.:disgust:

 

[Red Dawn]

Let me get this straight, a group of Marines killed Iraqi civilians and the charges were dropped against all but one? Forget who's posting about it, if this is the case then it seems that there is something wrong with that.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: nick1985
Jpeyton, we know you FUCKING HATE soldiers. We get it. Move on to something else...

But yet he loves the freedom to spout his hatred that the military allows him.:disgust:

You know, that's become one of the most dishonest bits of propaganda.

We Americans are the safest people in the world, a safety we don't want anyone else to equal us in (when you increase your security beyond a certain point, it has to be at the expense of others' security being equal to yours). Our right to spout our opinions is not in danger from any foreign military - only from our own Republican government, a la the creation of 'free speech zones'. In America. Presumably making everywhere in America outside of those zones 'non-free speech zones'.

Our free speech is not protected by the US government abusing its power by warring against Vietnam, or Grenada, or Chavez, or having Allende in Chile assassinated.

Or dozens and dozens of other examples that could be cited. The *abuses*, the *excesses*, the *moral wrongs* in the use of our military are not needed to protect our free speech. When President Grant, as I quoted earlier today, said the US war on Mexico was the most wicked war he knew of in history, his attack was not 'hating the military' and in ignorance of how the military protects free speech.

At its core function, the US military protects free speech, against some hypothetical dangerous enemy force that could invade our nation and place us under tyrrany.

Our current and foreseeable situation has no such enemy, and the attacks are *dishonest* for you and others to misrepresent as blind attacks on the military, not the specifics.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Without the military, the current language may not have been English or else English with a European accent.

People have died for his right to speack, yet he dismisses their sacrifice and others that have stood before and afterward.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Without the military, the current language may not have been English or else English with a European accent.

People have died for his right to speack, yet he dismisses their sacrifice and others that have stood before and afterward.

No, you are being completely dis... either dishonest or disengenuous with your 'without the military' propaganda.

He's not saying get rid of the military. He's discussing specific problems with the military.

You are not dealing with his issues, but instead misrepresenting his specific issue as against the existence of any military at all. That's not honest, and it prevents discussion.

And it's also a serious false attack on the speaker, a form of McCarthyism.

Maybe you need a taste of your own medicine.

The next time you criticize Clinton's Monica lie, I'll respond that without presidents, our nation would lack leadership and turn you into an opponent of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and point out that without Lincoln, the slaves would not have been freed when they were, you friend of slavery and hater of black people. Which is about as reasonable as you making jpeyton an enemy of the military protecting free speech.

The next time you criticize any government spending, I'll respond with how without any government spending our nation would fall apart, and point out how that means you WANT children to suffer terrible medical problems without care from the government programs that pay for it. Which is about as reasonable as you making jpeyton an enemy of the military protecting free speech.

 

[nick1985]

Leave it to craig234 to zealously defend jpeyton's anti-military remarks....