Marine Charged With Murder in Haditha Killings

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Thu Dec 21, 2006 at 06:48:00 PM EST
Tags: Haditha, Marines (all tags)

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Bump and Update: Iraqis want the Marines charged in an Iraqi court. They fear they won't be held accountable in the U.S.

Update: Four Marines have been charged with murder. In all, eight marines have been charged with crimes in the Haditha killings.

Bump and Update: Twelve counts of murder have been filed against Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich who commanded the marine squad near Haditha when 24 people were killed.

Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, who commanded a squad of marines near the town of Haditha in November last year faces 12 individual counts of murder and an additional count for ordering the troops under his charge to "shoot first, ask questions later", the charge sheet released to his attorney, Neil Puckett, said.

The charges do not include premeditated murder, and Sgt Wuterich faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Bump and Update: Charges will be announced at 4:00 pm ET.

The charge most likely will be dereliction of duty.

****** Original Post 12/20/06

Marine Captain to be Charged in Haditha Killings

A lawyer for a U.S. Marine Corps captain says his client, Lucas McConnell, will be charged Thursday in connection with the Haditha killings of 24 civilians in Iraqi.

Another marine may also be charged:

...a second officer, with a Marine intelligence unit that initially investigated and photographed the killings, might also be charged.

We reported on December 5 that five marines would likely be charged.

Background on the Haditha killings is here and here.

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Marine Charged With Murder in Haditha Killings | 6 comments (6 topical)

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Chain of responsibility (none / 0) (#1)
by Edger on Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 11:23:05 AM EST

From the NYT article:

Mr. McDermott suggested that Marine prosecutors would argue that Captain McConnell had provided his men with insufficient training on the rules of engagement, which dictate when lethal force can be used.

Why stop with the Captain? The chain of responsibility and command runs much higher... and ends with the CinC.

But as far as the CinC is concerned, the only... (none / 0) (#2)
by Bill Arnett on Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 12:30:16 PM EST

...thing these men did wrong was to not torture all the witnesses until they were too insane to testify.

NOW he's gotta do another white-washing for he is the Decider.

Hey, Edger.


Morning, Bill (none / 0) (#3)
by Edger on Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 12:35:09 PM EST

Can we crucify Bush now so his followers can start a religion? ;-)


: Hmm, let me place a call to Mel Gibson... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by Bill Arnett on Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 12:45:53 PM EST

Speaking of Mel... (none / 0) (#5)
by bx58 on Thu Dec 21, 2006 at 12:39:00 AM EST

I would like to know exactly what he said on that highway.

Who wasn't pissed off at the Israelis in mid -July when they were pounding Lebanon? And he WAS drunk....

That's a good question for some of you "liberals."

Then again some of you "liberals" could've been jumping up and down and high-fivin each other(like the OJ verdict aftermath) every time an Israeli bomb destroyed some apartment building.

: Off topic+rude+insulting+ rightwing=troll (none / 0) (#6)
by Bill Arnett on Thu Dec 21, 2006 at 12:11:04 PM EST

And in case you don't get it still, it is the rightwing wingnuts that orgasm every time a neocon/Israeli bomb kills innocent women and children, Lebanese or Iraqi, not the liberals, 70% of the country, who want to see an end to wars of aggression.
Or do you not follow elections, read, or have any comprehension of what a liberal is?