Marine Cleared In Haditha Massacre

Judge Dismisses Charges Against Officer Accused Of Failing To Probe Killings Of 24 Iraqis

(AP)  A military judge dismissed charges Tuesday against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis.

Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a four-star general overseeing the case was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha.

"Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," Folsom said. "In order to restore the public confidence, we need to take it back. We need to turn the clock back."

Chessani, of Rangely, Colo., was the highest-ranking officer to face a combat-related court-martial since the Vietnam War.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom barred Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement in the case.

Of eight Marines originally charged in the case, only one is still facing prosecution in the biggest U.S. criminal prosecution involving Iraqi deaths to come out of the war.

The incident occurred after a Marine was killed by a roadside bomb.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, who faces voluntary manslaughter charges, and a squad member shot five men by a car at the scene. Investigators say Wuterich then ordered his men to clear several houses with grenades and gunfire, leaving women and children among the dead.

Folsom's ruling comes two weeks after Gen. James Mattis took the stand — a rare courtroom appearance for such a high-ranking officer

to address the judge's initial finding that there was evidence of unlawful command influence in the case.

Col. John Ewers, the military lawyer who investigated the killings and took Chessani's statement, later became a top legal adviser to Mattis and sat in on briefings that helped Mattis decide who would be charged.

Mattis testified he never talked with Ewers about Haditha, although Ewers was present during a number of legal meetings where Haditha and Chessani were discussed.

Military policy prohibits Ewers from offering legal advice because he also was an investigator in the case.

Mattis approved the filing of charges against Chessani when he was both commander of the Marine Corps Forces Central Command and the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. He has since been promoted and serves as commander of both NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and commander of U.S. Joint Forces.

Four enlisted Marines were originally charged with counts related to the killings and four officers were charged in connection with the investigation, including Chessani.

[dobbershome]

Kill em'' all with extreme prejudice!! and if you can throw in squeezyr that would be great

[squeezyr-2009]

Kill em'''' all!

Posted by dobbershome at 12:32 AM : Jun 18, 2008

You first dipperdink

[squeezyr-2009]

Todays military sucks. Thousands of good, decent men and women serve honorably. They are sent to some egomaniacs war to be murdered.
These soldiers must follow the rules or be shot themselves by the officers, if some low-life ignoramus Colonel tells them to go kill innocent people, then they better do it. Aided by a some of the soldiers that get let out of prison to fight and murder more. Blood flow is so enjoyable, hey what?? George loves it.
Military trying military?? Military trying terrorists? Sort of like snakes protecting their own. Fair trials? That reminds me I have to poop a McBush ***!!

[dobbershome]

Kill em'' all!

[patriot12436]

Our mistake was allowing bush to invade, although i do not recall him asking the American public before he did it. I think the bottom line is if Iraqi people wanted Sadaam out of power they should have took him out. It was an internal matter they should have decided.

[patriot12436]

ubrew12
I was referring to marines in soldiers as a whole. This incident, we were not there to know the circumstances of what happened so cannot know who or what was wrong. Yiour calling it murder without knowing the facts is ludicrous.

[ubrew12]

patriot12436 said: "our marines and soldiers are not terrorists. "
That is just hopelessly naive. Millions of soldiers have served honorably, without feeling the need to kill unarmed men, women, and children in revenge of a collegues death. It is THEIR fortitude and right action that is being dishonored by these rulings. And unAmerican nazi''s like airmanc5 are the carrion birds encouraged by such unjustified slaughter. They attach themselves and their evil bloodlust to our military every time an innocent is killed unjustly by our military.

War is hell and confusion. That''s not what happened here. This was murder.

[dreamdesigns]

I love it, no one is guilty of murder....the american way BAHahahahahahahahahahaha

[runningralph]

Take that-liberal slime!

[hoseobama]

Bet the far left is disappointed.

[patriot12436]

jboxton
By your comment it is clear you have never been in war. No soldier should ever view the taking of a life in such a callous attitude.

[patriot12436]

misands
Only a complete idiot would wish the horrors of war on anyone.

[patriot12436]

To all of you against the war in Iraq, what are you doing to end it ? Have you bothered to write your representatives ? Do you vote ? We as Americans need to take our country back from the poor leadership we have in office now. We elect officials and they do nothing. It is time to clean house and get representation that will represent what the American people want.

[patriot12436]

davegf
Our soldiers and marines are not terrorists. They didn''t ask for this war either. Have you served your coutry ? If not then appreciate the sacrifice our service members make so that you can have the freedoms you do have.

[patriot12436]

noloyalsti
I am against the war in Iraq and feel bush is the biggest thrreat this nation has ever had. However our marines and soldiers are not terrorists. They go where ordered to go. The terrorists do use women and children against us all the time.

[joecoolswat]

Your Obama quote for the day......"White greed, runs a country in need"

[dobbershome]

Good

[feelfree4u]

gkc99,

I composed a response to you, but it has vanished.

Maybe next time.

[feelfree4u]

Clarification-

"Apparently you do care.."

[gkc99]

"I don''''t know how many times I will have to tell you that I am not religious. Get a clue."--Posted by FeelFree4U


I''m referring to Islam, the tyrannical political system, where nobody has any rights other than what Ayatollah says. The political system that condones murder of people who exercise freedom of choice. The political system that operates like the Mafia--"once in, never out".

There might be a religion in there somewhere, but devotees of the Islamic political power structure is what I''m talking about.

So what if you''re "not religious"?