Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨

Haditha Charges Dropped

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
This story comes to you courtesy of a link in the Entertainment Forum where we've been talking about the film Battle For Haditha.

I'd like to say how surprised I am by this news, but I am not.

I will defend "collateral damage" because it's part of war. It happens. Mistakes are part and parcel. But when you read about this story you can only really get the feeling that this was cold blooded murder of the worst kind.

Seriously, what are the US military up to?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's the old fashioned view that you need to prove that the person accused did the crime.

    They can't just have been wearing the same uniform or in the area - they need to actually have done it.

    Now like all investigations in what is a war zone they can be a bugger to prove - simply because the police can't secure the crime scene and witnesses may be on the other side, scared of retaliation, refugees or dead.

    That said it may have been a poor initial investigation, because at first no-one in the MP questioned that it was anything than what was claimed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Grim, it will send out the message yet again that the US government doesnt care about civilians in Iraq.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    Grim, it will send out the message yet again that the US government doesnt care about civilians in Iraq.
    You have believed at some time that the US government cared about these people?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    After seeing the film the verdict doesn't surprise me. I'd guess the senior officers decided to let it go to protect their own failures. I'd like to see the politicians responsible for the Marines also being in the dock alonside the insurgents who orchestrated the situation by placing themselves amongst the civilians then opening fire on the patrol after the bomb but thats not likely to happen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You have believed at some time that the US government cared about these people?

    In reality it matters not what I think, its not my heart and mind the US needs to win.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They can't just have been wearing the same uniform or in the area - they need to actually have done it.

    To be fair looking at the comment -

    'The investigator overseeing L/Cpl Tatum's pre-trial hearing had recommended the dropping of all charges on the grounds that he shot at the children because another marine, Staff Sgt Frank Wuterich, was already firing. '

    It doesn't look in doubt that he shot children but more that he's been offered immunity in return for giving evidence against Sgt Wuterich - despite the fact that's been denied.

    Hopefully there still remains some case to face, although anyone higher up responsible for the apparant collapse in discipline and morale is clearly never going to be held responsible.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Great news in the year of the 40th anniversary of the My Lai massacre. :yeees:
Sign In or Register to comment.