8 MARINES CHARGED IN HADITHA KILLINGS

[Bluebear]

4 minutes ago

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Eight Marines were charged Thursday in the massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha last year.

At least two were charged with murder. Some of those charged were officers who were not there but were accused of failures in investigating and reporting the deaths.

A squad leader was charged with murdering 12 people and ordering other Marines to murder six people in the hours after a roadside bomb killed one Marine and injured two others.

The squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, 26, was charged with unpremeditated murder of 18 Iraqi civilians, including six people inside a house members of his squad cleared with deadly force. Wuterich also was charged with one count each of making a false official statement and soliciting another sergeant to make false official statements.

The highest ranking defendant, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, was accused of failing to obey an order or regulation, encompassing dereliction of duty.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061221/ap_on_re_us/marines_haditha

[BOSSHOG]

1. Gosh someone being held accountable for their actions

How not so conservative. This news will really piss off the conservative scholars in this country. After all weren't the victims just "ragheads" who should have been greatful to take an american bullet. There should be outrage in the "christian conservative" community. Let these boys free.

[Ian David]

2. Iraqis have to take responsibility to stop our soldiers from raping and killing them.

I predict that this will be a pointless show-trial and everyone will get off with a slap on the wrist.

Otherwise, if the prosecutor gets a death penalty conviction, Bush will fire them.

[nam78_two]

5. !

:thumbsup:

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

3. The Bush War and what becomes of our children

Named in the case is Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, who faces 12 counts of murdering individuals in connection with a shooting last November in Haditha, defence lawyer Neal Puckett told reporters.

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 22, of Carbondale, Pa., is charged with one count of murder involving unpremeditated killings of three males in a house, his lawyer, Gary Myers said.

"Our view has been and continues to be that these are combat-related deaths," Myers said.

Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 25, of Edmund, Okla., was also charged, but his lawyer declined to specify the allegations.

It is the biggest U.S. criminal case involving killings to arise from the war in Iraq. All of the soldiers charged belonged to the same unit, Kilo Company based at Camp Pendleton.

Wuterich, of Meriden, Conn., also faces one count of murdering six people by issuing a command for his subordinates to "shoot first and ask questions later" upon entering a house.

Puckett has maintained his client is innocent.


Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, shown here in a 2005 photo

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/12/21/charges-haditha.html

[Greeby]

4. Like was said about another war

"Charging a man with murder in this place is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500." Willard, Apocalypse Now

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. I can't help but wonder...

what would have happened if they had called in an air-strike and the 24 civilians had been killed by "smart" bombs.

I have no sympathy for these guys, none. OTOH I have even less sympathy for the other war criminals in the White House and Pentagon who would have given medals to pilots or artillerymen who do the same thing but at a gentlemanly distance.