Haditha

There is an ill wind swirling about my beloved Marine Corps. That wind is being fanned by political opportunists who know better and MSM types who know nothing. The shootings last November at Haditha were covered up according to John Murtha, D-Pa. Murtha fails to explain how this “cover up” can exist while three separate and concurrent investigations are under way and have been for over a month now. Some cover up.

Murtha hangs his heavy “cover up” hat on the very short nail that the investigation should have been done 2-3 weeks after the incident. Well let see, commanders were relived after the incident and three separate investigations have been convened. Murtha’s chief complaint ought to be something along the line of “they are too damn slow.” But “cover up?” Come on.

Murtha said, "we don't know how far it goes. It goes right up the chain of command." And that is the crux of Murtha’s political grandstanding. He and the MSM will not stop until this incident lands on Donald Rumsfeld’s doorstep. Then Murtha dropped this glittering jewel of the obvious, “this is worse than Abu Ghraib."

Well in that nobody died at Abu Ghraib from the college type hazing that went on there, and that at least 20 died at Haditha, murdered if what is alleged by Murtha is true, of course the latter is worse. Thanks Jack for clearing that up for the rest of us slow wits.

Like John Murtha, I do not know what happened at Haditha. Unlike John Murtha, I’m willing to admit that I don’t know and wait for the investigation to be released. Unlike John Murtha, I’m willing to give the Marines the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty of some crime. Predictions for the Haditha mess:

The Marine Corps will release a thorough and complete investigation.

The Marine Corps will hold anyone suspected of wrong doing accountable.

If guilty at Courts Martial, the Marine Corps will punish those responsible.

The US Government will accept responsibility for any wrong doing and make generous compensatory payments to the victims’ survivors.

John Murtha and the MSM will show no empathy for the accused except as it allows them to pass the buck to Rumsfeld and the administration for what happened at Haditha.

No matter how thorough, complete and fair the investigations, the trials and the punishments are, John Murtha and the MSM will use the story to claim cover up and to bludgeon America, our armed forces and the Commander in Chief and it will be much worse than Abu Ghraib.

Keep this in mind:

Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgment
Sunday, May 28, 2006; B06

A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me ["Marine Officer Cleared in Killing of Two Iraqis," news story, May 27, 2005].

So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident ["Death Toll Rises in Haditha Attack, GOP Leader Says," news story, May 20]. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.

Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes.

Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt -- unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.
ILARIO PANTANO
Jacksonville, N.C.