Charges against Hadithah O-5 dismissed

[unhappycamper]

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani
Was accused of failing to investigate 24 deaths


Charges against Hadithah O-5 dismissed
By Chelsea J. Carter - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 7:42:29 EDT

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — 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 Hadithah.

“Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice,” said Folsom, reading aloud from previous case law.

Then, turning to the courtroom, he 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.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_chessani_061708/



uhc comment: I guess we need to file Hadithah under the 'Shit happens' category. Nothing to see here folks, move along.

[TooBigaTent]

1. Only in the military could not investigating murders be considered restoring public confidence.

Disgusting.