Marine accepts plea deal in Iraqi civilian deaths (3 months for murder) AP

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

Justice is served..as usual..just as it was after My Lai.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/23/national/a093422S12.DTL

A Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children pleaded guilty Monday to dereliction of duty in a deal that will mean a maximum of three months confinement and end the largest and longest-running criminal case against U.S. troops to emerge from the Iraq War.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn., led the Marine squad in 2005 that killed 24 Iraqis in the town of Haditha after a roadside bomb exploded near a Marine convoy, killing one Marine and wounding two others.

It was a stunning and muted end to a case once described as the Iraq War's version of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

The incident in Iraq is considered among the war's defining moments, further tainting America's reputation when it was already at a low point after the release of photos of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.

Eight Marines were charged with killing the Iraqis, with Wuterich facing the possibility of life behind bars. In the end, seven Marines were acquitted or had charges dropped, and Wuterich pleaded to the single, minor charge.

[gratuitous]

1. Murder? Who said anything about murder?

This was dereliction of duty. You know, like snoozing on guard duty or failing to make your bed just so. Everyone allegedly involved in the sudden cessation of life activities in those 24 Iraqis was either acquitted or had the charges dropped. There was no murder here. The U.S. military said so. And who are you going to believe? Twenty-four bullet-riddled corpses or our faultless, star-spangled men and women in uniform? Why do you hate the troops?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. I extend my sincerest regrets to the murderers...er,..collateral damage of CYA by the military.

Heroes all..just following orders..like Calley.

[countryjake]

3. Such a shame to have one's name dragged thru the mud...

Anyone notice that the attorney says that the charges were brought against him by the government and the media?

Does he mean that the murder of two dozen unarmed civilians is not even considered a chargeable offense by the Marines...that it was the media who trumped up this squad's offense to homicide?

This is such horseshit! And rather than muted, like the article states, it is an obscene, blaring conclusion to our country's invasion and occupation of Iraq.

[roguevalley]

4. reminds me of the Indian Wars: Why did you kill the children? "Nits grow into lice"

May God protect the living members of these people's families and forgive the rest of us for our inhumanity to man. If that was a member of my family they would have to find another. I could never allow a calloused murderer to come back into my life after this.

[countryjake]

5. Not to mention setting such callousness loose on our nation...

these are the original guys who were said to have been "pissing" on their victims, back at the beginning of the trials. The havoc that they hammered on Haditha was truly gasp-worthy, when one of them decided he'd better give evidence to protect himself, and began telling exactly how this massacre went down.

"A US marine told a court yesterday that he had "pissed" on the head of one of 24 dead Iraqi civilians killed by his unit and watched a superior officer kill five Iraqis as they tried to surrender..."

"He said he watched how his squad leader, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, shot five Iraqis who were trying to surrender and then told his men to lie about the killings."

"They were just standing, looking around, had hands up," Sgt Dela Cruz said. "Then I saw one of them drop in the middle. I didn't know what was going on, sir. Looked to my left, saw Staff Sergeant Wuterich shooting."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/10/usa.iraq

[bvar22]

6. Well, in his defense,

they were only Brown People,
and we can let "God sort it out."



You will know them by their WORKS.
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[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

[Blue_Tires]

8. Just as well...Not like they were "real" people anyway

(and we don't have the 'sarcasm' smiley on DU3 anymore....)

[countryjake]

9. This verdict desperately requires a puke smiley...

I went looking for that one, too, and it doesn't seem to be there.