Lawyer Denies Haditha Massacre

[USMCRET6391]

Associated Press | June 12, 2006

SAN DIEGO - The lawyer for a Marine being investigated in the deaths of two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, described the event as "tragic," but denied innocent people were killed intentionally and said troops followed military rules of engagement.

No one has been charged in the Haditha case, which centers on allegations that a small number of Marines from Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment killed 24 Iraqi civilians, including unarmed women and children, on Nov. 19 after a roadside bomb killed a fellow Marine.

Lawyer Neal A. Puckett said Sunday that Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told him several civilians were killed after the bombing when his squad pursued insurgents firing at them from inside a house.

Puckett quoted the sergeant as describing a house-to-house search that went wrong and resulted in unintended civilian deaths. Wuterich denied allegations of an intentional massacre, Puckett said.

"(It was) certainly a tragic result and (Wuterich) understands that it's tragic and he feels extremely badly about the fact that innocent civilians were killed," Puckett told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Alexandria, Va. "But he was following what he understood to be the rules of engagement and standard protocol."

An investigation has been examining whether Marines tried to cover up the shootings and whether commanders were negligent in failing to investigate the deaths when they were reported.

Wuterich's version of events differs from some accounts of Haditha residents. They have said that innocent civilians were executed, including some who pleaded for their lives.

The Marines cleared the rooms in the way they had been trained, Puckett said.

"Everything happened very fast," Puckett said. "There's no preparation, there's no deliberation involved, it's just a quick reaction time, shooting and neutralizing any threat that might be in there. And in these cases it turns out after the fact that there weren't threats in that room."

The Washington Post, the first to speak with Puckett about Wuterich, reported that lawyers for two other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich's account was consistent with what their clients have told them.

Puckett said it was possible none of the Marines would be charged with murder and instead some commanders could be charged with dereliction of duty for failing to properly investigate the incident at the time.

He added Wuterich remained at Camp Pendleton and had been promoted to staff sergeant since the incident.

[Spitfire101]

I hope for a good outcome in favor of those Marines. It sure would be nice if they quit running to the media and wait until an investigation is complete.

[SGRock]

True. Since when was the MSM made the judge and jury?

[cincymarsdad]

Americans are impatient, and forgetful. Various crises and scandals brew up, and then suddenly disappear, apparently unresolved. Scooter Libby, all in the news, prejudged etc. and now nothing. The "System" takes a while, probably fortunately, and the media wait for no one, so they are off to the latest half-baked salacious bit of gossip.

I don't fault "The Media" - it is we who "buy" this crap.

I often think there should be a daily show that simply recounts what was news a year ago and discusses the disposition of it all. Most that seems like news today turns into nothing tomorrow.

I hope this works out for the best obviously. But if it does, it will barely merit page 11 coverage. And the impression is already generated.

[Vulture6]

I often think there should be a daily show that simply recounts what was news a year ago and discusses the disposition of it all.

Never happen... if they did that, then the talking heads and politicians might have to be accountable for the crap they say!