A Haditha Marine Speaks Out

Those of you that have followed my blog over the past few years, know about my passion for the Haditha Marines.  From the moment John Murtha accused them of "cold-blooded murder", I knew, in my heart, that these brave young men were not guilty.  It's hard to believe that it has been 4+ years since this all started.  Now Retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel Jeffrey Chessani has finally spoken out to Nat Helms over at Defend Our Marines.  The entire article is a must read but here are a few snips...

After more than four years of legal wrangling, Chessani was forced to retire last week after Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus accepted a December 2009 ruling by a Camp Pendleton military board of inquiry that found Chessani was not guilty of misconduct after more than 23 years of exemplary service. The BOI ruled Chessani must retire anyway because he displayed “substandard performance” by failing to conduct a more detailed investigation of the civilians killed…” as a result of a house clearing counter-attack by four of his Marines.

The criminal charges against Chessani were dismissed in June 2008 when Marine Corps military judge Colonel Steven Folsom ruled that Chessani was the victim of undue command influence by General James Mattis while the distinguished general was considering whether to charge Chessani and his men with crimes. After two appeals courts refused to overturn Folsom’s ruling, Chessani was forced to endure a Board of Inquiry last December to determine whether he would be allowed to retire at his present rank.
 
Out of all the Marines charged in the Haditha incident, only one case has not been resolved.
 
Now, more than four and a half years later one enlisted Marine, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, the squad leader who led the counterattack against the two houses where the civilians died, still faces 12 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Wuterich’s court martial is scheduled to begin September 13th at Camp Pendleton.
 

And for those in Michigan, please support Brian Rooney who is Republican running for the US House of Representatives.  Brian was Lt. Col Chessani's lawyer and a Marine brother - they served together in the 2004 Battle for Fallujah.  Also a huge thank you goes out to The Thomas Moore Law Center who was responsible for defending many of the Haditha Marines.

 

It's a shame that John Murtha died before he could apologize to those Marines that he slandered and befouled with his lies.  Murtha was given MANY chances to apologize but refused to and never exhibited one iota of remorse. 

 

As far as Tim McGirk, the weasel Time Magazine reporter, whose story started the whole lie rolling, may he never have another moments peace from whatever is left of his conscience.  He did his best to destroy a group of heroes with his poison pen but fortunately the Haditha Marines were much stronger than McGirk figured they would be.  It's easy to be strong and stand firm when you have the truth on your side.  Something McGirk wouldn't know if it walked up and bit him on the ass.

 

If you want to know more about the Haditha Marines, you can type in Haditha in the search box.  Also read over the entries at Defend Our Marines - they were the "go-to" source for all information. 

 

It's a shame the media refused to cover the exonerations and dismissals of ALL charges for the Marines that they convicted without a trial. Here's a photo of all the Marines charged in the Haditha incident and the results of the investigations...

John Murtha Has Died

Rep John Murtha passed away today after complications related to gallbladder surgery.  I will bite my tongue really hard to avoid saying something extremely nasty especially when he has family that are grieving their loss.

Sadly, the Haditha Marines never got their apology. 

May God have mercy on his soul and provide his family with comfort during this time.

Is the Noose Tightening Around Murtha?

My favorite lying treasonous ex-Marine, John Murtha, is getting some heat about those massive campaign contributions - well at least one of his favorite lobbying firms is getting the heat. Per the Washington Post...

Federal investigators are focused on allegations that PMA founder Paul Magliocchetti, a former appropriations staffer close to Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), may have reimbursed some of his staff to cover contributions made in their names to Murtha and other lawmakers, according to two sources familiar with the investigation. PMA has long had a reputation for securing earmarks from congressional appropriators, particularly for defense contractors, and it has donated generously to influential members of Congress. Magliocchetti personally gave $98,000 in campaign donations last year, according to campaign records.

Yeah but how does this involve Murtha you ask. Well the WaPo goes even further to describe the "intimate" relationship between Murtha, PMA and some of its clients...

PMA, founded in 1989 by Magliocchetti, a former Murtha aide to the House Appropriations Committee, has enjoyed a high success rate in winning earmarks for its clients, which include such major defense contractors as Lockheed and General Dynamics. PMA also represents a circle of lesser-known but also successful contractors such as Argon ST, MTS Technologies, DRS Technologies and Advanced Acoustic Concepts. Many PMA clients have opened offices in Murtha's western Pennsylvania district, donated generously to him, and received millions in earmarks requested by the congressman.

In the last election cycle, PMA and its clients donated $775,000 to Murtha's campaigns. Last year, those clients received earmarks worth $299 million and arranged by Murtha and his colleagues.

What a sweet deal - donate $775,000 and get $299 million worth of earmarks. How this sack of herbyboyd hasn't been indicted yet I just don't know. What a minute - I do know - he's got a big D behind his name.

Here's hoping that Murtha goes down real soon but I'm not holding my breath. Heck maybe the heat will finally make him apologize to the Haditha Marines. Dream on baby - dream on.

Quick Hits - Sharpton, Haditha and Obama

Got some stuff brewing on the home front so here are some quick hits for today....

WaPo blasts Obama on his flip-flop on campaign financing...
Money Quote: "Fine. Politicians do what politicians need to do. But they ought to spare us the self-congratulatory back-patting while they're doing it. "

The Augusta GA Chronicle puts in a good word for the Haditha Marines and blasts Murtha for the lying sack of poo that he is...
With the criminal cases against the eight Marines crumbling, perhaps a lawsuit is the only way to get to the truth.
If the Marines were targeted as scapegoats to fulfill the scenario laid out by Murtha and the media, then no amount of apologies will suffice.

If some atrocity did happen, then why are the cases collapsing under their own weight?
And what obligation does the military and the public have to stand behind our troops when we put them in harm's way against an enemy that hides behind women and children?

Moreover, shouldn't our elected officials stand behind our troops in wartime until it's proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they weren't worthy of it?

You call someone a killer -- even in wartime -- you better be sure of it.

Caught this clip of Al Sharpton blaming everyone but his own greedy self for the IRS investigation during a period of insomnia at 5am this morning. Like all good lefties - it's Bush's fault.




For some background on Al's shakedown history, read the NY Post story from earlier this week. It's a doozy.

Haditha Round-Up

Here's a round-up of reports and posts about the latest developments in the Haditha cases...

Yesterday, charges against another Marine officer accused of involvement in the Haditha "massacre" were dismissed. Today's Washington Post printed a story, but it was
from Los Angeles Times writer Tony Perry, not a Post staffer. What's more, Perry's 10-paragraph story was printed on page A10 below-the-fold
Newsbusters

Defining atrocity: Marines vs. the Haditha Smear Merchants
Michelle Malkin

Murtha Lied; Marines Were Tried (And Acquitted)
Ben Johnson - Front Page Mag

When prosecutor Lt. Col. Sean Sullivan stood up to speak, Folsom told him to sit down. When Sullivan said he wanted to raise other issues, Folsom cut him short. “Quite frankly, there are no other issues in the case,” Folsom said. With a crack of the gavel, the hourlong hearing ended.
Rick Rogers - SignonSanDiego

Interestingly - yesterday was John Murtha's birthday. What a great birthday surprise for him - another nail in his "cold-blooded murder" coffin of claims against the Haditha Marines.

Of course those on the left see the dismissal of charges against Lt Col Chessani as just another example of America's disdain for the lives of Iraqis (notice the failure to report any of the FACTS involving the cases including those "innocents" that were actually insurgents).

How can such a massacre happen (24 victims shot execution-style in three houses and one taxi) with only one possible trigger man? How can the cover-up at the highest levels of the military not be evidence of collusion or conspiracy? How can only one man merely face a possible court-martial for such a heinous crime? How can seven of eight be freed when there is 24 executed civilians, the youngest only a year old? What kind of person shoots children? The same kind that throws puppies over a cliff?
******
Justice for Iraqis in Georgies America, There is none
******
It's the same old pattern over and over again. U.S. military getting away with mass murder in Iraq. It seems the most they ever have to worry about is a slap on the wrist - because Iraqi lives are considered cheap as dirt in the eyes of the U.S. military/government:
*****
I wonder what verdict might have been reached by an Iraqi court? You know, a court composed of the survivors of the 24 dead Iraqis? The society and community that suffered the loss of 24 lives? Instead, the military grants dismissals to its comrades in arms, nobody sees any conflict of interest, and we all congratulate ourselves on the "freedoms" that those dirty rotten terrorists hate us for.

It's a shame that some people choose to remain ignorant of the facts just so they can wallow in their BDS anti-American filled swamps. Actually it's not a shame - it's pathetic.

Great Expose on the Pendleton 8 Trials

Kit over at Euphoric Reality has been a staunch supporter of the Pendleton 8 and the Haditha Marines. She has put together an incredible group of blog posts - 18 total - dissecting the entire Pendleton 8 case. It is a must read for anyone wondering what the hell has happened to our Military leaders and why are they throwing our Marines under the humvee? If there was a Pulitzer Prize for blogs, Kit would win it hands down!

The post about Undue Command Influence is quite an interesting tale and may provide some insight into the Haditha prosecutions. Go read it all - you will be shocked and disgusted.

LT. GRAYSON - NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS! UPDATED

The jury just returned a verdict of NOT GUILTY on all counts in the case of Lt. Grayson, the first of the 3 Haditha Marines to have a jury trial. More to come as the details are released... in the meantime......................




Hat tip to Redrover at FreeRepublic for letting me steal his graphic.

UPDATE: Check out the Press Release from The Thomas Moore Law Center for more details.

Bing West Takes on IVAW Claims

PBS Newshour did a little special on the IVAW's Winter Soldier II spectacular held in front of the esteemed (snort) members of the Progressive Caucus. PBS even got the disgusting Gary Solis - who has thrown the Haditha Marines under the bus as much as John Murtha - to express his belief in those testifying...

KWAME HOLMAN: Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Gary Solis is an attorney and expert on the law of armed conflict. He teaches at West Point. Before watching the televised "Winter Soldier" meeting at our request, he was skeptical about their claims. Afterward, he changed his mind.
LT. COL. GARY SOLIS: I was immediately impressed with the sincerity, the depth of feeling, the sense of wanting to right wrong. What they had to say jibes with reports I've received from lieutenants who returned to West Point where I taught. My former students come back and tell me the same thing.

Yeah, just like you believed and spread the same crap about the Haditha Marines and had them convicted before they were even charged. As an expert and an attorney, shouldn't Solis have reported these claims? If he did not report the claims, isn't he as complicit as the soldier who waits until he gets some camera face-time to make the claims?

But Bing West, who has actually been in Iraq several times and embedded with the Marines in Fallujah had this to say about some of the claims made by IVAW members...

KWAME HOLMAN: Former Marine Corps Captain Bing West worked in the Pentagon during the Reagan administration and has spent a considerable amount of time in Iraq. He's written two books about the war. He agrees that the servicemembers should have reported their allegations when they happened.
CAPT. BING WEST: If they feel that strongly about it, for the sake of their consciences, then they should name the names. Otherwise, what they're indicating is that something was widespread and it wasn't widespread, and so they're defaming over a million other soldiers by saying this was commonplace. And that's a canard. That's a lie.

And about those claims of dropped weapons to make a civilian look like an insurgent...

KWAME HOLMAN: But Bing West said the notion of widespread use of drop weapons is ridiculous, and furthermore...
CAPT. BING WEST: And I would argue that what we're talking about here are anomalies. And it's unfair to the reputation of our entire military to take anomalies and to claim that they were the norm.

I've read both books by Bing West. He's not one to gloss over issues and certainly not a syncophant of the Bush Administration or the Pentagon. Amazingly, not one of the members of IVAW are mentioned in either one of Bing West's books. And he was right in the thick of both battles of Fallujah and with the Marines during the taking of Baghdad. I would trust Bing West's words a thousand times over. So PBS's attempt to salvage some semblance of "truth to power" for IVAW was stymied by Bing West.

Nice of PBS to use taxpayer money to give these fellas another platform to spread their spew... especially since they couldn't get any ears in Congress except for the Marxists. But don't worry - IVAW will be well represented at the Socialism 2008 Conference. Birds of a feather, huh?

Haditha Mockudrama "Star" and His 15 Minutes

The mockudrama "Battle for Haditha" is going to be making its US premeire in May. As part of the publicity blitz for the fictionalized version of the incident at Haditha, Eliot Ruiz, who portrays Cpl. Ramirez (aka Staff Sgt Frank Wuterich) is making the rounds in his hometown of Philly. It's disgusting that a worthless piece of fiction is presented as a "docudrama" of the events on November 19, 2005. But what is worse is former Marines portraying those whose honor and service were forever tarnished in the Murtha-inspired witch-hunt.

When I first heard about Nick's film I wasn't sure what to think of it. I didn't want to be in a film that would give the Corps a bad name; I was so proud to be a part of that organisation. So I called the guys who I had been serving with in Iraq and I asked them what they thought, and they were like, 'What, you kidding? You'd better do it.'

We improvised half the damned movie. Nick would just stand back and say, 'This is the scene, do what you would do', and so we acted out what we had been trained to do as Marines: shoot, clear out a room, go through the motions.

Ruiz found it relatively easy to step into the shoes of one of the Marines involved in the Haditha killings; for a relative newcomer to acting, his performance is exceptional. "Obviously, what my character did was totally wrong," says Ruiz, "but I can see the type of situation that would lead someone to do that, especially considering that he had never been in combat before. How could you not expect a kid to lose it like that?"

Relatively easy to step into the shoes of Staff Sgt Wuterich. Ruiz isn't worthy to shine Wuterich's boots much less portray him in a movie.

Ruiz can bleat his excuses for acting in a movie that depicts his "brothers" as cold-blood killers hopped up on caffeine and heavy metal but "just putting it out there" doesn't cut it in the real world. While the 8 Marines charged in the Haditha incident were fighting for their reputations and lives in a military court, Ruiz and his acting comrades were improvising actions and dialogue that amount to nothing more than slander. The movie was filmed prior to the completion of the first Article 32 hearing so there was no review of the facts in the cases before presenting this atrocity of a movie to the public.

Ruiz has his own problem with credibility...

Ruiz was part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but he wasn't there for long. On April 14, 2003, as he and fellow Marines were preparing for a mission to rescue American POWs, an Iraqi vehicle ran a checkpoint he was guarding and wrapped barbed wire around his leg, nearly ripping it apart.

Elliott, who was wounded in the Iraq liberation just moment before his unit made the daring rescue, has briefly returned to his North Philly neighborhood to speak with students at area high schools and to promote his new movie, "Battle For Haditha."

Only problem is, Shoshana Johnson and the other US POWs were rescued on April 13, 2003. According to Ruiz' timeline, he and his fellow Marines were preparing to rescue POWs that were already rescued.

In April 13, 2003, after subsequent house raids conducted by U.S. Marines of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division in the city of Samarra, Johnson was rescued along with six other prisoners of war. They were welcomed as heroes in the United States on April 16 with a cheering crowd of over 3,000 people. The U.S. Army recognized them for courage, valor, and service with several awards.

And he has not always been so supportive of the Marines that he trashes in his acting debut...

Lillian Willoughby, a Deptford Quaker who will turn 90 in January, went to jail Wednesday to protest the war in Iraq. A young Marine from North Philadelphia came to speak with Willoughby. "I wanted to thank her for resisting this war," said Lance Cpl. Elliot Ruiz, 19, who spent 5 1/2 months in Iraq before he was wounded when a car ran a checkpoint he was guarding near Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. "It tore the back of my leg open," said Ruiz, who had two decks of campaign ribbons, including a Purple Heart, on the chest of his blue, full dress uniform.

The movie may be an attempt to convey the reality of being in the middle of the war than the truth but tell that to the 8 Marines and their families. Tell that to those that have mortgaged their homes and their lives to defend themselves from false charges while a hack movie director uses questionable sources as a basis for his movie.

But honestly I don't really care what anyone else thinks of the film apart from the guys I was serving with. I look up to them as other people look up to celebrities, because day to day, they're out there risking their lives. When they come to see a screening on the East Coast, I want to dedicate the film to them.

How about dedicating the movie to the heroes that you took a dump on in your attempt to gather your 15 minutes?

The only other reaction we've had has been the blogs, and that's just a bunch of people who don't really know what is going on. I'm pretty sure that, when they see it, their opinions will change."

Mr. Ruiz - I will put my knowledge of the events of Haditha in November 2005 up against yours any day of the week.

As far as opinions changing, dream on. No one with an ounce of moral integrity would contribute their hard earned money to a movie devoted to perpetuation of a complete and total lie.

Other sources used for this post:
This Is London
Philly Actor Stars in Controversial Iraq Film
Fighting a War - In Real Life and On Film
The Observer - Guardian
The Hollywood Reporter

To see my debunking of the movie, Battle for Haditha - click here.

UPDATE: I just popped over to Mr. Ruiz's My Space Page. This guy is nothing more than a punk with delusions of grandeur. What a crock - all that moral pontificating yet his blog is full of comments using the "n" word and other vulgarities. Enjoy your 15 minutes Ruiz. Your legacy will pale in comparison to that of the Marines you slandered to promote your line of hip-hop clothing.

HADITHA CHARGES DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE!

OK - I know I'm late posting this but my job interfered with my blogging...

GREAT NEWS, huh? LCpl Stephen Tatum is now free and clear of charges in the Haditha incident. The incredible Nat Helms has the News over at NewsMax!

Charges against the veteran Oklahoma infantryman were dismissed Friday morning “with prejudice” by Lt. Gen Samuel Helland, the convening authority and final arbiter in the notorious case. His decision means Tatum is free and clear of further prosecution in the case.

Note the phrase "with prejudice" - that basically means that the damned charges should have never been brought forward! Take that and stuff it up your fat craw Murtha.

Here's what Tatum's attorney had to say...

“Lance Corporal Tatum wants to make it clear to the Marine Corps – especially other Marines - and everyone else that there were no deals in this decision. I have never had a client who would have more preferred to have a trial rather than have the charges dismissed in a deal. He has believed all along he did nothing wrong and was prepared and anxious to stand trial,” Zimmermann said.

No deals - no immunity - nothing but innocence. And if the prosecution is hoping to use Tatum's testimony against Staff Sgt Wuterich, they better keep in mind that THIS Marine passed a polygraph test while some of their "star" witnesses did not.

This snip from Zimmerman boils it all down to a very important point...

“When a junior enlisted Marine finds himself in a firefight and knows his actions are going to be interpreted somewhere else in an air conditioned office six months later it could get him killed,” Zimmermann said. “I wish that he and his family had not been put through this and the decision had been made last summer.”

I look forward to the day when we can watch Fat Jack try to explain his way out of THIS quagmire of his own making. And to Tim McGirk - a big old F*#@ You! Maybe you should go back to Afghanistan and have dinner with your Taliban friends.

IVAW Member Compares Gathering of Eagles to a Common Housefly

I am not a member of the Gathering of Eagles but I do frequent their website and support their counter-protests. The GOE has been subjected to the same threats that I and many others have been subjected to. Despite the apology on the IVAW homepage for the actions/threats of 2 members, Jen Hogg posted an article today on the IVAW website comparing GOE to the common housefly and not worthy of debate. Here's a few snips with my response in red...

In the buildup to IVAW’s Winter Soldier there are many individuals and a few groups who are opposed to the hearings. Their voice is mostly silently broadcast on the internet through their blogs but one group has a different level of desire attempting to confront IVAW. That group is the Gathering of Eagles. Recently I saw them standing in the cold rain in order to protest an event with one IVAW speaker, so if nothing else they have dedication. Yet what does this mean to IVAW?

It means that for a change that claims of war crimes and atrocities are no longer accepted at face value. When claims are made, there are plenty of people to research and fact check the claims and the people making such claims. It means when someone says "Marines went on a rampage at Haditha", they will be called upon to substantiate their claim. Just ask Jason Washburn. Bloggers held him accountable for his statements and he promptly retracted them. If not for the "bloggers", the claims would still be on the IVAW member page.

Could they be the gadfly that Plato wrote of Socrates? Ever pestering in order to debate and incur change? If you have ever met GoE in person you know there is rarely a desire for healthy debate, and a lot of profanity and snatching of signs and photos. One active duty IVAW attempted to speak with them online and was swiftly deleted from their message board.

In light of the incidents with Jon DeWald and Evan Knappenberger, this is pure farce. Ever other word of the vulgar threats were a profanity. Photos of female bloggers were photoshopped with male genitalia. BTW the IVAW member who was banned from the GOE message board was none other than Knappenberger. And so what if he was banned from GOE message boards - it's their community and have the right to ban anyone without being held to public scrutiny.

A gadfly has a bite and buzzes around constantly. They serve purpose to the horse. The GoE have no bite. They have message boards and a new flag they designed. They are more of a fraternity than a gadfly. Their means of operation are following around IVAW and protesting by way of yelling and attempted intimidation...

Where does IVAW stand on disruption of soldier's funerals and telling the grieving parents their son died for a lie? How about getting in the face of police officers while screaming about blood for oil? Defacing the military uniform? Carrying the American Flag upside down? Joining up with the Marxists and Socialists to protest the war and demand freedom for Mumia? From what I've read and seen, GOE does a lot more than just "follow" IVAW around.

It’s one thing to form friendship with people who disagree with you in order to bridge gaps and find common points of agreement that can lead to some positive change. It’s another to be drawn into useless arguments that only drain energy. The GoE have shown a desire to only do the latter. Much like the common housefly they follow us around. If we take the time to swat at them we take time away from meaningful efforts to end the war.

You mean like disrupting military recruiters, encouraging soldiers to refuse and resist, providing aid and comfort to deserters? Those "meaningful" efforts are nothing more than a rehash of the Vietnam War protests instigated by the anti-war protesters from the Vietnam Era.

Most of GoE are not in the service now, and many of their members never served. Most are currently too old to serve. They are not popular among current service members. While some go around looking for photo ops with people they think are important they themselves are on the same side of things we are in regards to real enemies, the birds of prey who profit off this war...

And how many members of IVAW actually served on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan? How many are deserters? How about conscientious objectors? How popular is IVAW among active duty service members? The membership of IVAW is estimated at 800 - less than 1/20th of the total service members that have or are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since IVAW asks for donations from those against the war, doesn't that mean that IVAW is profiting from the war? If there was no war, there would be no IVAW.

One thing that certainly has not changed is the will to oppose injustice and a desire for accountability, two things IVAW proudly stands up to fight for.

Let's see how accountable IVAW is AFTER the "testimony" at Winter Soldier II. Let's see how many of those "I was told" or "I heard" claims stand up to scrutiny. IVAW wants the freedom to speak out - GOE deserves the freedom to respond.

And while we're talking about accountability and responsibility, take a gander at Obiter Dictum's piece on Dahr Jamail, IVAW and Jesse MacBeth. It is a perfect example of the research and dedication of those seeking to prevent the slander against the troops.

Winter Soldier II - Slippery Legal Slope plus Update on Jason Washburn

Nat Helms and David Allender have just posted a piece about the legal ramifications of testifying to "war crimes" at Winter Soldier II...

Lawyers watching the events say the former warriors who participate in Winter Soldier II face a different world than their Vietnam-era counterparts. A new law adopted in 2000 puts them at risk of prosecution by the federal government.

Military attorney Jim Culp called Winter Soldier II the “soul-searching, freedom-losing session in Silver Springs.” Culp says the IVAW member’s desire to “tell the truth” about the war in Iraq carries with it possible heavy consequences because doing so expose the veterans to possible prosecution under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act.

MEJA is the same law used by a civilian federal Grand Jury to indict former Marine Corps Sergeant Jose Nazario with killing an Iraqi prisoner of war more than three years ago. The former Riverside cop, who was abruptly fired, is waiting to go to trial sometime this year.

In another application of MEJA in Kentucky, the federal government used the act to arrest and charge former 101st Airborne Division veteran Steven D. Green with rape and murder. He had been discharged from the Army for a “personality disorder” when the crimes were revealed. Both men will serve long prison terms in federal custody if they are convicted.

Kevin McDermott, the Orange County, California defense lawyer representing Nazario, said the IVAW volunteers are stepping onto a slippery slope. The Act ostensibly applies to crimes committed abroad by civilians that carry at least a one-year prison term, but the federal government now uses it to prosecute former service members as well, he said.

“They could be charged if there was any independent evidence of their crimes,” McDermott said Wednesday.

But not to worry - the Communists at the National Lawyers Guild has the IVAW's back...

In a related note - David Allender was in contact with Jason Washburn this week about Washburn's statements about Haditha Marines going on a rampage and killing civilians. David writes about it here...

Earlier this week Defend Our Marines set out to find Washburn. The disenchanted Marine was unknown to long-term veterans of the Thundering Third. Like Sgt Sanick Dela Cruz, Washburn transferred from the 1/4 to the 3/1 for his third and final tour.

“I was once a Marine, and I'll always be a Marine,” Washburn told us. “I will always defend my brothers and sisters that serve in the military. I would not be a part of Winter Soldier if I thought it was going to do anything to bring harm to them. This is not going to be like the VVAW version of WS. We are not just getting together to talk about ‘war crimes’. The policies being implemented and occupation of Iraq are the crimes.”

We pointed out to Washburn that this was at odds with a statement on his own IVAW profile page. The statement read: “During [my third] tour it was a squad in my unit that went on a rampage after they were hit with an I.E.D. and ended up killing around 26 civilians.” The Justin Sharratt case alone proves that isn't true.

Washburn answered: “I completely forgot about that shit on my profile. I wholeheartedly apologize and retract that statement. I was wrong to put that up.”

By the next day, Washburn had changed the last sentence of his profile to read, “During that tour it was a squad in my unit that was hit with an I.E.D. and while repelling the attack that followed, they incidentally ended up killing around 26 civilians.”

Good on you Jason Washburn. Those of us that have fought for the truth to be published about the Haditha Marines appreciate your willingness to correct your profile.

I know that I speak for many others when I say that the scrutiny will continue as will fact checking of any claims made at WSII. But this was a good start and much appreciated...

Winter Soldier II Preview - "I Poisoned Detainees"

Much has been written about the members of IVAW testifying to atrocities they "witnessed" while in Iraq and Afghanistan next week at the rehash of Winter Soldier. But this member of IVAW has admitted to some serious crimes against Iraqi prisoners, possibly even murder...

Jen, who does not want her last name used for fear of legal action, is nervously contemplating the day a few years back when, as a guard for a U.S. enemy prisoner of war in Iraq, she purposely poisoned two detainees.

"It didn't truly dawn on me until pretty recently that those guys probably died and it's my fault," says Jen, who moved to St. Paul from Racine, Wisconsin, in January.

The small, 125-pound brunette says she broke open the flameless heater from her Army Meals Ready to Eat packet and spliced its magnesium, iron, and salt-based contents into a cigarette, offering the toxic treat to the unwitting prisoners.

"I didn't feel bad at the time because they weren't humans," she says. "To me they were animals. That's how the military works, that's how the military trains people to get stuff done. They desensitize human emotions."

If what she is saying is true, I imagine that even the communists at the National Lawyers' Guild will have some problems keeping Jen out of the courts. But that's not all she "admits" to...

As she patrolled some of the war's first captives at Camp Bucca, a U.S. military holding facility in southern Iraq near the port of Umm Qasr, Jen found herself staring at the men trapped in the barbed-wire makeshift penitentiary and conceiving of ways to hurt them.

Finally the day came when Jen saw her opportunity for revenge. A prisoner who often smiled menacingly at her while masturbating had gotten in a fight with another inmate and was restrained. His hands bound, he lay on his stomach in the sand underneath the hot desert sun. Jen begged her superior to let her push his face in the ground, wiping her female feet on him, a huge insult in his culture.

"It was kept under wraps, but they let me do it," she says softly. "I kicked sand in his face, too, and it felt good."

Then there was the time when the prison brass turned the other way after one prisoner bragged of raping Jessica Lynch. Three men from Jen's unit tied his hands, dragged him off, and beat him until he could hardly stand, she remembers.

"It was pretty bad," Jen says. "He was still walking, but barely.... Our superiors knew what was going on and they just didn't care.... At the time, I didn't care either, I was glad they did that."

So she admits to attempting to poison prisoners and participated in beating detainees? I do believe that's a bit more serious than building a naked detainee pyramid.

And about the "not using her last name"... Someone needs to remind Jen that giving interviews that end up on the Internet is not the way to play the "anonymous" game...

Jennifer Spranger, 23, who was deployed at the beginning of the war with the Military Police to build and guard Camp Bucca, a prison camp for Iraqis, had a similar experience.

"My team leader offered me up to $250 for a hand job. He would always make sure that we were out alone together at the beginning, and he wouldn't stop pressuring me for sex. If somebody did that to my daughter I'd want to kill the guy. But you can't fit in if you make waves about it. You rat somebody out, you're screwed. You're gonna be a loner until they eventually push you out."

Spranger and several other women told me the military climate is so severe on whistle-blowers that even they regarded the women who reported rape as incapable traitors. You have to handle it on your own and shut up, is how they saw it. Only on their return home, with time and distance, did they become outraged at how much sexual persecution of women goes on.

If the claims about detainee abuse are true, then Jen should be held accountable for her actions. If the claims are fabrications, then Jen should be held accountable for her slanderous statements.

It will be interesting to see how the media treats claims such as these - especially since they threw the Haditha Marines under the bus before any charges were filed.

UPDATE:
Seems that 4 MP's were charged with crimes related to detainee abuse in May 2003 at Camp Bucca. The Battalion Commander claimed the abuse was retaliation for the sexual assault of Pvt. Jessica Lynch.

The four MPs were charged with crimes related to punching and kicking several Iraqis -- including breaking one man's nose -- while escorting prisoners to a POW processing center in May 2003.

Family members identified the other three soldiers involved as Staff Sgt. Scott McKenzie, 37; Sgt. Shawna Edmondson, 24; and Spc. Tim Canjar, 21 -- all from Pennsylvania. The four denied any wrongdoing and said the force they used was necessary to subdue unruly prisoners.

Girman, McKenzie and Canjar were fined and discharged from the Army over the abuses at Camp Bucca. Edmondson agreed to an "other-than-honorable" discharge in exchange for dismissal of criminal charges.

Jen claimed it was 3 men who did the beating but it was 2 women and 2 men who were charged and punished. Regardless, these 4 were punished for abusing detainees while denying any wrongdoing. Jen admits to abuse.

There was also this piece done by 60 Minutes back in 2005 that has a video of Camp Bucca from an anonymous female MP. It also relates the story about the detainee who was beaten because of his claims about Jessica Lynch.

Murtha Gets a Pass - For Now

Why those in power keep protecting this old gasbag I'll never know...

A judge has ruled that attorneys for a Marine lieutenant colonel cannot interview Democratic Congressman John Murtha over comments he made about an attack that left 24 Iraqis dead in Haditha. Attorneys for Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani wanted to depose Murtha about his claims that the Marines killed “in cold blood.”

Needless to say, Chessani's lawyers were not pleased and issued this statement...

“This entire prosecution is politically motivated and stinks to high heaven. Denying us the right to take Murtha’s deposition so that we could show undue command influence, as well as denial of our request for production of documents in the possession of Lt. Col. Chessani’s superiors makes it impossible for us to render this loyal Marine officer the effective assistance of counsel he deserves — they are attempting to throw him under the bus. In many ways this is a trial like the one in Alice in Wonderland—the verdict first and then the trial.”

But that doesn't end it - not by any means. Lt Col Chessani's attorneys are going to pursue this angle including some of the "interesting" ties to NCIS, Sec of Navy Winter and Northrop Grumman and how they could have impacted the Haditha investigations. From the same press release...

Congressman Murtha holds significant influence over military appropriations and in the past has boasted he can get the Pentagon to do what he wants.

Murtha is the same person caught on tape negotiating bribes with Arab Sheiks during the FBI’s 1980 Abscam investigation – he was an un-indicted coconspirator in that case. Clearly, the Haditha incident provided ammunition for his well known anti-war stance.

Murtha also has ties to Navy Secretary Donald Winters. Winters had over 65 NCIS investigators assigned to investigate Lt. Col. Chessani and the Marines charged in the case. The NCIS Director claimed that to be the highest number of investigators assigned to an investigation in the history of the NCIS.

Hmmm.... who was it that broke the story of Murtha's connections? Oh yeah - it was me!
Connecting the Dots Between Murtha and the Haditha Prosecutions

Today this little blurb was released by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste and guess what? There's another Murtha/Northrup Grumman deal...

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today responded to congressional complaints about news that the $35 billion air tanker contract to build the country’s next generation of air refueling tankers would be awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. and the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. Members of Congress have reacted angrily to the surprise announcement, claiming that the deal unfairly penalizes the Boeing Company, which was the losing bidder in the deal.

For example, House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) threatened to kill the deal at his hearing yesterday, saying, “All this committee has to do is stop the money, and this program is not going forward.”

“Chairman Murtha’s bravado is typical of members of Congress who load up spending bills with earmarks and think they know better than the Pentagon how to spend the taxpayers’ money. The tanker contract was never considered competitively until the Air Force review, because Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) inserted a no-bid $23 billion leasing deal into the 2002 defense appropriations bill. Fortunately for taxpayers, that deal was scuttled,” said CCAGW President Tom Schatz.

This man has no shame... But then again we've known that for a LONG time.
Hat Tip to Smoothsailing and RedRover!

Unreliable Haditha witness basis for IVAW testimony

One of the great things about blogging is the number of contacts you have that are the BEST resources ever. When I started blogging about Haditha, I was lucky enough to "meet" David Allender who runs the Defend Our Marines website. David has been a stalwart supporter and defender of the Haditha Marines. His website was cited by Frontline after their ROE broadcast. Nat Helms has done some exclusive reporting for Defend our Marines also.

After reading Jason Washburn's claims about Haditha, I contacted David to see if he could recall anything about Washburn in all the testimony. Like me, he was stumped but disgusted that Washburn was citing Sgt Dela Cruz as his source of information. Here is what David has written about Washburn's use of Dela Cruz and the use of Haditha during the Winter Soldier reincarnation... You can read the whole thing over at Defend Our Marines...

How does Washburn know what happened in Haditha? According to the London Times, he heard about it from his good friend, Sgt Sanick Dela Cruz.


Dela Cruz is one of the sleaziest characters to emerge from the Haditha prosecution. And I say that reluctantly. I wanted to believe the best of Dela Cruz and gave him every benefit of the doubt.


But facts are facts. Dela Cruz lied to NCIS agents, then, when he failed a polygraph lied about his first lie. Incredibly, the government offered him immunity, but, thankfully, his testimony has not been believed. An Investigating Officer is on record as saying he could not rely on Dela Cruz for the truth.


So here we go again. Marines will be condemned for Haditha based on rumors and sea stories. After an exhaustive investigation, there is no evidence to support Washburn's claim of "rampaging Marines".

I look forward to hearing more from David about his research and hearing what the IVAW members claim to know about Haditha.

Winter Soldier II - "We Came. We Saw. We Murdered."

The TimesOnline has published a slick piece of propaganda for IVAW's Winter Soldier II - complete with a cover claiming "We Came. We Saw. We Murdered." Despite the lurid cover claim, the article states...

"The veterans are not against the military and seek not to indict it - instead they seek to shine a light on the bigger picture: that the Abu Ghraib prison regime and the Haditha massacre of innocent Iraqis are not isolated incidents perpetrated by "bad seeds" as the military suggest, but evidence of an endemic problem. They will say they were tasked to do terrible things and point the finger up the chain of command, which ignores, diminishes or covers up routine abuse and atrocities."

But how can you claim "not isolated incidents" without slamming the members of the military? If "war crimes" are a pervasive as IVAW claims, then isn't that a reflection on the members of the military? It just doessn't make sense.

And as far as this attempt to use Haditha as a point of focus, the IVAW members should educate themselves about the Haditha investigations and Article 32 hearings before they go spouting off like Jason Washburn did in the article...

"It was a squad in his unit that went on the rampage after their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.... 'The people on the ground are looking at serious prison time. Like life."

There was no Rampage - there was no Massacre. There are 3 Marines that will have their day in court beginning next month for the court-martial hearings. NOT ONE is charged with murder. The hearings provided mounds of evidence that completely debunks the rampage imagery, no matter how many would like it to be otherwise. I actually hope that IVAW attempts to use Haditha as part of their WSII - the facts will show them to be fabricators extraordinare.

It was nice to see that IVAW plans on turning in anyone that fabricates their experience or pretends to be a veteran for prosecution under the Stolen Valor Act. Especially when in the article itself, members of IVAW claim to have photographic evidence of war crimes and atrocities that has not been turned over to the authorities or for that matter, the media. Failure to report war crimes and atrocities is a violation of the law. Thank goodness they will have the Communists from the National Lawyers Guild to watch their back.

The article also mentions the "chartered bus-loads of protesters" that will be there to "confront and harass the 'traitors'". Nice attempt to go ahead and label those against the WSII as harassers and confronters to deflect attention from the fact that many have legitimate complaints about the event. Notice there was no mention of the asshat from IVAW that has threatened every single person that even makes mention of attending WSII - including women.

All in all it looks like it will be the same old thing - claims of "I was told", "I didn't actually witness but heard about it", ad nauseum.

Take Perry O'Brien's story about "someone" that encouraged others in the clinic to touch the heart of the dead Afghan civilian. Inappropriate? Yes. War Crime? No. O'Brien states in the article that he has pictures of this but did not participate in the heart touching. Since this was in 2003, one has to wonder why O'Brien made no mention of this incident in his multitude of interviews in 2005 during the launch of his website Peace-Out. Or why none of the pictures were sent to authorities.

I certainly hope that those testifying at WSII have access to LexisNexus so they can read over their previous interviews and statements to ensure consistency. Unlike the previous version of Winter Soldier, the world of information and history is at our fingertips and those testifying will not get the free pass that their mentors did.

Frontline's "Rules of Engagement" - I Give it a C+

I sat down and watched Frontline's "Rules of Engagement" about the Haditha incident. All things considered, I give it a C+. It was a more accurate presentation of the facts than anything else I've watched. At least it gave the Marines' side of the story. But anything that features interviews with Tim (lying crapweasel) McGirk and Abdul Rahman al-Mashhandi of the Hammurabi Human Rights org automatically loses points in my book.

A couple of things left out of the show that do carry significant weight to the veracity of the claims of McGirk and Hammurabi...

1. The bodies were sent to the morgue by the Marines the day of the incident. The video was made at least 24 hours after the shootings. The bodies were removed from the morgue (and the body bags) and placed back into the homes for maximum propaganda value.

2. McGirk refused to testify at any of the Article 32 hearings about what he reported but willingly sat down for an interview with Frontline?

3. McGirk claimed to have worked with Hammurabi prior to Haditha. Then he should have know that there were only two men in the organization - Abdul Rahman al-Mashhandi and Thaer al Thabit al-Hadithi. Why did Hammurabi wait almost 4 months and then only after McGirk questioned them - to provide the video? And let's not forget that AQI was already using the video for recruiting and propaganda purposes PRIOR to McGirk's viewing. OR that al-Hadithi shopped the video around numerous mainstream media orgs before McGirk took the bait.

4. The attorney and family member, Rysaef (spelling?) gave conflicting accounts of events that day, finally admitting that he was not there but only related what his niece told him.

5. Can't forget about the Reuters connection to Hammurabi and al-Mashhandi either.

Like I said previously - I commend Frontline for putting together a fact based piece about Haditha, even with the ommissions I listed above. The best part was that Murtha came across as the lying tool of pinkness that he truly is.

Pop over to PBS.org and click on the link to "Rules of Engagement". There are additional interviews and documents about Haditha at the link. There is a discussion forum where you can voice your opinions, too. Best of all was a little quiz on the ROE for the Marines. Gives you a newfound respect for the split second decisions our heroes in the Military and Marines go through every single day.

Another View of the Haditha Incident

PBS' Frontline will be airing a piece about the November 2005 Haditha Incident (you know the one Murtha libeled as "cold blooded murder"). The Democracy Project got a preview of the show and graded it a B-...

This coming Tuesday, February 19, PBS’s respected Frontline will air its examination of “what really happened in Haditha,” the show’s introduction saying that’s what we should expect of the program.

The show doesn’t meet that goal, and can be criticized for what it does and doesn’t include, meriting a grade of “B-.” That means, the show is definitely worth watching, and deserves a passing grade.

Necessary to a full understanding of Haditha, none but a very few have read or remember the hundreds of pages of Haditha Article 32 hearings, the hundreds of serious newspaper articles and blog posts examining the unfolding of the known facts, or have personal training and experience in combat. Frontline’s “Rules of Engagement” about the Haditha events may be as close as most will come.

David Allender over at Defend Our Marines interviewed Arun Rath, the producer of "Rules of Engagement". Rath interviewed Justin Sharratt and others involved in the Haditha cases to get at the facts from Haditha.

"Rules of Engagement" was months in the making, and is based on unparalleled access to participants in the cases. Justin Sharratt (the first enlisted man to be exonerated of all charges) sat down for more than three hours of interviews with Rath and his crew. Kilo Company Marines and defense attorneys, free to discuss aspects of their cases that entered the public domain during the Article 32 hearings, were interviewed at length.

The result is a much-anticipated broadcast.

“Initially, we wanted to do a film about civilian casualties in Iraq,” Rath said. “There had been much talk about the battle to win hearts and minds as General Petraeus took command in Iraq, since he literally wrote the book on counterinsurgency and had talked eloquently about the importance of protecting and winning over the civilian population in such a conflict. We thought Haditha would make for an interesting case study to help us understand these issues: in addition to involving civilian deaths, much had been made of the story in the Arab media, and winning the information/PR war is also a big part of winning hearts and minds.

“But as we delved into the story of Haditha, what had happened there alone—and what was made of the story—ended up being so interesting that it, and 3/1 Kilo Company, became the topic of the entire film.”

That last blurb sounds promising but I am skeptical about a non-partisan presentation especially with PBS' history. The fact that PBS actually gives some credence to the Hammarabi Human Rights Organization gives me pause. Especially since the organization has been debunked repeatedly as nothing more than shills for the terrorists in Iraq. Guess any mention of the "infamous" videotape being used as a recruiting tool for Al Qaeda in Iraq is simply wishful thinking. I guess I can forget about there being any mention of the "budding journalist" shopping his video around for 4 months until pro-insurgent McGirk took the bait.

Still I am hopeful that at least some of the truth gets out - that Murtha's claims are once again shown to be the lies of an man desparate for power and attention who sold his soul to the "sisters" in Pink. One thing is for certain - this will certainly counter Nick Broomfield's POS movie "Battle for Haditha" which used Ryan Briones as one of its principal sources of information.

For an indepth look at all things Haditha including Ryan Briones, Hammarabi Human Rights Organization and much more, just type "Haditha" into the search box above. There are over 50 posts about Haditha - all well researched and stocked with facts.

Or pop over to the definitive source for Haditha - Defend Our Marines - who had exclusive access to much of the Haditha investigations and hearings.

Denis weighs in on the IVAW views on Haditha and how they willingly tossed their "brothers" under the humvee while siding with Murtha.

Killer of US Soldiers Called a Hero

After all the finger pointing and claims of cold-blooded murder against the Haditha Marines, I thought I was immune from the disgust at the stories reported by so-called journalists like Dahr Jamail. I was wrong... This one makes the blood boil...

Conflicting versions of the killing have arisen. Col. Hazim al-Juboory, uncle of the attacker Kaissar Saady al-Juboory, told IPS that his nephew at first watched the U.S. soldiers beat up an Iraqi woman. When he asked them to stop, they refused, so he opened fire.

"Kaissar is a professional soldier who revolted against the Americans when they dragged a woman by her hair in a brutal way," Col. Juboory said. "He is a tribal man, and an Arab with honour who would not accept such behaviour. He killed his captain and sergeant knowing that he would be executed."

Others gave IPS a similar account. "I was there when the American captain and his soldiers raided a neighbourhood and started shouting at women to tell them where some men they wanted were," a resident of Mosul, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS on phone. "The women told them they did not know, and their men did not do anything wrong, and started crying in fear."

The witness said the U.S. captain began to shout at his soldiers and the women, and his men then started to grab the women and pull them by their hair. "The soldier we knew later to be Kaissar shouted at the Americans, 'No, No,' but the captain shouted back at the Iraqi soldier," the witness told IPS. "Then the Iraqi soldier shouted, 'Let go of the women you sons of bitches,' and started shooting at them." The soldier, he said, then ran off.

Jamail and his little sock puppet Ali al-Fadhily use the Association of Muslim Scholars as one of their "sources" for this little piece of fiction. I suppose we should just ignore the fact that the AMS is nothing more than a front group for the terrorists and led the charge against US forces in Fallujah.

Notice that the two US soldiers, Capt. Rowdy J. Inman, 38, of Panorama Village, Texas, and Sgt. Benjamin B. Portell, 27, of Bakersfield, Calif., are not even named in Jamail's article. Both of these men were decorated soldiers and had served their country with honor. That is ignored by Jamail also.

Both men were assigned to the 3rd Squadron of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based in Fort Hood, Texas. Capt. Inman had been awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Sgt. Portell the Army Commendation Medal.

Neither one is around to defend themselves from such disgusting claims. Their memory is being trampled by those who have a unquenching desire for US failure in Iraq and will stop at nothing to further their agenda. It is disgusting and completely uncalled for but typical of the spew that Jamail has spred these past 5 years. Capt Inman and Sgt Portell deserve much better. So does the American people...

Another Haditha Marine Sent to Court-Martial - When Will the Madness End?

What a way to ring out the old year and start the new one...

1st Lieutenant Andrew Grayson will face courts-martial for his alleged role in the incident at Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005. Grayson is the third Marine and second officer that is being sent to general court-martial at Camp Pendleton, California. The prosecution in the case is expected to level more criminal charges – including allegations Grayson attempted to fraudulently obtain his discharge from active duty early last summer.

You can read the full article by Nat Helms over at Defend Our Marines...

Lt. Grayson was the last Haditha Marine to go through the Article 32 hearings. Here is the updated status of the Marines now that all the Article 32 decisions have been released...

Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz - charges dismissed April 2007
LCpl Justin Sharratt - charges dismissed 8/8/07
Capt. Randy Stone - charges dismissed 8/9/07
Capt Lucas McConnell - charges dismissed 9/12/07
LCpl Stephen Tatum - referred to court-martial (Article 32 recommendation was dismissal)
SSgt Frank Wuterich - referred to court-martial
LtCol Jeffrey Chessani - referred to court-martial
Lt. Andrew Grayson - referred to court-martial

So Murtha's pals were able to score 50% in their quest to prop up the old wind-bag's cold blooded murder claims... As anyone that has followed the cases of the Haditha Marines knows, this is truly a farce and one of the worst examples of undue command influence ever.

Good News though...

Marine Corps Sergeant Hector A. Salinas (erroneously identified as a murder suspect by the media for his role at Haditha, Iraq but never charged) has been granted testimonial immunity by the general overseeing the investigation of the so-called “massacre” of 24 Iraqi citizens killed that day.

Sgt. Salinas is the lynch-pin to the entire Haditha Case. He was on site and in the middle of the battles. His testimony at the court-martial hearings should put the nail in the coffin of the bogus charges. It's a tragedy that these young Marines and their families are subjected to the stress and expense of this farce.

As always - donations are needed to help defray some of the costs of legal expenses for these Marines and their families. Any little bit will help.

Donate to...
* SSgt. Frank Wuterich
* LCpl Stephen Tatum
* LtCol. Jeffrey Chessani
* Lt Andrew Grayson (earmark a donation at the Military Combat Defense Fund)