Haditha- Who stole my massacre?

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

BAGHDAD, Oct. 5 — Last year, when accounts of the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha by a group of marines came to light, it seemed that the Iraq war had produced its defining atrocity, just as the conflict in Vietnam had spawned the My Lai massacre a generation ago.

I don't know about you, but I read that sentence as an example of a sick bias. Why should a war require a defining atrocity? It almost seems like a wish fulfilled, Abu Ghraib was great and useful but it never had that additional bonus of women and children slaughtered. War is an awful thing, but the idea that it needs and could be known by a "defining atrocity" is awful as well. Now that opportunity has been lost.

But on Thursday, a senior military investigator recommended dropping murder charges against the ranking enlisted marine accused in the 2005 killings, just as he had done earlier in the cases of two other marines charged in the case. The recommendation may well have ended prosecutors’ chances of winning any murder convictions in the killings of the apparently unarmed men, women and children.

Can you feel the disappointment?

Experts in military justice say the Haditha prosecutions were compromised by several factors having to do with the quality of the evidence, including a delayed investigation and the decision to conduct hearings in the United States, far from the scene of the killings and possible Iraqi witnesses.

Do you see the missing factor he completely neglects to mention? Maybe no crimes were freaking committed. Huh? Maybe that is what hampered the effort to win murder convictions, and note the use of the word "win" not obtain. I am unable to read this as anything other than a requiem for the "defining atrocity that should have been".

This writer did a decent job of chronicling the case against MSG Anderson and CPT Staffel so it is a bit surprising to see such a nakedly biased bit like this. It is plenty fair to look at the difficulties faced in gathering evidence to try and prosecute these men. It is low and shameful to fail to note that all charges were dropped against 5 of the 6 and maybe, just maybe that was because they were innocent. I know, I know that's crazy talk.

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Comments

[Peg C.]

My thoughts and prayers go to those Marines and their families through all this.

And the NYT is the defining atrocity of modern journalism.

[Cincinnati_Bob]

UJ... If they believe Cheney and Rice executed 9-11-2001.... Well.

Libs. How does it feel to lose at every turn ?
Einstein said that "repeating the same experiment hoping for different results is insane".

I'd say the constant false rhetoric and accusation from the Dems qualifies.
There's this guy who is supposed to be a 'smart liberal'. Bob Beckett I think. He maintains that the GWB administration is the "Most corrupt in History". How many charges have been filed. How anxious is the Democratic controlled congress to pursue investigations, impeachments, etc. How many of the things on the first 100 hours list were accomplished? Make first 100 years and it wouldn't matter.
And you follow these incompetent buffoons?

Imagine making money bets for each of these things. You'd all be homeless.

[Bennett]

The story from the beginning has been that the Marines snapped when they lost one of their own in a roadside bombing the day before. Well, the whole story has fallen apart and now the supposed cause of the whole thing is nothing more than a footnote in this story. The Times doesn't even print the Marine's name, calling him "a comrade".

He has a name, that comrade and it's Lce Cpl Miguel Terrazas.

“He was a man of heart,” commented Terrazas’ platoon sergeant Staff Sergeant Travis M. Fields. “He always brought a smile everywhere he went. He is the kind of guy you can say will never be forgotten.”

Terrazas was survived by his mother, Gabrielle and father, Martin Terrazas Sr., brothers Martin Jr. and Andy and his sisters Vanessa and Melissa."

Never forgotten, Lce Cpl Miguel Terrazas.

[Steve J.]

Maybe no crimes were freaking committed.

Maybe I'll be in the Yankees starting rotation next year.

[tommygun]

Steve - that's pretty sick. What's your assumption that since they were Marines they must have committed a crime. Does the fact thet there is no evidence of a crime factor in to your opinion?

Let me guess you also "support the troops"

[Al]

THe NY Times wants us to lose. It's that simple. It is wrong to assume that they are in our frame of reference. It used to be that you'd hear about these stories and assume there is some substance. The first thing that goes through my mind now is a line of questions starting with "why are they doing the story?" And then "how does this make us look bad?"

You have to understand why they want us to lose. In their own way, Modern Liberals think they are helping the world. They are able to do this because they subscribe to a philosophy where everything is equal. So they spend time tearing down what is good, successful, and right, and elevating what is evil, failed and wrong. Watch this video by a guy named Evan Sayet. He's a former writer for Bill Maher and he is a genius. He explains these people. I've watched the video many times now and I see the patterns everywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c

As I said, I've watched it many times. I did this partially to learn more but, initially, because it's unbelievable how they could want the US to lose everything. They really do. It's a phenomenal talk.

[Goob]

Zarqawi's beheadings were the 'defining atrocity' of this war.

[Piper17]

Hey Steve....ever hear of the Duke rape case and the rush to judgment that occurred? The prosecutor was charged and convicted in the case for his rush to judgment and misconduct. The actions of the police left a lot to be desired. The school president and 80+ professors had convicted the three students in the court of public opinion. Then the facts came out: THERE WAS NO RAPE! A rather inconvenient truth.

I'd love to hear you explain why you just know these Marines are guilty of anything. WHERE ARE YOUR FACTS? Or are you just like the prosecutor, Nifong, in the Duke "rape" case and convicting people based on your own personal feelings or for personal gain?

It's tough for people like you, with your own personal agenda, when the facts don't fit your sick, distorted conception of reality.