NY TIMES: Charges May Be Dropped for Marine Charged with Killings 17 Unarmed Iraqis

[L. Coyote]

Charges May Be Dropped for Marine in Iraq Killings
By PAUL von ZIELBAUER
Published: October 5, 2007

BAGHDAD, Oct. 4 — A military investigator has recommended dropping murder charges against a Marine infantryman charged with killing 17 apparently unarmed Iraqis in the volatile city of Haditha nearly two years ago, a defense lawyer in the case said Thursday.

Instead, the investigator recommended that if the case proceeded to court-martial, the marine, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, be charged only with negligent homicide for the deaths of seven women and children killed in a home assaulted by a Marine squad after a roadside bomb struck its convoy, said Mark Zaid, a lawyer for Sergeant Wuterich.

The investigator recommended that no charges be filed against Sergeant Wuterich in the deaths of the other 10 Iraqis he was originally accused of killing. The investigator, Lt. Col. Paul J. Ware, a Marine lawyer, has sent his recommendation to the commanding general of the First Marine Expeditionary Force, who will decide whether to try the case by court-martial.

Colonel Ware has presided over hearings for all three enlisted men charged with murder in the Haditha episode and last summer recommended dropping all charges against the previous two, Lance Cpls. Justin L. Sharratt and Stephen B. Tatum, citing a lack of evidence. Colonel Ware said those killings should be viewed in the context of combat against an enemy that ruthlessly employs civilians as cover. He also warned that murder charges against marines could harm the morale of troops still in Iraq.

.............

[kurth]

1. Charges against marines could harm the morale of troops

[Beerboy]

2. I'll admit I haven't followed this case very closely,

so I don't know how many were involved in the crimes. My first instinct was a cynical knee-jerk to *cover up!*, but I remembered when I was charged with crimes under indictment and needed a lawyer, albeit as a civilian, not under the UCMJ, and not for anything this serious.
I need to know more before I surrender to cynicism about a guy who could very well be innocent of specific charges.
I know other readers will likely have something beyond Wiki.

[L. Coyote]

3. Noted this "an enemy that ruthlessly employs civilians as cover" In an occupation

the civilian population is the enemy!

[L. Coyote]

4. kick

[Disturbed]

5. "A military investigator" blah, blah.

Breaking News! A fox has recommend dropping charges against another fox in slaughter of chickens in the hen house. Uh, no I am not comparing Iraqis with chickens. A preemptive note of a possible attack.

[L. Coyote]

6. Indeed. Who is policing the military police? Noone.

[TahitiNut]

7. He'd get more punishment for killing somebody's 17 head of cattle in Texas.

Disgusting.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Well, we sure wouldn't want the "morale of the troops" disturbed.

Tsk, tsk. They're supposed to be coddled and not allowed to have their sensitive feelings injured when their comrades commit murder.