Are the Marines quietly admitting to guilt re: massacre at Haditha?

[Roland99]

Thanks to Career Prole for this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x884293


Corps sacks three commanders
Battalion under investigation in deaths of 15 Iraqi civilians
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1674097.php

Three officers — including an infantry battalion commander and two of his company commanders — were fired April 7 for “lack of confidence,” a Corps spokesman said. Relieved were Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who commanded the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines; India Company commander Capt. James Kimber; and Kilo Company commander Capt. Luke McConnell, said 2nd Lt. Lawton King, a spokesman for 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton.

Officials previously have confirmed that Chessani’s battalion was under investigation for an alleged Nov. 19 rampage by the battalion’s Kilo Company Marines in the Iraqi city of Haditha that left 15 civilians dead, including seven women and three children.

The civilian deaths occurred after a roadside bomb killed one of 3/1’s Marines during a combat patrol.

The decision to relieve the three officers was made by Maj. Gen. Richard Natonski, 1st Marine Division commander, “due to lack of confidence in their leadership abilities stemming from their performance during a recent deployment to Iraq,” King said.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Hmm.. relieved of command, but no courts martial?

[hwmnbn]

2. I think so .....

being relieved of your command effectively ends your military career. The Marines relieved 3 officers. That seems like some of the higher ups were pretty pissed. I can only guess why.

Their unit went berserk and killed women and children in indiscriminate retribution for the death of a fellow marine. The evidence was documented on video-tape. The Iraqis in that area are very angry making it more dangerous for the new marine replacements.

This was a bad situation which got out of control. Marines are supposed to be a highly disciplined unit. These officers let down the Corp.

[Roland99]

3. And they'll do their best to keep it quiet.

[WhiteTara]

4. too late! It's on the internets! n/t

[Roland99]

5. It's need to be all over the M$M, though.

[WhiteTara]

9. soon my friend, soon.

they can't help themselves. Like moths to a flame they will add to the flare of light on the evil darkness of this regime.

[Catrina]

6. Since there's no discipline at the top it's no surprise that this kind of

thing is happening.

I don't know how this is continuing ~ a whole family wiped out! And there was a report of another similar tragedy involving another family ~ I wonder how much we don't know.

Poor people ~ I can't imagine what it must be like to be there right now. This country will have to deal with those soldiers returning for decades to come ~

[Roland99]

7. This is starting to stink of cover-up.

[countryjake]

10. It has been a cover-up since Day-One!

The official Pentagon report the week it happened was that one Marine and 15 civilians were killed by an IED!

Recommending this topic.

[Roland99]

11. Yeah, they said the people inside were killed by an explosion.

Bullets vs. explosion...


Hmmm...



I can see the similarites.

:sarcasm:

[countryjake]

12. Have you seen this video?

"In One Village, Video Tells A Story"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/20/eveningnews/main1419509.shtml

"filmed by a local journalism student the day after the incident"

[Roland99]

13. Pretty horrific.

[countryjake]

15. A letter to the editor yesterday, in my small town newspaper...

was from a guy who believes we should let the Marines wipe out all those villages where "insurgents" are hidden and supported. The guy was foaming at the mouth, saying he believes in fighting fire with fire. His most famous quote in our paper, to date, "Give me more torture pictures!"

You're right when you say the media should be all over this story. Last month, when they were reporting on that student's video, all three network news programs did give it good coverage, but this latest thing on the "firing" of some of those Marines, I'm not too sure about. I haven't been home to watch the Evening news, so don't know if any of the networks talked about it or not and I've a stack of newspapers to go thru.

The best way we can counteract opinions like that flaming-asshole letter writer, is for the MSM to show murderous actions for what they are, on page One, so we have something to refer back to in our letters to the editor on page four. It's getting harder and harder to do that.

[JohnyCanuck]

8. Marines entered their house and shot at everyone inside

3 U.S. commanders relieved of duty as Iraqi town mourns its dead
By Nancy A. Youssef
Knight Ridder Newspapers

HADITHA, Iraq - In the middle of methodically recalling the day his brother's family was killed, Yaseen's monotone voice and stream of tears suddenly stopped. He looked up, paused and pleaded: "Please don't let me say anything that will get me killed by the Americans. My family can't handle any more."

The story of what happened to Yaseen and his brother Younes' family has redefined Haditha's relationship with the Marines who patrol it. On Nov. 19, a roadside bomb struck a Humvee on Haditha's main road, killing one Marine and injuring two others.

The Marines say they took heavy gunfire afterwards and thought it was coming from the area around Younes' house. They went to investigate, and 23 people were killed.

Eight were from Younes' family. The only survivor, Younes' 13-year-old daughter, said her family wasn't shooting at Marines or harboring extremists that morning. They were sleeping when the bomb exploded. And when the Marines entered their house, she said, they shot at everyone inside.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14298263.htm

[intheflow]

14. I'd recommended this but it's past it's recommending period.

This is a piece of news people should know about. :grr: :cry: