From the Washington Times

A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder.

Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in “cold blood.” Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify.

Mr. Puckett said such public comments from a congressman via senior Marines amount to “unlawful command influence.” He said potential Marine jurors could be biased by the knowledge that their commandant, the Corps’ top officer, thinks the Haditha Marines are guilty.

“Congressman Murtha will be one of the first witnesses I call to the witness stand,” Mr. Puckett said yesterday.

Mr. Puckett represents Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, an eight-year Marine who was a key participant in the Haditha operations that resulted in the 24 civilian deaths.

The attorney said Sgt. Wuterich, 26, the married father of two daughters, led the squad of Kilo Company that mounted the four major combat actions on Nov. 19 that resulted in 23 deaths at a traffic stop and in three houses. The 24th Iraqi was killed while fleeing a home by a rooftop-stationed Marine or Marines, Mr. Puckett said.

The attorney said his client strongly rejects accusations in the press from Haditha residents that Marines lined up some of the civilians and executed them. Mr. Puckett said Sgt. Wuterich maintains that such an incident never occurred, and that Marines followed proper procedures in clearing the three houses.

“What’s being reported out there, it seems an awful lot of it is inaccurate,” Mr. Puckett said. He said his client, stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., has been promoted to platoon leader and is not under confinement.

“How would you feel to be falsely accused of killing innocent people,” the attorney said. “He was angered and hurt by it because he doesn’t understand how the public could think he and his Marines could do such a thing.”

Eight senior House members and senators were briefed at the same time Murtha was. No one but them knows what they were told. Why is Murtha the only one running his mouth to international media outlets about our Marines being ‘cold blooded’ killers?

A spokesman for Mr. Murtha did not return a message yesterday seeking comment.

The investigation into this incident is expected to be completed in August and a decision will be made as to whether or not to bring charges against the Marines who have been accused.

“But since Congressman Murtha has already judged these guys in public and folks have alleged a Marine Corp cover-up, I’m afraid that the Marine Corps will feel compelled to put these guys on trial to prove the Marine Corps hasn’t done anything wrong in terms of a cover-up.”

Do you remember the party the Marines broke up in Haditha? This is what Murtha and his cronies are complaining that the Marines interferred with.

The U.S. command in Baghdad had sent Marines on a “persistent presence” mission to pacify the area for Dec. 15 parliamentary elections. Lima Company, an Ohio Reserve unit that Kilo Marines replaced, suffered high fatality rates while patrolling Haditha.

Are the Marines not supposed to defend themselves? What does the country want them to do? Would we prefer that they follow Murtha’s mandate and wait until they are shot and sure the person shooting them means to kill them before they shoot back?

Here’s what the Marines say happened:

That Saturday, Marine units were under attack at various points in Haditha when an improvised explosive device (IED) took out one of the vehicles in Sgt. Wuterich’s patrol. The blast killed Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, a popular member of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment.

Mr. Puckett gave this version of events based on his discussions with Sgt. Wuterich:

After the blast, the Marines set up a defensive perimeter, and called in a quick-reaction force to find out who had placed and remotely detonated the IED.

A car appeared with five Iraqi men inside. Marines, in Arabic, ordered them to halt. The five exited the car. Rather than heed the orders, the men started to run. Sgt. Wuterich and other Marines opened fire, killing the Iraqis. Marines at the time considered Iraqis running after an attack and disobeying orders as confirmation of hostile intent, Mr. Puckett said. He said that sometime after Jan. 1, commanders no longer permitted such a response.

They can’t respond to someone not responding to a command. Even the police in an American city can consider that hostile intent! For crying out loud!!! This is taking political correctness TOO FAR!

There’s more:

Next, a shot was fired from a home near the perimeter. Someone in the squad recommended clearing the homes along that block. Sgt. Wuterich agreed and gained permission from a second lieutenant platoon leader, who did not take part in the raids.

The Marines then fired grenades to “prep” the first house and went in. All rooms were empty, except one, from where Marines heard “rustling.” A Marine, not Sgt. Wuterich, tossed in a grenade and then opened fire, killing all in the room.

The Marines then entered a second house, encountered Iraqis and killed them.

“They’re chasing the insurgents who were shooting at them,” Mr. Puckett said.

Hours later, they decided to raid a third house based on suspicious behavior. The first Marine to enter spotted four men inside, one holding an AK-47. The Marine’s M-16 jammed. He pulled out a 9mm pistol and killed all four.

Sgt. Wuterich, before counting all the bodies, radioed the battalion command and reported that 12 to 15 Iraqis were killed by Marines after the IED attack. He said there was “collateral damage,” military speak for civilian deaths.

“My client did nothing contrary to his training on that day,” Mr. Puckett said. “Some [of those killed] were innocent. Others, you will never know whether they were innocent civilians or not.”

The next day, the 2nd Marine Division released a statement that 15 Iraqis were killed by an IED and firefight. The statement was inaccurate. An Army general is investigating whether it was part of a broad cover-up.

Can you just imagine what would have happened if our fathers had been expected to fight the Nazis and Japanese like this in World War II?

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