Haditha Drama Ends With Near Exoneration — The big story of ’05 is over and it turns out that U.S. Marines did not murder 24 innocent Iraqis in a blood-thirsty, kill-crazy rage in complete violation of the laws of war and Uniform Code of Military Justice despite the claims to the contrary by Time Magazine, the British film industry and a deceased Pennsylvania congressman.
And you saw all the headlines and broadcasts declaring such, right?
SSgt Frank Wuterich pleaded guilty to one count of “negligent dereliction of duty” on Jan. 23. He will be reduced in rank to a private but serve no jail time.
He had been charged with murder.
Of the seven other Marines indicted charges were, over the years, dismissed against LCpl. Stephen Tatum, LCpl. Justin Sharratt, Capt. Lucas McConnell, Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, and Capt. Randy Stone, while Lt. Andrew Grayson was found not guilty on all counts and no misconduct was found by LtCol Jeffrey Chessani.
On Nov. 19, 2005, a 500-pound improvised explosive device destroyed a humvee killing Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas and seriously wounding two others in Haditha, Iraq. Wuterich’s squad was ordered to clear out some nearby houses to find the bomb’s triggerman and suppress snipers. The Marines threw hand grenades into the buildings before entering. Many of the dead were women and children.
Bad, yes, but as the trials unfolded it became clear the Marines had not acted for vengeance or were in violation of their training.
Wuterich accepted guilt for negligent dereliction of duty because he admitted uttering “shoot first, ask questions later” in the heat of battle.
Compare that to the statement by the late John Murtha (D-Pa12) who ascertained on May 17, 2006 in the comfort and safety of the floor of Congress: “There was no firefight, there was no IED
that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the
pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood”.
Murtha’s malicious claim authoritatively stated as fact was instrumental in sending eight men — men who had forwent comfort and risked their lives to keep this country safe — through a half-decade of hell.
Murtha died in 2010. He has an airport named for him in Johnston, and a statue in a city park.
Kudos to warchronicle.com which provided excellent day-to-day coverage of the Wuterich trial.