Comments on: The Killings In Haditha

Marine Tells 60 Minutes He's Sorry Iraqi Civilians Were Killed, But Insists He Made Right Decision

[rayne51]

Scott Pelley:

Your interview with SSGT. Frank Wuterich sounded more like you had already decided he was guilty, than an interview.

I want to commend that young man for keeping his cool and not falling for your discusting tricks.

What really urks me is these young men risk their lives on a daily basis for our freedom and then ignorant people like you Scott judge them on civilian terms. Everyone forgets these soldiers after they come home. They don''t get the respect they deserve, nor the medical help or transitional help after they come home. If he was your son you wouldn''t be so quick to judge him.

Yes they are trained killers, what else do you expect them to be. The Marines are taught to kill and make split second life or death decisions. This young man followed his training and orders to the T.

You have no right to judge his actions. I don''t see you out there risking your neck for our freedom. These charges are rediculous.

I pray he gets off and that Americans will wake up and give our young men and women the respect and any help they may need when they come home from war.

Shame on you Scott Pelley and 60 minutes for your unfair and biased so called interview!

[retiredcwo4]

I used to enjoy watching the 60 Minutes prgram until this past Sunday evening. The interview with SSgt. Wuterich brought to light the horrors of war faced by our troops every day in Iraq. Men in charge are required to make important snap decisions to protect their troops and hope they make the correct one when it counts. Sure mistakes will be make and will be investigated by the military system. Not by a 60 Minutes reporter (Scott Pelley). That was the worst interview I have every watched and ended up yelling profanities at the TV. My fiance was surprised by my outburst and I explained that Pelley has no right to sit there and judge this Marine. So I registered here today to let CBS know my disgust with this segment of 60 Minutes and I will not be watching future shows with this reporter.

[cotati08]

You''re PROUD of Sgt. Wuterich???
Did you not hear him say that he shot five unarmed men in a taxi - for NO REASON? Did you not hear him say that?
Or that he threw a hand grenade into a room of women and children - for no reason? Did you not hear him say that?
And you''re PROUD of him.
He kills 24 unarmed, innocent civilians - NOT under fire, mind you - and you''re proud of him.
And I''ll bet you just can''t imagine why anyone in Iraq would want to kill an American soldier. "They''re just there to help", you say.
You people make me want to puke.

[bacalhoun]

This was the worst piece of journalism I have seen in many years. Scott Pelley should be ashamed of himself but I was so proud of Staff Sergeant Wuterich. He never lost his composure, always kept eye contact and was a credit to the US Marines and his country. I was proud of him for not decking Scott Pelley, he sure deserved it.

[pfinlay99]

If you followed the Haditha case as closely as I have, you would know that this whole broadcast was slanted and omitted key elements. Biased reporting like this is why I seldom watch CBS. I watched this to see if anything has improved. It didn''t. This pompous reporter Scott Pelley should be ashamed of himself. Why do the media hate the Marines so much? Because they are weak minded and morally corrupt peons. Imagine if we had these guys around during WWII. We would all be lamp shades!!

Sixty Minutes and Scott Pelley should be ashamed of themselves for their treatment of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich. He and these young men volunteered their services and were trained to kill hostile forces while protecting themselves and the lives of their troops - and then you condemn them for doing thir job. Shame on you for this improperly biased broadcast.

[cotati08]

Sgt. Wuterich is a murderer. Yes - a bomb went off and killed one of his soldiers. So what''s his reaction? Kill everyone in sight. Men, women, children - kill ''em all.
And everyone here thinks he''s a hero. You people are sick and have lost contact with what is justice. The whole world hates Americans - and I understand why.

[jbrasch1]

Who is the enemy?
Ifound your story disturbing. In would war II the japanese used suicide as a means for killing our men by crashing their planes into our ships. In Vietnam bombs were strappped to little childern and they were sent into medical tents to detonate, killing doctors and nurses. In Iraq woman are now driving car bombs into crowds of people and detonating them.
These men and woman of the United States of America were trained and need to be able to do their job, and without being prosecuted. War is hell and many come back scared, mentally and physically.
Obviously Scott Pelley or whoever wrote the this segment has never been in these situations and should visit so they can experience ordeal for themself.
Who is the enemy?

[danvh1-2009]

SSG Frank Wuterick is living a nightmare I have had for many years. I am a Nam vet, I was a grunt and most of us who came home alive had to make difficult instanteous decisions that we may regret but...we are alive. If one has not been in that situation one cannot properly interview or understand an infantryman. Our chain of command will turn on its warriors when it is not to their benefit to defend them. But our countrymen will support you and your decisions. SGT Wuterick you are articulate, displined, and a good leader; be tough, this will pass, you will be a stronger better person. The business community needs brave focused individuals like you. Thank You for your service.

[ltucker44]

It''s comforting to know that we have such brave men like Scott Pelley fighting on the front line on the global war on terrorism. His disgraceful interview conducted with a volunteer in the USMC is yet another fine example of how the liberal media continues to distort the truth regarding training, tactics, and perfomance of the U.S. military in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Scott Pelley has the luxury of being the "monday morning quarterback" in the confines of his plush office in NYC. The fact of the matter is that Scott Pelley took his fancy law degree and Ivy League education and took advantage of guy who volunteered to do something for his country. I suggest the next time Scott Pelley volunteers for a story such as this one that he and 60 minutes consult with the senior members of the USMC and Pentagon before they go praying on the likes of those that volunteer to fight the fires on the battelfield.

The fact that 60 minutes elected to air this story on the evening before the DNC is further proof of the fact of how CBS continues to bend to the left wing of this country.

signed...a former 60-minutes fan!

[rayhamilton-2009]

Scott Pelley, 60 Minutes & CBS News should be ashamed of Frank Wuterich''s interview. You guys owe Frank & your viewing audience & the country an apology. This was the most absurd & distasteful piece of journalism I think I''ve ever seen. Two thumbs down for you. You can say farewell to this viewer.

[chantousca]

This is the second time i''ve seen this interview and everytime i have to leave the room. This guy has no clue what the soldiers are going through over there and i would like to see him leave his nice cushion job and go overseas and be in the middle of this war and see how he would react in the middle of an attack and see what it feels like to be overtaken by the adreline after seing a bomb go off and kill your friend. His line on questioning made this poor guy look like the "bad guy"...awful

[mainelover]

This interview was absolutely horrible, I cannot imagine why young Sgt. Frank Wuterich even agreed to be subjected to an interview by liberal CBS. Scott Pelley led this young man into a trap such as I have never witnessed before. My goodness, we are in a war over there, these young men face being killed every day of their young lives, what does this "journalist" think we are doing in Iraq, taking a vacation? This is one of the worst cases of interviewing I have ever witnessed and I think it says much about CBS and how biased they really are!!! I wish that "Correspondent" (I am using that word grudgingly) Scott Pelley could walk in the boots of these brave fighting men for even one hour, maybe he would not be so quick to judge them and may change some of his liberal views, it is very easy to sit in his comfortable studio and grill this man who had just witnessed his comrades killed by terrorists, yet Pelley paints these people who were killed as good, upstanding people. It is war and innocent people are killed, that is the price of freedom, does he not realize that if not for these brave men, he would not have the right to sit and speak his mind and criticize these wonderful American men who have given up their lives as they know them, to protect us? I believe the motto of the Marines is KILL OR BE KILLED, that is what they have to do to survive over there, they want to come home to their families and need to do everything in their power to make that possible.

[jannak1]

This is war... does 60 Min./Scott Pelley know what war is? Has he ever been in combat? How dare he question this soldiers judjement in a situation none of us have ever been in and thanks to Sgt. Frank Wutevich and others like him we probably never will have to. I am not anti war nor pro war I beleive war is necessary in certain situations. I do beleive however it is time to start bringing our troops home. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

[rjwilcox329]

Murder and massacre are big words....

It feels to me like this interview would have been less provacative, and more substantial, if it had been conducted by a warrior. How in the world can Scott Pelley portray these Marines fairly? It''s like having a non-mother describe childbirth.

It just wasn''t a fair portrayal of the warriors position, or responsibility. We''ve (yes WE have) put these guys into an untenable situation, and we need to take some responsibility for their actions. Part of that is a fair assessment of their actions under stress.

If war is hell, I cant think of the words to describe urban war, where the enemy hides among women and children....

Scott Pelley failed to serve his community and his country. Bad job. I hope the justice system can see around it.

[navydad3]

It''s now two days later, and I still haven''t calmed down after that ludicrous "interview" conducted by Scott Pelley. He definitely has an agenda that all in this house thought disgusting. My wife even left the room while this was going on! My son, home on leave, was yelling at the TV with me. On the other hand, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich spoke with class and unbelieveable patience considering the ridiculous biased comments and questions being thrown at him. As another writer correctly noted, 60 Minutes has reached an all-time low.

[mvgomez]

Scott Pelley, you sound like a man with an agenda instead of an impartial journalist. Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich did the right thing - keep his fellow Marines, safe. Now let''s review straight from your interview once again: ["In an insurgency situation, Marines don''t get a second chance If they aren''t able to fire first, they die," says Neil Puckett, who, along with Mark Zaid, are Wuterich%u2019s civilian attorneys.] Get it?

[mvgomez]

Scott Pelley, you sound like a man with an agenda instead of an impartial journalist. Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich did the right thing - keep his fellow Marines, safe. Let''s review the quote one more time from your interview: ["In an insurgency situation, Marines don''t get a second chance If they aren''t able to fire first, they die," says Neil Puckett, who, along with Mark Zaid, are Wuterich%u2019s civilian attorneys.] Get it?

[cbsliars]

Why not interview Congressman Murtha and ask if he is sorry for calling our Marines murders?

Pelley should apoligize for his pious attitude. Why not televise ALL the "wrong" acts of OUR enemies to our military. What about our innocent civilians of 9/11?

The Marines were trying to prevent additional killings of their men. Our bias media and politicans continue to put self before country. Thank God our military puts country beore self.

I will NEVER watch CBS again.

[rmlysne]

Pelley I don''t have anything against you, but I''m not commending this latest work. I understand we all have job to. CBS and any producers affiliated with this story take a step back and look at what you''ve done to this marine. A man serving his country, on top of that he was completely honest with every question Pete drilled him with. Prove he fired shots into that second house. If manslaughter voluntary or involuntary is the case here then i guess we need to charge every single service man that steps foot back into the United States. Politicians throw young gun'''' ho men into a WAR, then when they screw up it''''s their life that is thrown away. For what though!? So they men of Washington don''''t have deal with any spilt blood on their shoes in the morning. Which side are you on CBS, a solider loyal to his country or a money stricken power hungry politician? Don''t answer that, America can clearly see which side you''ve already chosen.