Marine's Charges Dropped in Iraq Deaths

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Marine's Charges Dropped in Iraq Deaths

LOS ANGELES Aug 9, 2007 (AP)

A general dropped all charges Thursday against a Marine
who had been accused of killing three Iraqi brothers in
response to a roadside bomb attack in Haditha in 2005.

"The evidence does not support a referral to a court-
martial," Lt. Gen. James Mattis wrote in his written
decision.

Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, 22, had been charged with
the murder in the deaths of three of those killed after
the bomb attack Nov. 19, 2005.

The decision to drop the charges followed an earlier
recommendation from a hearing officer who listened to
evidence in the case. Under military law, a commanding
general has total jurisdiction over a case.

-snip-

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3462987

[gratuitous]

1. So murdering civilians is a military matter?

Nice. I wonder what the reaction would be if another country's military or enemy combatants killed some of our civilians, and whether the American people would be satisfied with another country's general telling us the soldier or the enemy combatants were off the hook?

Oh wait; I know what our reaction would be.

[winter999]

2. I believe that there wasn't enough evidence

for a murder charge. The investigators could not come up with any evidence that a murder (or murders) actually took place. All that was needed were the bodies for forensics.

[Eugene]

3. Charges dismissed against two Marines in Haditha case

Source: Reuters

Charges dismissed against two Marines in Haditha case
09 Aug 2007 18:16:25 GMT
Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. military
dropped charges on Thursday against two Marines
charged in connection with the 2005 deaths of 24
unarmed civilians in Haditha, Iraq.

Charges against Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt and Capt.
Randy Stone were dismissed based on a review of
the facts in the case, Lt. Gen. James Mattis said
in a statement.

Sharratt and Stone were among eight U.S. Marines
originally charged in the Haditha case, which stemmed
from the death of 24 men, women and children in the
western Iraqi town. Sharratt was charged with
unpremeditated murder and Stone with dereliction of
duty.

In April, murder charges were dismissed against Sgt.
Sanick Dela Cruz. Cases are still proceeding against
the remaining defendants.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09219739.htm