June 21, 2006
Murtha's Haditha Cover-Up Story Exposed As A Lie
At least one part of Congressman John Murtha's Haditha story has now been conclusively debunked.
Murtha had maintained that the incident that culminated in the deaths of up to 24 Iraqi civilians at the hands of Marines after a fatal convoy ambush had been covered up:
Mr Murtha, himself a former Marine, charged that US military authorities had paid compensation to the families of the victims, indicating they had assumed responsibility for the deaths. "They paid people $1,500 to $2,500. This doesn't happen unless it comes at the highest authority," Mr Murtha told CNN.Asked if he meant victims' compensation, Mr Murtha said: "Yes. And that doesn't happen ... if it's an explosive device."
Mr Murtha repeated his accusation that the Marines had sought to cover up the killings."This is what worries me. We're fighting a war about America's ideals and democracy's ideas and something like this happens, they try to cover it up," he said. "It is as bad as Abu Ghraib, if not worse."
An independent Army General who investigated the charges of a cover-up has completed his report, and concludes otherwise:
The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts by the officers supervising the Marines involved in the November incident, the official said. Rather, he said, officers from the company level through the staff of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Baghdad failed to demand "a thorough explanation" of what happened in Haditha.
I imagine many netroots liberals reading this account published in the L.A. Times will immediately dismiss the report as a whitewash, saying that though an Army General investigated a Marine incident, it is still a military cover-up.
But never fear. They still support the troops.
Go to the local papers in Murtha's district (PA-12) and you will see none of this. The liberal editors ensure that anything that embaraasses "Fat Jack" is neither seen nor heard by the sheeple that vote for him.
Posted by: MCPO Airdale at June 21, 2006 10:04 AMhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq Saddams 3rd LAWYER KILLED!!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_abduction_3 85 Iraqis kidnapped from work!!!
We just about have a peaceful stable democracy with respect for the rule of law!!!! Well maybe next decade....after we spend another $15000 per Iraqi!!!!
Hero Jack
I'm not a Murtha fan, nor do I claim the Marines are guilty of anything, but the Army general's report doesn't prove there wasn't a coverup on the part of the Marines.
A coverup can consist of steps taken to hide evidence, but it can also consist of failing to take action, the result of which results in the evidence remaining hidden from view. It doesn't stretch the imagination to think that quite often (in the military, as well as in general) questions aren't asked because the questioner doesn't really want to hear a truthful answer... and because the questioner doesn't want to put the person(s) being questioned in a position where they lie.
Posted by: steve sturm at June 21, 2006 11:44 AMgrantman - If people like you had their way, we would have lost WWII after the fall of the Phillipines and Singapore.
Posted by: MCPO Airdale at June 21, 2006 12:47 PMMcpo Airdale,
If people like you had your way we would STILL be bogged down in Viet Nam and bankrupt as a nation. After 4 years we were not losing in the Phillipines. Dec 7 1941 Dec 7 1945...The war was over we had won!!!! After 4 years in this war under this leadership, we have created enemies faster than we have killed them.
If everything in your world translates to WW2 (doubtful analogy to today)I'll bite. I would stop complaining for a year if: ANYONE IN THIS ADMIN HAD THE COURAGE OF DDE, who in the run up to d-day famously wrote two letters 1.IF IT suceeded congratulating everbody blah blah 2. IF IT FAILED...he was resigning his command immediatly!!! Even the biggest admin backer must admit that there has been plenty of underacheivment and miscalculation but yet accountiblity!!! ....just "medals of freedom" for the people who screwed up the worst. Who pays the price ...just the taxpayers and the troops.
Grantman - Write me back when you become one of, "the troops". 2003 -2006 isn't 4 years in my universe but, then again, I don't know where you live.
The main problem in concluding this conflict are the restrictive ROE imposed on the troops (that's Rules of Engagement grantman). Additionally, martial law should be declared within the Sunni Triangle with "shoot to kill" orders after curfew. Those are just my suggestions but, Yeah, nobody asked me.
Posted by: MCPO Airdale at June 22, 2006 04:20 PM
