Last of the 8 Haditha Marines goes free, too!
Posted: February 4, 2012 Filed under: Military stories 12 Comments »
Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich joins 7 of his fellow Marines who have already been exonerated of killing 24 unarmed Iraqis. Wuterich avoided serving any time for his role in the incident, winning leniency through a plea deal that carried no punishment beyond a reduction in rank.
Pat Dollard Wuterich pleaded guilty Monday to negligent dereliction of duty as part of the agreement with prosecutors. The minor charge carries a maximum sentence of 90 days. Prosecutors asked Jones to give Wuterich the maximum sentence of three months confinement, a reduction in rank and forfeiture of two-thirds of his pay. The judge decided not to dock his pay because the divorced father has sole custody of three young daughters.
Wuterich has acknowledged ordering his squad to “shoot first, ask questions later” after a roadside bomb took the life of a fellow Marine, but he said he did not shoot any of the 10 women and children killed in nearby homes that he stormed with his men.“The truth is: I never fired my weapon at any women or children that day,” Wuterich told Jones.
Defense attorney Neal Puckett said Wuterich has lived under the cloud of being labeled a killer who carried out a massacre in Iraq. Lawyers also said he has been exonerated of directly causing the deaths of civilians in the two homes and insisted his only intent was to protect his Marines, calling it “honorable and noble.” “The appropriate punishment in this case, your honor, is no punishment,” Puckett said.
Wuterich, 31, told the court that his guilty plea should not suggest that he believes his men behaved badly or that they acted in any way that was dishonorable to their country. He said he ordered his men to “shoot first, ask questions later” so they would not hesitate in attacking the enemy, but he never intended to harm any civilians.
In Iraq, residents of the Euphrates river town of Haditha were angered by the fact that not one of the eight Marines initially charged will be convicted of manslaughter. The seven other Marines initially charged were exonerated or had their cases dropped.
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Good news, as a commander I would expect my soldiers to understand me, as we would have the same training and all have been drilled on ROE’s etc.
It seems logical to me that the islamic killers in the village killed the women and children to make it appear as though the hated and reviled American soldiers did it due to being attacked in an ambush, an islamist propagandist deception.
Return supressing fire immediately!
I am relieved that common sense and justice has prevailed.
The few, the proud, the brave. War is hell, thank you for fighting on our behalf. I owe my freedoms to soldiers like you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart – from a very grateful civilian.
Not having been there, and not witnessing a man under his command get killed, how on earth does that “HUMAN RIGHTS” activist have the cajones to sit in judgement?
He has the cajones to do so, because he is blinded by his “poor-puppy” liberal mental illness. He should go and get his ass shot at. We’ll see how whiny and sympathetic he is after that.
God bless our military service men and women who risk their lives every second!
You got Pink. These guys are at war. ROE is garbage. It only holds the USA back and we look like suckers in the eyes of the mohommedists.
remember the final Crusade is well on its way to waking the people o the world up to the Vile Evil Cult of mohommedism. The blood letting will start in earnest soon.
The Know It Alls seem to be having a field day with this story. http://www.snooper.wordpress.com/ spiked from about 20 hits to 2000 page views.
Referrals came in from all over, and from search engines. Anynymous hackers and occupyallstreets seem to be be involved.
Somebody claiming intimate knowledge wrote that they hacked the lawyer’s private communications and got all sorts of incriminating information.
Then they claimed that someone I never heard of is close to the lawyers and is running Snoper’s blog.
Several of my posts got more hits Friday than they would get in a month.
The best news I have heard all day.
I am just sorry that these heros had to go through this ordeal.
Excellent news. We applaud our brave warriors. Thank you Marines!
I was disgusted that any charges were filed !
Our Military places their lives in harms way ever second they are in muzzieland and never know who will be a bomb carrier.
On our homeland sidewalks, in our malls, in our stores, on our highways, Americans are no longer safe since the muslime invasion of the U.S.
It is no wonder that more folks are carrying weapons for self-protection just as it is not a surprise our current administration is doing whatever they can get away with to take away our personal weapons.
Prosecute our Military for defending their lives in a Country they should not have been sent to in the first place ? I think not.
THREE CHEERS FOR STAFF SGT. WUTERICH! The man did his duty, fought for his country and protected his Marines. The fact that he was even brought up on charges is a complete travesty. This should tell everyone just how much our military has been compromised by liberals, and traitors to our nation. God Bless Our Troops!
Marines, I salute YOU~! And I’m glad you’re on MY side~!,,, Now, it’s time, AND PAST TIME, that WE are on YOURS~!
Semper Fi
Well done you Guys,let them know their deceptive ways will not be tolerated,and thats the best way to let them know you are there to do a Job,..now give these Guy’s an extra Medal.
good news indeed