John Murtha Sued by Haditha Marine

Posted By Blackfive

I thought that this might be coming.  So here's your Bust Their Chops post for the week.  The WashPo reports:

Marine Names Murtha in Defamation Suit
Congressman Discussed Killings Involving Serviceman's Squad in Haditha, Iraq

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; A05

A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.

Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up.

Murtha argued that the questionable deaths of 24 civilians were indicative of the difficulties and overpowering stress that U.S. troops are facing. The congressman, a former Marine, has been a leading advocate for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

In the court filing, obtained by The Washington Post, the lawyers say that Murtha made the comments after being briefed by Defense Department officials who "deliberately provided him with inaccurate and false information." Neal A. Puckett and Mark S. Zaid, suing for libel and invasion of privacy, also wrote that Murtha made the comments outside of his official scope as a congressman.

Telephone calls yesterday to Murtha's office in Washington were referred to his district office in Pennsylvania, and calls there were not returned...

You can help the Haditha Marines and the Pendleton 8 by donating to this site - The Warrior Fund which provides a legal defense support for our troops.

And Murtha's opponent in the upcoming election, Diana Irey, visited about 25 wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical center and then joined counter protests against Code Pink at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Code Pink is the group that tells our soldiers that the risks they took were not worth it.  They place banners that say "You Got Maimed for a Lie" so that incoming patients see their message.  Code Pink is the group that tried to infiltrate Walter Reed many times under the guise of helping our troops only to tell them that their friends died for nothing.  I can't say much more because this is a PG13 blog.

So, this is Diana Irey:

And this is John Murtha:

You can support Diana Irey here.  If you are a veteran, consider joining Vets4Irey.

Update: Kit and Heidi at Euphoric Reality have a series of posts on the Pendleton 8

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 1

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 2

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 3

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 4

Innocent 8: Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse

Interview with Dan Riehl on the Innocent 8

Interview With John Jodka Sr.

The Faces of the Innocent Pendleton 8

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John Murtha Sued by Haditha Marine

I thought that this might be coming.  So here's your Bust Their Chops post for the week.  The WashPo reports:

Marine Names Murtha in Defamation Suit
Congressman Discussed Killings Involving Serviceman's Squad in Haditha, Iraq

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; A05

A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year.

Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up.

Murtha argued that the questionable deaths of 24 civilians were indicative of the difficulties and overpowering stress that U.S. troops are facing. The congressman, a former Marine, has been a leading advocate for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

In the court filing, obtained by The Washington Post, the lawyers say that Murtha made the comments after being briefed by Defense Department officials who "deliberately provided him with inaccurate and false information." Neal A. Puckett and Mark S. Zaid, suing for libel and invasion of privacy, also wrote that Murtha made the comments outside of his official scope as a congressman.

Telephone calls yesterday to Murtha's office in Washington were referred to his district office in Pennsylvania, and calls there were not returned...

You can help the Haditha Marines and the Pendleton 8 by donating to this site - The Warrior Fund which provides a legal defense support for our troops.

And Murtha's opponent in the upcoming election, Diana Irey, visited about 25 wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical center and then joined counter protests against Code Pink at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Code Pink is the group that tells our soldiers that the risks they took were not worth it.  They place banners that say "You Got Maimed for a Lie" so that incoming patients see their message.  Code Pink is the group that tried to infiltrate Walter Reed many times under the guise of helping our troops only to tell them that their friends died for nothing.  I can't say much more because this is a PG13 blog.

So, this is Diana Irey:

And this is John Murtha:

You can support Diana Irey here.  If you are a veteran, consider joining Vets4Irey.

Update: Kit and Heidi at Euphoric Reality have a series of posts on the Pendleton 8

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 1

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 2

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 3

The Death of the Marine Corps, Chapter 4

Innocent 8: Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse

Interview with Dan Riehl on the Innocent 8

Interview With John Jodka Sr.

The Faces of the Innocent Pendleton 8

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» Help Haditha Marines Sue Murtha! from Gulf Coast Pundit
The squad leader of those accused in the Haditha incident is suing John Murtha. You can help support his legal effort here. A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit to... [Read More]