Blue Star Chronicles

David Allender at Conservative Thoughts offers a Clear-Eyed View of Haditha.

The media has waged a successful campaign against the Haditha Marines. With hearings on the horizon, the accused have very little public support–even among patriots who should know better.

Nearly a year ago, Congressman Murtha pronounced the Marines guilty, basing his conclusion on pictures in Time magazine. The media ran more Haditha stories, quoting Murtha, who was quoting them, and so a My Lai was made out of nothing.

We did our enemy’s work for them. The pictures, and witness accounts, came directly from the heart of the Iraqi insurgency. Islamic fascists have become experts at Information Operations, and the gathering and coaching of Haditha witnesses was just another deception.

It will all come out in court.

The Haditha incident was not a massacre. Neither is it complicated. When civilian-combatants fight Marines, only civilians and Marines are killed. Insurgents hit and run, taking their dead and wounded, along with their weapons, to regroup for another attack. The lack of dead Iraqis in Haditha clearly labeled “insurgent” is not surprising. And the dead women and children are a tragic consequence of insurgents shooting at Marines from people’s living rooms.

It’s also not surprising that the Corps brought charges. Failure to do so would have resulted in a media and congressional firestorm. There would have been extensive hearings about the military’s fitness to police itself. Heads would have rolled. Easier all round to unleash the NCIS and take the Marines to Article 32s.

Leftists will never be convinced that soldiers and Marines are not all killers. But normal people who have only followed the case through the traditional media are in for a surprise when the hearings begin.

The media’s case against Sgt. Frank Wuterich and his squad avoids the real issue: Rules of Engagement.

Murtha and the media have claimed that the result proves the crime. Not so. ROE does not mean Results of Engagement. The media lynched the Marines over the deaths of women and children. This won’t work in military court. The results of an action may be tragic, but are legally irrelevant when the Rules of Engagement were followed. It can’t be any other way. A serviceman or woman can’t be accountable when proper actions lead to bad results.

David continues with a thorough analysis of the Marines’ engagement that day in Haditha. He adds ….

Murtha and the anti-war media love comparing Haditha to My Lai. And the comparison is instructive. The investigation into My Lai began because conscience-stricken soldiers could not keep silent.

In the Haditha case, the investigation was driven by accusations from our enemy in Iraq and our enemy within. They succeeded in fooling most people. But the truth will come out.

All American citizens are entitled to a presumption of innocence. Citizens who put on uniforms and fight our nation’s wars are entitled to our support.

Read more here.

Thomas More Law Center: Haditha Battalion Commander A Political Scapegoat

ANN ARBOR, MI – It is clear that the Battalion Commander of the Marines charged in the so called “Haditha Massacre” is a political scapegoat of the anti-war efforts led by Congressman John Murtha and Time magazine. This was the conclusion of Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Law Center is assisting military counsel in the defense of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani without charge. Chessani is accused of failing to properly report and investigate the battle that occurred on November 19, 2005 in which 15 Iraqi civilians were killed.

Said Thompson, “This is a media-instigated prosecution, influenced by Iraqi propagandists and inflamed by Congressman Murtha’s outrageous public comments prejudging the guilt of Marines to bolster his anti-war agenda.”

More at Yankeemom
hat tip The Victory Caucus

There was a Party the Marines Spoiled in Haditha.
The Marines Followed the Rules of Engagement in Haditha.