Convicting the Haditha Marines Without a Trial - Part 2 Tim Harper

I’ve exposed Newsweek’s Evan Thomas and Scott Johnson for the enemy propagandists they are regarding the Haditha Marines. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The list of those that convicted the Haditha Marines without the benefit of a trial is as long the list of Murtha’s earmarks and pork. It wasn’t just the mainstream media that dumped on the Marines – the usual suspects from the anti-war bottomfeeders got in their digs too.

Next up on the hit parade is Tim Harper from the Toronto Star. In “Blinded by Hate in Haditha” dated 6/3/06, Harper resorted to Murtha-isms to explain the actions of the Marines – “they just snapped”.

“Maybe they just snapped that day in Haditha, going from home to home firing at unarmed women, children, an old man in a wheelchair, then five youths who happened on the scene until, their vengeance finally sated, they began an elaborate cover up that endured against all odds for almost three months.”

Gee – sounds like Harper watched too many Oliver Stone movies. You have to give him credit for the imagery – “vengeance finally sated”. Describing the Marines like a bunch of blood thirsty gangbangers seeking justice for one of their own. But Harper was simply repeating the propaganda spewed from the terrorists in Haditha.

The reality is the Marines did their job in Haditha. It was tragic and unfortunate but a fact of a war fought against cowards that use women and children in place of Kevlar. The Marines followed the rules of engagement that were drilled into them prior to arriving in Haditha. The slide shows and presentations used to teach the ROE to the Marines were part of the evidence in LCpl Stephen Tatum’s Article 32 Hearing. It was this information that was instrumental in the IO’s decision in the hearing.

“The government counsel argued that positive identification of occupants of the room was required under the rules of engagement. Such a theory, requiring positive identification before engaging targets in a room that you hear an AK-47 racking within a home that is declared hostile, would appear to be a rewrite of the rules of engagement and is clearly contrary to the training and experiences of the witnesses that testified. The government did not present even one witness that testified that positive identification under such circumstances is required before employing deadly force.”

Harper was not content to simply convict the Marines on his own. He threw in an Iraq vet for good measure. Jon Soltz (last seen berating a soldier at the Daily Kos convention) couldn’t resist a few Murtha-isms of his own…

“After 12-18 months over there, you can crack. In Iraq, everyone is a killer. No matter how much training you have, after that length of time in that atmosphere you can’t train someone not to crack.”

If I was in a generous mood I would give Soltz the benefit of the doubt on his “In Iraq, everyone is a killer” statement. But his history of trashing the military and serving on the presidential campaign of John “Genghis Khan” Kerry leads me to believe he was not speaking about insurgents milling about among civilians.

Finally Harper tossed in a big old falsehood for good measure…

“A military probe has already concluded those involved on the ground lied to superiors and those superiors did not really study the report of the incident to look for any holes.”

That’s strange. The March 3, 2006 report by Col Gregory Watt had no such findings about Haditha.

Findings:

There are no indications that Coalition Forces intentionally targeted, engaged and killed non-combatants.

There are clear indications that throughout the Marines' response to the insurgent attack that they attempted to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

The amount of force used was proportional and provided overmatch in order to insure mission accomplishment of the task at hand without putting Marines at risk.

Coalition Forces did provide adequate medical care for non-coalition forces casualties when the situation permitted.

Overall, there are indications that positive identification was conducted, in order to, determine with reasonable certainty that the target demonstrated hostile intent and/or hostile action toward the Marines prior to engagement.

Indications are that insurgents fought from homes occupied by non-combatants and used these homes for cover and concealment.

Mr. Harper may want to check his anonymous sources and leakers for credibility.

Based on the results of the Article 32 Hearings, Tim Harper scored a big fat ZERO on the non-partisan journalist meter with his reporting about Haditha. So Tim Harper, the Haditha Marines and their families are waiting for an apology…

**This is Part 2 of a multi-post series exposing those that refused to give the Marines in Haditha the benefit of the doubt**

Previous Posts:
They Convicted the Haditha Marines Without a Trial - Part I Newsweek

A Marine Father Speaks But Is Anyone Listening?

I have followed the case of the Haditha Marines ever since the day John Murtha spewed his "cold blooded murder" slander. I have researched the events and the so-called witnesses reported by our lamestream media. I have no doubt - NO DOUBT - that these brave young men are innocent of charges of murder. War is Hell and bloody - to play political correct appeasers just doesn't cut it when you are fighting for your lives.

I continue to marvel at the pre-judgment of these Marines. Not one trial - not one confession but to hear the media the young men have been tried and convicted. Any time there is a claim of deliberate targeting of civilians in Iraq, you can count on the media to throw in a paragraph or two about Haditha. Haditha has been placed in the same category as Abu Ghraib.

Sympathy abounds for the "witnesses" in Haditha while ignoring the residents' worship of Zarqawi. You don't hear reports of the multiple IED's buried underneath the pavement in Haditha without one resident seeing or hearing a thing. The media chooses to use reporters that have themselves been detained by the US Military for connections to insurgents. If this was not so damn sad and damaging to these young men, the whole thing would be funny.

One of the fathers of a Haditha Marine is speaking out. L/Cpl Justin Sharratt has been charged with 3 counts of premeditated murder. Darryl and Jackie Sharratt stand by their son, as well they should. Just this past week, Darryl wrote an article titled "Justin Sharratt - My Son". I'll share a bit with you...

I am the father of L/Cpl Justin Sharratt. On August 16, 2003 the dreams of a little boy became reality. My son Justin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school graduation. Since the age of six, Justin dreamed of a military career. The combat boots, camouflage fatigues and helmet he wore as a child would soon become his uniform of the day as a United States Marine. To serve and protect the United States of America from all enemies both domestic and foreign; a duty he did not take lightly....
(snip)

A U.S. Congressman has called these Marines murderers. Time magazine has enlisted the propaganda of foreign journalists to sell its political agenda. Iraqi civilians have been schooled in making false statements. An Iraqi girl missed a day of school because she was afraid the bomb blast would injure her. Interesting reading, but I truly believe the American people can see through this barrage of media conjecture. I ask you not to prejudge my son, not to prejudge these Marines. They have served this country with honor, truth and diligence. I say unto you. the Few, the Proud, the Marines………..
(snip)

"All of these men are innocent of these charges. In the aftermath of 9-11, these men have risen to honorably serve their country. Some have given a lifetime of dedicated service, others were just beginning. They have demonstrated to the world there is “No better friend, No worse enemy” than a U.S. Marine. For now, the handshakes will be tighter, the hugs will be longer and the tears sliding down my face are not a sign of weakness- they affirm a father’s love for his Marine son."

The very same media that has convicted the Marines in the court of public opinion has a problem with airing the views of this Marine Father. Several dedicated FReepers have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to inform the public about the unreported side of Haditha. Many of us bloggers have written story after story about Haditha. But we just don't have a wide enough audience. The public deserves to hear from Mr. Sharratt. Instead we get more of Murtha and his "slow bleed" of treason. There are two sides to this story but only one is getting told.

We spoke up in unison and got an apology from Alan Colmes. We can do it again to get Justin's story told. Speak up - Spread the word. It's the least we can do for the Marines charged in the Haditha incident and their families.

You can read more about Justin Sharratt here. Make sure you pop over to the donation page while you are there. To read more about the Haditha Incident and other related articles, go to Defend our Marines.

Related Chickenhawk Express Posts:
A Haditha Marine Father Has a Question for Alan Colmes
Colmes Claims Murtha Was Right About Haditha Marines
Another Haditha "Witness" With Problems
Defense Fund for the Haditha Marines
The Reuters Connection to Haditha
About Those Haditha Residents Demanding Justice...
Throwing the Marines Under the Bus
Traitors in Our Midst
Murtha Spews More Briefing Info and Code Pink Talking Points
Briones, Murtha and Even More Questions
Time Magazine, Murtha and the Taxi Driver Incident in Haditha
Haditha - Al Qaeda Uses Video for Recruiting; Times Reporters Never Visited Haditha
TIME Touts Terrorists Use of Haditha Article for Recruiting
Thank Goodness Someone Is Reading the Info
ACLU Wants to Review Haditha Docs
The Tangled Web of Haditha Reports
THIS is the Problem in Iraq

They Convicted the Haditha Marines Without a Trial - Part I Newsweek

In May 2006 Americans were stunned to hear a sitting member of Congress proclaim that members of Kilo Company 3/1 Marines were guilty of “cold blooded murder”. Many Americans withheld judgment remembering the so-called slam dunk case against 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, who had all charges dropped against him.

The media, on the other hand, sensed the proverbial blood in the water. Not content to let the investigations and hearings run their natural course, the media tried and convicted the Marines in the court of public opinion. Even some conservative bloggers tossed the Marines under the bus – only to do an about face when the truth started bubbling to the surface. True to their “knee jerk believe anything bad about the US military” tendencies, the far left was willing to forego its anti-death penalty mindset and wanted to hang the accused Marines for war crimes.

I was one of the bloggers that refused to believe that our Marines were guilty. Some call that naïve or claim I was blinded by my support for the war in Iraq. I call it unwilling to believe the worst and an extreme desire to think for myself. I researched and read anything and everything I could find about Haditha. My research only reinforced my belief in the innocence of the Marines. I saved all of the articles and blog posts in a Haditha file. I wanted all the damning statements and innuendo easily accessible when the Marines were cleared of wrongdoing. I knew in my heart the time would come. And now it has.

Two of the three Marines charged with murder in the Haditha incident have been exonerated by the Investigating Officer in their Article 32 Hearings. Gen. Mattis agreed with the dismissal of charges against LCpl Justin Sharratt. The IO recommendation for LCpl Stephen Tatum was delivered to Gen Mattis this week. The Article 32 Hearing for Sgt Frank Wuterich, the only other Marine charged with murder, is scheduled to begin next week. Capt Randy Stone, charged with dereliction of duty, also had all charges dismissed by Gen. Mattis.

The media has been somewhat low-key when reporting on the dismissal of charges. At least in comparison to their coverage of the initial reports and the charges. This coupled with the silence from those who relished the opportunity to play judge and jury, is why I am throwing down the gauntlet. I am going to expose each and every person who tried the Haditha Marines without the benefit of knowing the facts. The arm-chair judges will have their statements and claims exposed as the ranting of partisans who would sacrifice their integrity for a chance to undermine the Marines and their service in Iraq. And even worse, serving as agents of propaganda for the very enemy our Marines are fighting in the war on terror.

Some may claim the stories were written with the best information available at the time. Some may say I'm guilty of playing Monday Morning Quarterback. I challenge those excuses - the stories could have been written without pointing the finger of blame at the Marines. But they wouldn't have been so lurid and attention grabbing.

I am going to skip the obvious terrorist enablers – Tim McGirk, TIME and John Murtha. Their actions and statements were so heinous that they deserve an article all to themselves. So let’s get the ball rolling and start demanding retractions and apologies. Let's put the shoe on the other foot and point the finger at the media for a change...

Evan Thomas and Scott Johnson
Haditha, Iraq: Probing a Bloodbath
Newsweek
June 12, 2006

Claim: “…the young Marines were worn out. This was their third tour in Iraq in three years… The Marine grunts of Kilo Company had been trained to kill, not to practice ‘counterinsurgency’, whatever that meant.”

Fact: Lucian Read, a freelance photographer who was imbedded with Kilo Company for 5 months called the Marines “the most human of the numerous units he was embedded with”. This is what Read had to say in the TIME article, The Ghosts of Haditha…

“They were never abusive,” he said. “There was a certain amount of antagonism and frustration when people didn’t cooperate. But it’s not like they had KILL ‘EM ALL spray-painted on the walls”. Most of Kilo’s members had at least one Iraqi tour under their belt, Read noted; several had two and one was working on his third."

The NC Times reported this statement from Read in December 2006…

"It's real easy to come to like and feel for these guys," Read said of the Camp Pendleton company from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. "I would invite any of them to have lunch at my grandmother's on Sunday."

In their own article, Johnson and Thomas had this from Lucian Read…

"Their morale wasn't bad, it was more fatalistic; this is the grunts-get-screwed-every-time," he said. "They were not happy, not pleased, but not angry, either," Read said. "Nothing they ever did or said even hinted at this kind of event. I never saw it coming. No one saw it coming."

CNN Reporter, Arwa Damon spent time with Kilo Company …

"I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn't fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don't know. But they didn't."

"And I was with them in Haditha, a month before the alleged killings last November of some 24 Iraqi civilians."

Antonio Castaneda, an Associated Press reporter, also spent time with Kilo Company in Haditha. This is how he described the Marines…

"The Marines I observed were sharp, thoroughly searching homes as they swarmed Haditha's streets. Their commanders gave thoughtful responses to my questions. The unit fired only a few shots as it retook the city in just a couple of days."

"I spent about 10 days with the battalion, including three to four days with Kilo Company, when the Marines transformed a commandeered school into their headquarters. I remember talking to Marines on foot patrols, stopping to interview them as they nailed up fliers urging Iraqis to vote in the constitutional referendum."

Claim: “One of those houses was owned by Jamal Ayed Ahmed, 40, a used car salesman. He was there with his three brothers, a policeman, a local bureaucrat and a college student. “The Americans came and asked Jamal, ‘Erhab? Erhab? [terrorism? Terrorism?] and he said ‘no’ recalled Jamal’s wife, Asmaa, who was interviewed on videotape by a human rights investigator hired by Newsweek to help report. The Marines demanded to know ‘do you have any weapons?’ The brothers produced two ak-47s, one with five bullets inside."

“The scene apparently became chaotic. One of the women in the house was pushing frantically on a door to one of the rooms; the Americans tried to get the women to stop screaming. Shots rang out and the Americans left. The four brothers were found dead in a small room.”

Fact: The scenario published by Johnson and Thomas is almost identical to the version of events presented by the Government at LCpl Justin Sharratt’s Article 32 Hearing. According to Lt Col Paul Ware’s report…

“The government version is unsupported by independent evidence and while each statement has within it corroboration, several factors together reduces the credibility of such statements to incredible. In addition, the statements of the Iraqis are unclear, contradictory in part and simply state self-interested conclusions as to what occurred within house 4. Finally to believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary and sets a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, my encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq.”

Another interesting tidbit is Asmaa was not identified as one of the witnesses in Sharratt’s article 32 hearing. A female identified as Asmaa was named as one of the victims in House #1 according to testimony from LCpl Stephen Tatum’s hearing.

Claim: “The Americans were soon shooting at Hiba’s door. They entered and started rounding up family members. Hiba heard two shots, then her mother in law saying “Oh my God”. There were more shots and Rashid cried out ‘they killed my mother’. Hiba tried to hush her husband and heard an American soldier say to her father in law ‘you, you’. They shot him in the chest as he tried to stand, recalled Hiba, crying as she spoke into the camera. The soldiers were laughing and saying ‘ok’ and ‘good’ as they counted the bodies. Hiba says she saw her mother in law lying on the ground, with her hands raised in the air. The American soldiers, she says, shot the woman as she lay there.”

Fact: According to Lt Col Paul Ware’s report from LCpl Stephen Tatum’s article 32 hearing, there was no rounding up of family members. House 1 was designated as “hostile” after the Marines received fire from the vicinity of the house. Khamisa Tuema Ali was shot and killed in the hallway by the stairs. Guhid Hasan was killed inside a room to the right of the hallway when he made a movement toward the closet. After hearing the sound of an AK-47 being racked in a room to their left, two grenades were tossed into the room. Only one grenade exploded and the Marines fired into the room.

In fact, Ware determined the evidence demonstrated that LCpl Tatum followed the rules of engagement in house 1.

“…in a troops in contact situation, or if a house is declared hostile because you received fire from the direction of the house or while inside a structure you hear a sound that you honestly and reasonably believe is an indication that a weapon is being prepared, that is positive identification of a hostile act and/or intent and no specific individualized positive identification is required within the room while employing deadly force to clear the room.”

According to the interview of Eman Waleed Abd Al Hameed, who was injured in house 1, “her Aunt Hiba picked up her sister Asia and ran out of the room when a grenade exploded.” If Aunt Hiba ran out of the room when the grenade exploded, how did she see the events she related in the article?

Claim: "When the Marines entered Safa Younis’ home that morning, she fled with her mother into a bathroom. A soldier followed them, shooting she says. When the soldiers left, Safa tried to talk to her mother but she was covered with blood."

Fact: In the interview presented at LCpl Stephen Tatum’s hearing, Safa Younis placed the family in one of the bedrooms – “The grenade caused them all to move to the back part of the room near the bed.” Safa also stated that she “dived to the corner between the wall and bed” when the shooting began.

Claim: “There were problems in Kilo Company with drugs, alcohol, hazing, you name it” said the woman (the wife of a staff sergeant in the 3/1 battalion). “I think it’s more than possible that these guys were totally tweaked out on speed or something when they shot those civilians in Haditha.”

Fact: The eyewitness reports from impartial reporters embedded with Kilo Company contradicts this inflammatory and defaming statement from an anonymous source. There has not been one shred of evidence presented during the Article 32 Hearings to suggest such as far-fetched claim. General Mattis said it best when he dismissed the charges against LCpl Sharratt…

“Operational, moral and legal imperatives demand that we Marines stay true to our own standards and maintain compliance with the law of war in this morally bruising environment. With the dismissal of these charges you may fairly conclude that you did your best to live up to the standards, followed by US fighting men throughout our many wars, in the face of life or death decisions made by you in a matter of seconds in combat.”

Claim: “It is possible that Kilo company was determined to ‘leave a calling card’, which is to say, to warn Haditha that IEDs would be met with heavy retribution. It’s an old and primitive counterinsurgency tactic.”

Fact: One of the prime tactics of terrorists is to use civilians as a cover for their attacks and then blame deaths from the response on those initially targeted. It is a “terrorist calling card” and quite an old tactic. Gen Mattis recognized this and commented on it in his statement dismissing the charges against LCpl Sharratt…

"LCpl Sharratt has served as a Marine infantryman in Iraq where our Nation is fighting a shadowy enemy who hides among the innocent people, does not comply with any aspect of the law of war, and routinely targets and intentionally draws fire toward civilians.

In their attempt to cast guilt on the Marines at Haditha, Johnson and Thomas chose to ignore this well known and well documented fact.

Claim: “Haditha may turn out to be the worst massacre since My Lai. And Iraqis may be entirely justified in their outrage.”

Fact: Despite attempts by many media sources and Jack Murtha to paint the Haditha incident as another My Lai, the testimony and decisions from the Article 32 Hearings completely debunks the insinuation. The only outrage should be directed at those that convicted the Marines without knowing even a modicum of the facts and it should come from Americans who support the Marines. As Gen Mattis so eloquently stated in his statement to LCpl Justin Sharratt…

"And as you have always remained cloaked in the presumption of innocence, with this dismissal of charges, you remain in the eyes of the law – and in my eyes – innocent."

Unfortunately for the Kilo Company Marines, Evan Thomas and Scott Johnson embraced the enemy propaganda fed to them by questionable sources and repeated it as truth. The very same rights that many on the Left demand for terrorist detainees were withheld from the Haditha Marines. Once the trumpet of accusations is blared, it cannot be silenced. It hangs in the air forever despite facts presented to the contrary.

The Haditha Marines will forever have the specter of massacre hanging over their heads in part due to the efforts of the writers such as Thomas and Johnson. The Marines deserve, at the very least, a public apology from those that denied them their basic rights. We’re all waiting…

**This is Part 1 on a multi-post series exposing those that convicted the Haditha Marines without any evidence**

They Can't Admit They Were Wrong About Haditha

The media is still harping on the “Haditha Massacre”. It is not enough that these young men were subjected to an extreme case of presumption of guilt without a trial. It is not enough that Murtha pronounced the Marines “cold blooded murderers” and accused those in command of a cover up. Despite the FACT that 3 Article 32 hearings have ended in dismissal of charges, the media refuses to admit they were wrong about Haditha.

Paul von Zielbauer launched the latest salvo against the heroes in today’s NY Times. The level of ignorance and hubris exhibited by Mr. von Zielbauer surpasses that of Mike Nifong. The article “Marines’ Trials in Iraq Killings Are Withering” is a disgusting smorgasbord of lies and distortions.

When the charges were filed against the Haditha Marines I was overwhelmed with disbelief. So many inconsistencies and “witnesses” with backgrounds steeped in terrorist enabling yet the NCIS still felt charges were necessary. Once my anger died down I realized that the hearings were probably for the best. It would get the facts out in the open. Once the charges were dismissed the media would not be able to claim the incident was covered up by a complicit military.

Apparently I was wrong. Mr. von Zielbauer is not willing to let a little thing like exoneration and dismissal of charges get in the way of his preconceived notions of guilt. There was no rampage. There was no massacre. There was no cold-blooded vengeance.

According to Lt Col Paul Ware’s report from LCpl Stephen Tatum’s hearing…

“LCpl Tatum shot and killed people in houses 1 and 2, but the reason he did so was because of his training and the circumstances he was placed in, not to exact revenge and commit murder.”

Lt Col Ware had this to say in his report from LCpl Justin Sharratt’s hearing…

“Whether this was a brave act of combat against the enemy or tragedy of misperception born out of conducting combat with an enemy that hides among innocents, LCpl Sharratt’s actions were in accord with the rules of engagement and use of force.”

Lt Col Ware had a front row seat during the hearings. He read all of the statements and saw all the evidence. Why would anyone take the word of a self-serving partisan media hack over the Lt. Col?

Prosecuting the Haditha cases was difficult but not for the reason von Zielbauer listed. It’s because the cases were without merit. Inconsistent witness testimony was the norm. (The witnesses could not even get their statements to the media consistent prior to the hearings). Prosecution witnesses changed their stories more than a new mom changes her baby’s diaper (not to mention the failed lie detector tests). NCIS agents approached their investigation with preconceived notions of guilt. Sloppy investigative work was done by NCIS agents including a failure to follow up on evidence linking some of the victims to insurgents. Virtual autopsies and forensics by photo were far from compelling. There was no reason for charges to be filed other than to satisfy the desire to discredit the US military and the war effort.

There is a reason that prosecutors were not able to prove that the killings violated the Americans military code of justice. It’s because the killings did not violate any code of justice, whether it be military or civilian. Not because of some deep dark military conspiracy. These Marines went to Hell and back for this country. They were in situations that only nightmares are made of. They deserve our respect and our thanks. Instead the media continues to point the finger of blame at the heroes while making excuses for those that would rather see us all dead.

General Mattis said the following in his statement to LCpl Sharratt upon dismissal of the charges…

"With the dismissal of these charges LCpl Sharratt may fairly conclude that he did his best to live up to the standards, followed by U.S. fighting men throughout our many wars, in the face of life or death decisions made in a matter of seconds in combat. And as he has always remained cloaked in the presumption of innocence, with this dismissal of charges, he remains in the eyes of the law – and in my eyes – innocent."

What part of that don’t you understand Mr. von Zielbauer?

Others blogging...
This Ain't Hell - NY Times; punish those Haditha Marines even if they’re innocent
Hang Right Politics - ONLY ONE MARINE LEFT TO BE PROSECUTED IN THE “HADITHA” INCIDENT. ALL OTHERS EXHONERATED.
Protein Wisdom - The Big Picture(s): Haditha Addendum
Papa Mike's Blog - Murtha And The NY Times Finds Haditha Marines Guilty?
Wizbang - Haditha prosecution crumbling?

Previous Posts...
The Haditha - My Lai Lie - Part 4 of the Haditha Series
Betrayal: IVAW and the Haditha Marines - Part 3 in the Haditha Series
Convicting the Haditha Marines Without a Trial - Part 2 Tim HarperThey Convicted the Haditha Marines Without a Trial - Part I Newsweek

For More on Haditha - enter "Haditha" into Search

More Haditha Reports & How the Left REALLY Feels About the Troops

Here we go again - the Washington Post has published another report about the Haditha incident while the accused Marines have yet to even have a trial. To add insult to injury, Josh White and Company used a misleading headline that leaves one with a false impression.

The title of the article is "Report On Haditha Condemns Marines - Signs of Misconduct Were Ignored, U.S. General Says". But reading the article you get quite another impression of what the Bargewell Report says...

"Though Bargewell found no specific coverup, he concluded that there also was no interest at any level in investigating allegations of a massacre."

"All levels of command tended to view civilian casualties, even in significant numbers, as routine and as the natural and intended result of insurgent tactics," Bargewell wrote. He condemned that approach because it could desensitize Marines to the welfare of noncombatants. "Statements made by the chain of command during interviews for this investigation, taken as a whole, suggest that Iraqi civilian lives are not as important as U.S. lives, their deaths are just the cost of doing business, and that the Marines need to get 'the job done' no matter what it takes."

While the headline screams "Haditha Marines are Guilty", the Bargewell report was focused solely on the reactions/responses of the Marine Corps command - not the incident.

Bargewell's report, now unclassified, focuses on the reporting of the incident and the training and command climate within the Marine Corps leadership; it does not address the actual incident in detail."

The WaPo then gives the reason that this report had no business being published in the media...

"Though Bargewell completed his secret report in June 2006, it has not been publicly released because of ongoing criminal investigations of three Marines on murder allegations and four Marine officers who allegedly failed to look into the case."

And as if that wasn't bad enough, take a gander at some of the responses from the WaPo readers.

Yet the perpetrators continue to insist that “commanders on the ground” are making the decisions, because they don’t have the courage or decency to take responsibility themselves

I bet this is just the tip of the iceburg. Do yourself a favor, and spend some time talking to an Iraq war veteran today.

It is true that most soliders do not have the moral courage to avoid committing atrocities, but it still is not an excuse

In Irak, your beloved are killing civilians without any punishment. But when it cames to a similar event at Virginia University, no one knows how this could happen...

There is no honor in Killing innocent People whether Your a Marine or President Bush.

Why is any one surprised that soldiers in Iraq should have so little respect for the lives of other human being.

But...these are Christian soldiers--right?

Just wait till these Gung Ho killers come back to the states. How many dead girlfriends, parents, wives, or people who just pissed off these cavalier killers will we have? The Marines are our SS.

Filling their quotas with ex convicts and reformed? drug addicts!! Expect more trouble......

I see a direct parallel between these killings and the recent killings on the VT campus. You have out-of-control young people, who *snap* under certain circumstances.

Screw democracy. The real mission is `kill them all and let our Christian God sort them out!` Semper fi, dude!

Our military is filled with low IQ volunteers whose only chance at success was to join the military. If they hadnt, many would have ended up in jail or prison anyway. Wait til they get back.

Baby killers!

Disgraceful and reprehensible comments about a dishonest media report. Typical Iraq reporting... But don't forget - they support the troops.

More Chickenhawk Express Posts about Haditha:
Another cBS Hit Piece From 60 Minutes -UPDATED
Why Haditha?
Haditha Today
Another Haditha Marine Family Speaks
A Marine Father Speaks But Is Anyone Listening?
A Haditha Marine Father Has a Question for Alan Colmes
Colmes Claims Murtha Was Right About Haditha Marines
Another Haditha "Witness" With Problems
Defense Fund for the Haditha Marines
The Reuters Connection to Haditha
About Those Haditha Residents Demanding Justice...
Throwing the Marines Under the Bus
Traitors in Our Midst
Murtha Spews More Briefing Info and Code Pink Talking Points
Briones, Murtha and Even More Questions
Time Magazine, Murtha and the Taxi Driver Incident in Haditha
Haditha - Al Qaeda Uses Video for Recruiting; Times Reporters Never Visited Haditha
TIME Touts Terrorists Use of Haditha Article for Recruiting
Thank Goodness Someone Is Reading the Info
ACLU Wants to Review Haditha Docs
The Tangled Web of Haditha Reports
THIS is the Problem in Iraq

Betrayal: IVAW and the Haditha Marines - Part 3 in the Haditha Series

We’ve gotten used to the media taking potshots at the military. It has become a regular day to day occurrence. Reports from Iraq reveal that our soldiers are too busy doing their jobs to pay much attention to the blathering from the armchair generals in the media - thank goodness. But when the knife in your back is thrown by your “brothers”, it has got to hurt. John Murtha, the ex-Marine, threw the first knife but he was certainly not the last.

The Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) wasted little time tossing the Haditha Marines under the Humvee. The IVAW sent out press releases instead of daggers. The statements from the IVAW Press Release made it into many of the “Haditha Massacre” articles on the Internet. And trashing the Haditha Marines wasn't enough for these guys - they couldn't resist damning the entire US Military. More proof of just how much the IVAW supports the troops.

Joel Wendland at Political Affairs used the IVAW statement to get in his digs against the Marines…

“For some Iraq war veterans, however, the Haditha massacre is not isolated. In a statement released to the press this week, Iraq war veteran and former sniper who served at the siege of Fallujah, Garrett Reppenhagen said ‘There were massacres by ones and twos all over Iraq.”

It must have felt like Christmas in Cambodia to the IVAW - a chance to get in a few anti-military digs while trashing the Marines. Typical of the IVAW – claim massacres but don’t offer up any facts to back them up. Despite knowing about all these “massacres”, the IVAW members never reported the claims to the higher ups. They waited to get back on US soil and told their sorry tales at Ramsey Clark’s fake hearings.

“Reppenhagen also stated, ‘There were a lot of reasons that lead to events like this but the thing you can’t get away from is that if these troops were not in Iraq, this wouldn’t be happening.”

Opps – looks like the “Bush’s Fault” pink slip is showing. When you can’t counter with facts, toss in some “Bush lied” coupled with a sprinkling of BDS and you’ve got a perfect mixture of tinfoil hattedness.

But why should we expect anything but hatred for the President and the war from Reppenhagen. After all in the article “Tin Soldiers” from December 2006, Reppenhagen made several confessions…

“No one knew who was slapping stickers all over US military bases in Iraq. Large yellow labels that read “Bush Lies, Who Dies” began turning up in barracks, recreation centers and dining halls in August 2004.”

“Reppenhagen learned from an Iraqi how to write an Arabic translation of a common swearword followed by “Bush”. He memorized it, taught Jeff Englehart, and the two furtively drew the phrase with white paint pens on the back of Humvees.”

Wow – nothing like undermining the war effort while you are actually serving in the war zone. I’m sure the insurgents appreciated Reppenhagen’s efforts.

But I digress.

Wendland continued…

“Former Navy corpsman Charlie Anderson, who accompanied Marines during the initial invasion, added that US Marines typically responded to shots with overwhelming force even in populated areas. ‘How big a step is it really from shooting up a village from 100 meters away and shooting a family in its home?’ he wondered.

Anderson is an expert in “massacres”. In September 2006 he claimed to have witnessed the “murdering of thousands of Iraqis” during the invasion and the expansion of American control of Iraq. And those that gave the ultimate sacrifice – Anderson’s brothers in arms? According to Anderson it was for nothing except to line the pockets of Bechtel and Halliburton. Or as he said of a Marine killed in action…

“It’s meaningless because the war is not fought for our national security… His life was laid not on the altar of freedom but on the altar of corporate greed and the military industrial complex.”

Sounds like someone picked up the talking points from the Socialist Party website before THAT interview.

Over at Global Research, Coral Wynter and Jim McIlroy also reported on the IVAW statement in the article, “US Soldiers: Iraq Massacre Not Exception.” Wynter and McIlroy included the following statement from the IVAW in their Marine bash-a-thon…

“The statement said that foreign troops ‘cannot simultaneously be empathetic to a population and be obliged to control that same population by pointing guns at them, breaking into their homes, turning them into collateral damage and taking vengeance on them out of the inevitable frustration of fighting an urban counter-insurgency.”

In other words – our soldiers are the terrorists out to try to satisfy some bloodlust.Does anyone else feel like we’ve stepped back in time to the Winter Soldier investigation?

Not content to simply issue a group statement, many members of IVAW struck out on their own with condemnation for the Haditha Marines. Here’s a sample. Notice the overuse of Murtha-isms and excessive bouts of BDS in the statements.

Charlie Anderson:
“What followed by all accounts was a blood bath.”

Yes it was a blood bath - brought on by terrorists attacking the Marines and then hiding among the women and children.

“Their actions were the result of conditioning on both the training field and the battlefield.”

Thank God for the training and conditioning of the Haditha Marines. If not for Kilo Company, who knows if Fallujah would have ever been cleared. The training they received literally saved their lives - in Fallujah and Haditha.

“It taught them they had to kill first if they wanted to survive. When they felt attacked and enraged at the death of their friend, they like ‘snapped’ and went on a rampage and if found guilty may pay with their lives.”

The only thing that "snapped" is Anderson's connection to the reality of war.

Anderson couldn't resist getting a few shots at the President and his administration...

“They failed to evaluate the situation in Iraq before committing troops to an unconventional war where the enemy is elusive and often not defined.”

Hold on now - here comes the obligatory comparison of Haditha to My Lai...

“In short, they did everything within their power to ensure that the physical and mental strain on these troops would be immense. At best this administration and this Congress can be considered un-indicted co-conspirators in what has been termed the My Lai of the Iraq War.”

Garrett Reppenhagen:
“In these circumstances you would be surprised at how any normal human being can see their morals degenerate so they can do these things.”

The Marines at Haditha were doing their jobs in a kill or be killed situation. As far as moral degenerates, take a look in the mirror and pose the question to the reflection you see.

Joseph Hatcher:
“I have a problem understanding how something like this could happen. There’s no rationale for how the soldiers acted. I very much appreciate what Murtha is doing.”

Yeah well most of us have a problem understanding how anyone could appreciate Murtha's slander. Anyone that admires the way Murtha denigrated the Marines in Haditha is obviously divorced from reality.

Michael Blake:
"I was never in such a situation, but several people in my unit were and they were told that if a bomb goes off, you shoot up the landscape at anything that moves."

Have you ever noticed how those claiming war crimes were committed never actually witnessed the events, they just heard about them from someone else (who is always anonymous)

Pathetic does not even come close to describing this group of ex-soldiers. The last time there was this level of betrayal of brothers in arms was during Vietnam. But what do you expect from a group that gets their marching orders from David Cortright and others that made their bones years ago by slandering the soldiers in Vietnam.

These men tour the country wearing their defaced uniforms calling on others in the military to go AWOL or refuse to fight. They claim to support the troops but their statements about Haditha and those fighting in Iraq prove otherwise. Like their comrade Murtha they are not worthy to lick the boots of the Haditha Marines. And like their good buddy Murtha, they owe the Haditha Marines a public apology.

**This is Part 3 of a multi-post series exposing those that played judge and jury against the Marines in Haditha**

The REAL Haditha

Since no one in the media will show what Haditha is really like, I will do my part to educate the public. I have been searching all over the 'Net for stories and pics about Haditha prior to the sexed-up incident (and I didn't use Google once!)

In this picture provided by the U.S. Army, Lance Cpl. Jeffery Wilson from 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, and soldiers of the Iraqi Security Forces take cover on the streets in Haditha, Iraq while in search of insurgents on Tuesday, Oct. 4 2005.




5th CAG cares for Haditha Hospital’s wounds June 05, 2005
"During Operation New Market, which began on the night of May 23, the main objective of the CAG team, led by Maj. Matthew D. Chisholm, Team 4 leader, was to assess recent damages done to Haditha Hospital. The hospital was damaged earlier in the month when insurgents occupied the building. The team also wanted to talk to the staff to see how the hospital was functioning and ask locals their opinions about personal care."

"Damage to the one-story hospital occurred when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was driven into an outside wall during a firefight with Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. Only the service wing, kitchen, laundry, storage room and private patient ward sustained severe fire damage and no civilian casualties occurred. "The insurgents came in and took over [the hospital]," said a doctor working there. "We didn’t want them here but they came anyway."

Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)Story Identification #: 20056142413Story by Cpl. Christi Prickett

Bomb kills 14 Marines in Iraq August 3, 2005
The U.S. military said that 14 Marines were killed in a roadside bomb attack in north-western Iraq, while an American freelancer reporter was found dead in the southern city of Basra.
The bomb went off near a Marine amphibious assault vehicle as it was traveling south of Haditha, a city on the Euphrates river about 200 km northwest of Baghdad.
A civilian translator was also killed in the blast. One Marine was injured.

On Monday, six Marines were killed in clashes with fighters in Haditha, while a car bomb blast in the nearby town of Hit killed a seventh Marine.





Vehicle upended next to a police station with an explosion in Haditha, July-15, in which killed 10 more as the anti-US crusade swells in Iraq.






This article from CNN is EXTREMELY INTERESTING in several respects.
First it was filed by Arwa Damon - the CNN reporter that defended the Kilo Co. Marines. Second, the article includes a statement by Capt. James Kimber, commander of India Co. This is the Capt that the media has portrayed as part of the "Haditha Massacre". Notice that it plainly states that he was with India Company - the Marines involved in the current investigation were with Kilo Company.
Lastly and more importantly, it is proof of the tactics of the insurgents in Haditha and the civilian complicity with the attacks against the soldiers. PLEASE click the link to read the entire article!!

Marines find insurgency's deadly tools in Haditha - October 7, 2005
"US Marines and members of Iraqi Special Forces on Thursday uncovered a sizable weapons cache hidden in a shrine and yard adjacent to a mosque in east-central Haditha... and continued to uncover deadly buried roadside bombs. The city itself is almost literally an improvised explosive device (IED) field."

"...the route in front of the mosque was being swept for mines when the unit was hit by an IED... Discovered a second IED with a detonation cord leading to the mosque... The unit hit by the IED reported seeing a male fleeing from the scene." (this is a little over a month prior to the incident currently under investigation. Remember the "innocent males" in the taxi who ran from the Kilo Co. soldiers??)

"...From two large blue plastic tubs Marines pulled out explosives including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), bomb-making materials and grenades. Hidden underneath the crumbling rubble of the graveyard and the rock filled garden surrounding the shrine, Marines found 16 155mm artillery shells, about half of which were already rigged with detonation cord. Buried in the catacombs of the shrine, they found more RPG rounds, RPGs and AK-47 assault rifles."

"It takes two to three hours to bury one of these IEDs" one Marine said. 'There is no way that they have not seen anything if we found two of these IEDs in front of the mosque and found this weapons cache here."

"...most of the IEDs found in Haditha were buried underneath the pavement. Insurgents have come up with ways to tap into the local power supply to keep the batteries on the detonators charged. Typically, Marines have been finding suspicious wires protruding from the asphalt throught the city. Buried underneath are usually two to four 155mm rounds and sometimes propane tanks." (propane tanks exploded in one of the houses during the Haditha incident - see Time Magazine story in my previous post.)





Cache ... US troops found these weapons in a Sunni mosque in Haditha, Iraq, by following trigger wires from a blast site.






Bani Dahir Mosque Weapons Cache Uncovered December 30, 2005
"Yesterday, while conducting clearing operations at Bani Dahir, near Haditha, Iraqi Army soldiers and Marines found a weapons cache in the mosque courtyard. In terms of quantity, compared to other finds, the cache was small."
The article even includes a powerpoint slide show of the weapons uncovered - including explosives in soda cans, cell phone chargers, etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury - I rest my case. There is no freaking way that the "civilians" killed were just innocents getting dressed for work and school. If not responsible for detonating the bombs, they HAD to be aware of the presence of the bombs. Remember the 9 year old girl (that wants the Marine executed), reported that "she knew the bomb was going to go off and covered her ears."

Our Marines are being portrayed as murderers while the true murderers and those aiding and abetting them are portrayed as innocent civilians. I call BS on this. Damn you Murtha.

Other Must Reads....
Sweetness & Light - AP Runs MyLai Photo for Haditha News
Red Hot Cuppa Politics - Exhumation of Haditha Bodies Refused
Right Wing NutHouse - HADITHA AND THE PRESS: PLEASE RECYCLE - IT WILL HELP WITH THE (ANTI) WAR EFFORT!
Atlas Shrugs - Haditha
Michelle Malkin - UK TIMES SMEARS OUR MARINES (UPDATED WITH RESPONSE)
Living in the Past - A service member writes about Haditha.
SoCal Pundit - Haditha Survivor Knew of IED, Plugged Ears
The Cassandra Page - UK Times lies about Haditha photo
Marvin's Word - My Letter to the Times of London
Media Lies - More outrageous coverage....
The Ninth State - Deliberate Smear or Honest Mistake?

The REAL Haditha - Reposted from June 2006

In light of the travesty of justice committed against the Marines, I am reposting a piece about the REAL Haditha that I did back in June 2006. I can promise you the MSM will only present Haditha as a "restive" paradise prior to our Marines barging in...

*****************************************

The REAL Haditha
Since no one in the media will show what Haditha is really like, I will do my part to educate the public. I have been searching all over the 'Net for stories and pics about Haditha prior to the sexed-up incident (and I didn't use Google once!)

In this picture provided by the U.S. Army, Lance Cpl. Jeffery Wilson from 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, and soldiers of the Iraqi Security Forces take cover on the streets in Haditha, Iraq while in search of insurgents on Tuesday, Oct. 4 2005.

5th CAG cares for Haditha Hospital’s wounds June 05, 2005"During Operation New Market, which began on the night of May 23, the main objective of the CAG team, led by Maj. Matthew D. Chisholm, Team 4 leader, was to assess recent damages done to Haditha Hospital. The hospital was damaged earlier in the month when insurgents occupied the building. The team also wanted to talk to the staff to see how the hospital was functioning and ask locals their opinions about personal care."

"Damage to the one-story hospital occurred when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was driven into an outside wall during a firefight with Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. Only the service wing, kitchen, laundry, storage room and private patient ward sustained severe fire damage and no civilian casualties occurred. "The insurgents came in and took over [the hospital]," said a doctor working there. "We didn’t want them here but they came anyway."

Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)Story Identification #: 20056142413Story by Cpl. Christi Prickett

Bomb kills 14 Marines in Iraq August 3, 2005The U.S. military said that 14 Marines were killed in a roadside bomb attack in north-western Iraq, while an American freelancer reporter was found dead in the southern city of Basra.The bomb went off near a Marine amphibious assault vehicle as it was traveling south of Haditha, a city on the Euphrates river about 200 km northwest of Baghdad.A civilian translator was also killed in the blast.

One Marine was injured.On Monday, six Marines were killed in clashes with fighters in Haditha, while a car bomb blast in the nearby town of Hit killed a seventh Marine.

Vehicle upended next to a police station with an explosion in Haditha, July-15, in which killed 10 more as the anti-US crusade swells in Iraq.

This article from CNN is EXTREMELY INTERESTING in several respects.First it was filed by Arwa Damon - the CNN reporter that defended the Kilo Co. Marines. Second, the article includes a statement by Capt. James Kimber, commander of India Co. This is the Capt that the media has portrayed as part of the "Haditha Massacre". Notice that it plainly states that he was with India Company - the Marines involved in the current investigation were with Kilo Company.Lastly and more importantly, it is proof of the tactics of the insurgents in Haditha and the civilian complicity with the attacks against the soldiers. PLEASE click the link to read the entire article!!

Marines find insurgency's deadly tools in Haditha - October 7, 2005"US Marines and members of Iraqi Special Forces on Thursday uncovered a sizable weapons cache hidden in a shrine and yard adjacent to a mosque in east-central Haditha... and continued to uncover deadly buried roadside bombs. The city itself is almost literally an improvised explosive device (IED) field."

..."the route in front of the mosque was being swept for mines when the unit was hit by an IED... Discovered a second IED with a detonation cord leading to the mosque... The unit hit by the IED reported seeing a male fleeing from the scene." (this is a little over a month prior to the incident currently under investigation. Remember the "innocent males" in the taxi who ran from the Kilo Co. soldiers??)"

...From two large blue plastic tubs Marines pulled out explosives including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), bomb-making materials and grenades. Hidden underneath the crumbling rubble of the graveyard and the rock filled garden surrounding the shrine, Marines found 16 155mm artillery shells, about half of which were already rigged with detonation cord. Buried in the catacombs of the shrine, they found more RPG rounds, RPGs and AK-47 assault rifles."

"It takes two to three hours to bury one of these IEDs" one Marine said. 'There is no way that they have not seen anything if we found two of these IEDs in front of the mosque and found this weapons cache here."

"...most of the IEDs found in Haditha were buried underneath the pavement. Insurgents have come up with ways to tap into the local power supply to keep the batteries on the detonators charged. Typically, Marines have been finding suspicious wires protruding from the asphalt throught the city. Buried underneath are usually two to four 155mm rounds and sometimes propane tanks." (propane tanks exploded in one of the houses during the Haditha incident - see Time Magazine story in my previous post.)

Cache ... US troops found these weapons in a Sunni mosque in Haditha, Iraq, by following trigger wires from a blast site.

Bani Dahir Mosque Weapons Cache Uncovered December 30, 2005"Yesterday, while conducting clearing operations at Bani Dahir, near Haditha, Iraqi Army soldiers and Marines found a weapons cache in the mosque courtyard. In terms of quantity, compared to other finds, the cache was small."

The article even includes a powerpoint slide show of the weapons uncovered - including explosives in soda cans, cell phone chargers, etc.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury - I rest my case. There is no freaking way that the "civilians" killed were just innocents getting dressed for work and school. If not responsible for detonating the bombs, they HAD to be aware of the presence of the bombs. Remember the 9 year old girl (that wants the Marine executed), reported that "she knew the bomb was going to go off and covered her ears."

Our Marines are being portrayed as murderers while the true murderers and those aiding and abetting them are portrayed as innocent civilians. I call BS on this. Damn you Murtha.

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...

Debunking the Movie, Battle for Haditha

One of the favs at the Toronto Film Festival is the disgusting movie, Battle for Haditha, by Nick Broomfield. Reviewers are marveling at the "dramatization" and lauding the performances. BUT NOT ONE has questioned the events as depicted in this tripe of a movie. To rub salt in the backstabbing wounds, former Marines portray the real Haditha Marines to add realism to this piece of fiction.

You know you're a hit with the anti-war, anti-American, anti-military crowd when you get a review on the World Socialist website. The only good thing about the WSWS review is David Walsh spilling the beans about some of the scenes in the movie (because I refuse to pay my hard earned money to this purveyor of terrorist propaganda). So let's see how accurately reconstructed the events at Haditha were...

Battle for Haditha begins with one marine musing out loud, “I don’t why I’m here,” and expressions of alienation and demoralization continue throughout. “The marine corps don’t care, the country doesn’t care,” we hear. The individual marine has to learn to “act like a machine.” The Iraqis are “ragheads.” The marines chant, “Train, train, train, to kill, kill, kill.” They are indoctrinated to suspect and fear everyone: “This is a hostile environment.” Women and children, they’re told, are capable of carrying bombs.

Wow - sounds like the talking points from the IVAW and War Resisters League. There is no documentation or testimony to support this claim.

We see an Iraqi man carrying a shovel over his shoulder. Someone claims he could be on his way to planting an IED; permission is granted, the man is blown to bits.

An outright lie. There are no reports of such an event occurring in Haditha. This is an obvious attempt to throw in some of the claims from the Pendleton 8 hearings.

Meanwhile, Corporal Ramirez (Elliot Ruiz) is having nightmares and can’t sleep. He asks to see someone, a doctor. He’s told: not until your tour of duty is over. He explains he’s having bad dreams about the things he’s seen. Again: no doctor till your tour of duty’s finished.

Again a lie - not one of the Kilo Company Marines has testified or admitted to having an issue such as this. No MD reports, nothing. This is another one of those IVAW talking points.

It’s Ramirez who will lead the enraged attack on defenseless men, women and children when one of his favorites in the unit is blown up in a Humvee... After the IED goes off under the convoy, killing the one marine, a higher-up is consulted. His comment—“Take whatever action is necessary. I don’t want any more marines killed”—unleashes the atrocity.

It's obvious that Corporal Ramirez is supposed to be Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich. Not one single Marines or even the NCIS has made the claim of any such statement from a "higher up".

Ramirez and his marines have already pulled a group of Iraqi men from a taxi stopped nearby and executed them.

There is no confirmation that the white car was a "taxi" other than the journalism student nee terrorist sympathizer. Drone video and still photos prove that the men were attempting to flee the scene.

After the initial killings, in one of the most horrifying sequences, marine snipers laugh and joke as they pick off a man running through a field.

Another bald-faced lie. No one was gunned down while running through a field. The Marines in Haditha were fighting for their lives so I doubt laughing and joking was part of their day. They also watched one of their own blown up right in front of their eyes. The claim of Marines laughing was included in one of the Iraqis debunked testimony.

Broomfield claims to have used Marines involved in the Haditha incident for research into the events. He did not use any of the Marines charged - their lawyers would make sure of that. So who did they use? Walsh gives us a clue while he gushes over Broomfield...

Broomfield took great pains to represent the Haditha events accurately. Twelve of the performers playing US marines in his film are ex-marines. He also managed to speak to some of the marines involved in the Haditha incident.

The main marine character we focus on was this guy called Ramirez. The night he got back from Iraq he broke into a truck and basically had post-traumatic stress and ended up driving into a house. He was best friends with the guy who was killed by the bomb, and then had the job of writing numbers on the dead people’s heads and photographing them. They were extremely tough and had seen a lot of action.

Well that certainly narrows it down. Broomfield used Cpl Roel Ryan Briones as his main source for the "facts". Except Briones doesn't know what happened at Haditha. He even admitted it...

Shortly after 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, Briones, who received a Purple Heart during a previous tour in Iraq that included fierce fighting in Fallouja, said his team of five men was called to respond to a roadside bomb explosion about 300 yards outside Kilo Company's Firm Base Sparta, located in an abandoned school.

But Briones said he didn't see any of this.

"It was such a blur. Smoky and smelled like an explosion," Briones said. "I only saw T.J. because he was right there. I practically walked into him."

He said his team evacuated two other soldiers in Terrazas' unit who were wounded in the explosion, including one, whom he identified as Lance Cpl. James Crossan of Washington state, who was pinned under the wreckage.

Briones also reported that he was sent back to the scene to help remove bodies and take photos with his personal camera. And it is worth noting that Briones has not been called to testify at any of the Article 32 Hearings so his role at Haditha was obviously miniscule and of little consequence.

Yet Briones didn't come forward with his story until after he got into a bit of a legal bind and tried to use Haditha as an excuse for his bad behavior...

A marine who followed orders to photograph corpses after an alleged massacre by US forces in the Iraqi town of Haditha claims post-traumatic stress from the war drove him to commit felonies while on leave, his mother said.

Lance Cpl Roel Ryan Briones, 21, is accused of stealing a truck and crashing it into a house while he was on leave in April.

He was charged on Friday with felony auto theft, hit-and-run and drunken driving, according to Kings County District Attorney Ronald Calhoun.

But that's not all Briones has been up to since leaving Iraq...

Lance Cpl. Roel Ryan Briones, 22, was charged by the military last week. He is accused of raping a nonmilitary person in the Camp Pendleton area last year and of stealing optical equipment worth about $3,820 in Iraq.

Briones is also charged with wrongfully trying to mail two guns from Iraq.

The Marine's father, Roel Briones, told The Fresno Bee he believes his son is being treated unfairly by the military for speaking out.

And THIS was Broomfield's source for the story. How ironic that Briones made himself the leader in the tall tale. A young man who can't take responsibility for his own actions is perfectly willing to throw his "brothers" under the wheels without a second thought.

Funny thing - the Haditha Marines are being exonerated while this little worm is looking at at least 3 years in prison - and that's just for the drunk truck incident.

But that's not all... It gets uglier...

A Haditha Marine Father Has a Question for Alan Colmes

I am still fuming about Alan Colmes' claims of convictions and confessions from the Haditha Marines. Below is a copy of an email that David Allender at Defend Our Marines has put together to send to FoxNews and Alan Colmes...

February 11, 2007
On the February 9th broadcast of Hannity & Colmes, Alan Colmes made an outrageous and poisonous statement that was not corrected on air. Speaking to Oliver North, Colmes supported Congressman John Murtha's ugly lie that, "no question about it", Marines in Haditha had "killed innocent civilians in cold blood". Defending the indefensible, Colmes said there have been "confessions and convictions" in the Haditha Marine case.

Now Darryl Sharratt, the father of a Haditha Marine has a question:
"I would like to ask Alan Colmes where he got his information. There have been no convictions. There have been no confessions."

On the February 10th broadcast of Kit Jarrell's The Front Line, Mr. Sharratt stated, "Evidently, he is not doing the esearch to be on national television. He comes out in front of millions of people and makes this statement and it is 100% wrong."

So what now, Fox News?
If Mr. Colmes' false assertion continues to be left uncorrected, Fox News will contribute to a tainted jury pool, cause additional pain to the families, and mislead supporters and potential donors to the Haditha Marine defense funds. Through his statement, Mr. Colmes has reached millions of people with the message that guilt has already been established.

Fox News and Alan Colmes must make amends...
1. Fox News owes its viewers the opportunity to hear from Darryl Sharratt or other Haditha Marine family members to set the record straight. None of the Haditha Marines have yet faced a hearing. Anything that is known about the case or the investigation has been leaked by the prosecutors and politicians. The media has been complicit in this and it must stop now.

2. Alan Colmes owes the Marines and their families an apology. I suggest he make in the form of a contribution to any of the Haditha Marine Defense Funds. (For Mr. Colmes' convenience, all the information he needs about fund donations is here.)

These are fair requests to make of a news channel long supported by patriots. Now it's up to Alan Colmes and Fox News.

David Allender
Defend Our Marines

PS. If you have a blog or post online at military websites, please help spread the word. Initial e-mail responses from Alan Colmes were not encouraging. We will keep you posted.

Feel free to use this email as a guide to writing your own. We CANNOT let this go by without a correction...

While I'm on the subject of the Haditha Marines, there is a site set up for donations to the Pendleton 8 and/or the Haditha Marines. Pop over to the Marine Defense Fund and do what you can. They need and deserve our help.

You can also visit Defending Freedom and order one of these bracelets. 100% of the money goes to the Marine Defense Fund.

Some Inconvenient Facts About the Haditha Incident - UPDATED

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It started in November 2005. It became a political witch-hunt after Time’s Tim McGirk plastered the media with half-truths, suspect statements from “eyewitnesses” and a great deal of hearsay. It exploded into an anti-war talking point once John Murtha called it “cold blooded murder” and compared it to My Lai. The media and the anti-war crowd were salivating at the thought of US Marines convicted of murder. It did not occur to them that the Marines deserved the benefit of the doubt – you know, innocent until proven guilty.

The Article 32 Hearing for LCpl Justin Sharratt wrapped up Friday June 15. This was the third hearing for the seven Marines charged in the incident at Haditha in November 2005. Now that there is sworn testimony out in public (not just cherry picked leaked information), the media seems to have lost interest in the story. Other than the NC Times, most media outlets pick up abbreviated versions of the wire stories. Murtha is suddenly silent. Time does not have time for coverage. This means that a great deal of evidence has not been disseminated to the wide audience that was bombarded with premature claims of cold-blooded murder.

So doing the job the media fails to do, here are some of the facts from the Haditha cases.

Did you know that the Article 32 Hearing officer, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, stated "What the evidence points to is that the version of the Iraqis isn't really supported” during the closing of LCpl Justin Sharratt’s hearing?

Did you know that the wounds of the four “civilians” in the last house came from at least 2 feet away, which negates the claims of “execution style”?

Did you know that the witnesses who claimed the four young men were herded into a closet and shot were not even in the home during the firefight?

Did you know that the four “innocent civilians” attempted to kill the Marines with AK-47’s and were stopped only by the quick response of LCpl Sharratt and Sgt. Wuterich?

Did you know that aerial drones filmed the events that occurred on that fateful day in Haditha?

Did you know that footage from a drone shows an insurgent leaving a home carrying a child and attempting to blend in only to be discovered by the Marines due to a bloody ear?

Did you know that intelligence reports prior to November 19 2005 indicated an ambush was planned for that day and a white car would figure prominently in the attack?

Did you know that Lt. William Kallop ordered Sgt. Wuterich to “clear a group of building” south of the bomb crater after arriving on the scene in Haditha?

Did you know that the Armory Officer for Kilo Co received two AK-47s at the ambush site along with a suitcase that contained a million Iraqi dinars and Jordanian passports?

Did you know that Lt. Col Chessani has reported everything he knew about the incident o his superior officers and none called for an investigation?

Did you know that LCpl Justin Sharratt passed a polygraph exam, which was included in the NCIS report but not reported with any of the more lurid leaked information?

Did you know that the Battalion Intelligence Officer’s after action report included photographic evidence, logs of all the day’s radio transmissions and a narrative of the day’s events?

Did you know that the after-action report including a PowerPoint presentation were sent up the command ladder to all the higher officers and not one recommended further investigation?

Did you know that NCIS did no background research on any of the “civilians” killed in Haditha other than checking an insurgent database for the names?

Did you know that NCIS investigators spent approximately 1 hour interviewing the “witnesses” due to the extreme level of violence in Haditha?

Did you know that the “budding journalism student” responsible for the video at the root of the investigation was known to be part of the anti-government, anti-American Sunni insurgent sympathizers inhabiting Haditha a year prior to November 19, 2005?

Of course you didn’t know about any of the above facts. Instead, the media has focused on the Marine who testified that he urinated on the dead body of an Iraqi. They have reported the claims of photos showing powder burns without ever examining the bodies. The media would rather tell you about wounds to the head and equate them to execution style killings.

Seven Marines and their families have been subjected to poison arrows thrown by the media, blowhard politicians and the anti-war crowd. Their finances have been depleted & their lives a constant turmoil… All because of a political agenda that can only survive by plying the public with massive doses of propaganda. What did these Marines do to deserve such an injustice? They served their country in a time of war and defended their lives in a kill or be killed situation. The only thing cold-blooded and out of control in this whole Haditha incident has been the attempt to score political points by those pointing fingers at the Marines. But don’t count on any of that to be reported in the media.

Published at OpinionEditorials.com 6/18/07

UPDATE 1: 6/18/07 2200
As those that have followed Chickenhawk Express since it opened know, there was another article I wrote that was a "Did you know" about Iraq reconstruction. The article was excerpted and sent out as an email that ended up forwarded everywhere. It even made the NYT and the AP.

In the same vein, one way we can make sure the word gets out about Haditha and the harassment of the Marines is to take the above article, turn it into an email and forward the hell outta it. Since it's my article, you have my permission to use it as you see fit. The key is GET THE WORD OUT! Since the media and even the talk radio guys don't seem to be interested. I've already sent it to my Senators and Congressmen.

ALSO BLOGGING ABOUT HADITHA:
MacsMind - Media malpractice on Haditha
Gateway Pundit - Murtha About To Get Pummeled By the Haditha Truth
California Conservative - The CoverUp Unravels
PoliPundit - “Haditha case officer doubts prosecution claims of execution”
Conservative Thoughts - Young Marines on Trial, Older Marines Say Enough! (**great idea to get the word out in this post)
Freedom of Philadephia - Haditha Marines get closer to redemption
The Democracy Project - Latest Haditha Prosecution Implosion
The Baltimore Reporter - Haditha Truth Massacred by the Media