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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

More Haditha Leaks to the AP

I don't know who has the problem with flappy jaws and sticky fingers but this has got to STOP! Thomas Watkins of the AP has an article out about the findings from the Hearing Officer for Capt. Randy Stone's Article 32 Hearing. The report has not been officially released yet but the AP just happened to pick up a copy????

In a report obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, McCann wrote that Stone was "derelict in the performance of his duties," and negligently failed to inform his bosses that the way the Iraqis were killed posed a "possible use of force issue."
McCann recommended the new charge be handled administratively. Non-judicial punishments for officers can include forfeiture of pay and an official admonition.


Not only did Watkins get a copy of McCann's report, but he got a copy of Capt Stone's attorney's written response...

Stone's attorney, Charles Gittens, did not return several phone calls seeking comment, but in a written response to McCann, he said the recommendation for a new charge was unfounded.
"It took the investigating officer five pages of tortured reasoning to manufacture this highly implausible theory of criminal liability," Gittens wrote.


This is not the first leak about less than positive reports regarding the Haditha cases and I'm sure it won't be the last. Gen Mattis needs to find the source of the leak and plug it permanently.

Interesting to note that nothing positive gets leaked to the Washington Post or the AP on behalf of the Haditha Marines. Just another example of the rush to judgment and conviction in the press that our Marines have been subjected to.

IT. IS. A. DISGRACE.

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