Haditha Marines: Charges Dismissed On Seven, One Left, and John Murtha Has Still Not Apologized

(Image from Defend Our Marines)

Out eight, now there is only one left....charges against the 7th, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, have been dismissed.

Michelle Malkin has the story and she is paging John Murtha...

I asked long ago, right here at Wake up America, when John Murtha was going to apologize for publicly calling these eight men, cold-blooded killers, without benefit of an investigation or trial.

Marine after Marine has had the charges dismissed and Murtha still has not apologized for slandering them publicly.

Malkin provides the number to call Murtha and ask him where his public apology is?

Fight the smears. Call John “Cold-blooded” Murtha for comment: 202-225-2065.

I will add a little bit to that..... people need to confront John Murtha, relentlessly, until he gives these Marines, their families, friends and supporters the public apology we all deserve from that traitor.

So, from a couple of previous posts, here are multiple ways to reach John Murtha:

For those that agree that John Murtha owes this Marine and the others a huge apology for making statements about their guilt without a benefit of a trial and having now found out that all charges have been dropped, below I am listing the ways for you to contact him.


Via the Web:

His Web Contact Form.

Call him:

800-289-2642 from Western PA (or) 814-535-2642 (or) 202-225-2065


Fax him:

814-539-6229 -- District
202-225-5709 -- Washington

Write him or Visit him:

647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

For those that want to visit him, here are some directions, right from his website.

Directions to Congressman Murtha's Main District Office

People sometimes need or want to find our main office in Johnstown for various reasons. We can't offer directions from every community in this sprawling new 12th District, but these should be sufficient for most people to find their way.

From Uniontown, the fastest route is:

• Take US-119 North.
• Turn Right onto PA-31 East.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 at Donegal and proceed through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 67 miles.

From Washington , PA , the fastest route is:

• Take I-70 E toward New Stanton .
• Take Exit-9 at Donegal.
• Turn Left onto PA-31 east for a very short distance.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 North, and follow 711 through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes; Total Distance: 90 miles.

From the New Kensington area, the fastest route is:

• Take PA-366 East.
• Turn Right onto PA-66.
• Merge onto US-22 East toward Blairsville.
• Turn Right on PA-56 East.
• After entering the City of Johnstown , remain on Route 56 through several turns and a series of traffic signals on Broad Street , which is both PA-56 and PA-403.
• The road turns right and follows the Conemaugh River under a railroad overpass.
• Turn Left at the next traffic signal onto Washington Street .
• Turn Right at the fourth traffic signal onto PA-271/Clinton Street .
• Turn Left at the second traffic signal onto Main Street .
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 60 miles.

From most places in Cambria or Somerset Counties , the fastest route is:

• Take Route 219 North or South toward Johnstown .
• Merge onto Route 56 West/Johnstown Expressway.
• Take the first Downtown Johnstown exit -- Bedford Street .
• Turn Right at the end of the exit ramp onto Adams Street .
• Proceed one block and turn Left at the stop sign onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the right immediately past Feeder Street (just before the railroad tracks). Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.

What is everyone waiting for, lets tell John Murtha exactly how we feel, shall we?

All previous pieces on the Haditha Marines can be found on one page here.

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Another Dismissal of Charges Against Haditha Marine

Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum, under charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment for the deaths of 24 civilians two years ago in Haditha, Iraq, has been cleared of all charges pending his court martial, and will not face trial for the Haditha incident.

Currently, there has been no official explanation for the dropping of charges against Tatum, but there is speculation that he may be called to testify in the court martial trial of his squad leader at the time of the incident.

The government has been trying to compel Tatum to testify against his squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich. In recent weeks, it offered Tatum testimonial immunity – meaning that anything Tatum said during Wuterich's trial couldn't be used as self-incrimination.

Wuterich and Tatum are part of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. A roadside bomb struck their unit's convoy Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha, killing one Marine and wounding two others.

The investigation in the Haditha shootings and bombing are still under investigation, and have been covered extensively here at Wake Up America:

al-Qaeda Planned the Whole Haditha Massacre

Haditha Marines, John Murtha and the New York Times

Haditha Marines: Judge Orders John Murtha to testify in defamation case

Another Haditha Marine Exonerated-Still No Apology From Murtha

Haditha Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani to Sue John Murtha

Haditha Investigator:Drop Marine murder case

So far there is STILL no apology from John Murtha.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man

[Update] More from Let Freedom Ring.

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al-Qaeda Planned the Whole Haditha Massacre

Sometimes you run across something that leaves you just shaking your head in utter bewilderment.

Yesterday we spoke about the NYT trying to excuse themselves from their complicity in convicting our Marines in the eyes of the American public, without even the benefit of an investigation.

John Murtha publicly stated that they killed civilians in Haditha in "cold blood", we asked last night, again, when he would apologize now that the charges have been dropped on the majority of those Marines and the lead investigator has recommended dropping the rest.

Here is the link which explains the recent history of what has been called the Haditha Massacre, the rush to declare our Marines murderers by John Murtha and our mainstream media, the investigations that led to having the charges dropped one by one against the Marines, the men suing John Murtha for defamation, libel and slander, the judges remarks that politicians do not get a free pass for statements made to advance their political careers...its all there....remember that link, because it also provides contact methods from web forms, to phone numbers to driving directions to be able to DEMAND an apology from John Murtha.

If you haven't been prepared to demand that apology before, you will after you see what Defend Our Marines has uncovered and has up as an exclusive.

This is their exclusive, so while I will show a few excerpts, you must click to get the whole, sickening story there.

October 6, 2007 – Buried in the mountain of exhibits attached to the once secret Haditha, Iraq murder inquiry prepared by US Army Maj. Gen. Eldon A. Bargewell is an obscure Marine Corps intelligence summary (see pdf) that says the deadly encounter was an intentional propaganda ploy planned and paid for by Al Qaeda foreign fighters.

[...]

Eleven insurgents involved in the attack are identified by name and affiliation in the details of the summary. All of them were killed or captured in the days immediately following the Haditha incident.

During the November Haditha battle, the insurgents secreted themselves among local civilians to guarantee pursuing Marines would catch innocent civilians in the ensuing crossfire. On January 6, 2006 six insurgents who tried to do the same thing at another location in Haditha were turned in to Coalition authorities before they could mount a similar assault, the report says.

[...]

Our media, the enemy within

The prosecutors in the case against eight Marines charged with murder and cover up at Haditha still maintain the besieged infantrymen acted solely out of malice and poor judgment when they killed 24 Iraqis there. The prosecution’s investigation was launched after a story by Time magazine reporter Tim McGirk on March 6, 2006 accused the Marines of cold blooded murder in retaliation for the death of a brother Marine.

McGirk received his video “evidence” and contacts from two known Iraqi insurgent operatives already under observation by Marine Corps counter intelligence teams. One of the Iraqi witnesses McGirk relied on had just been released from almost six months captivity for insurgent activities and the other witness was considered a useful intelligence tool by Marines listening to him talk on his cell phone. McGirk never interviewed the Marines, who ironically had prepared a similar intelligence summary in anticipation of his canceled visit.

There is much, much more, they show which specific pages in the PDF file where you can find the pertinent information. If this information is accurate then the Marines have been wronged even more than we originally thought.

We have shown you before where al-Qaeda stated, loud and clear that they were going to launch a media campaign to battle us to "To Create A Wedge Between The American People And Their Government.

al-Qaeda statements have shown that they understand the importance of the media and shaping what is shown to the American public, I have wondered if our administration understood exactly how effective that would be.

Osama Bin Laden: Al-Qaeda Intends To Launch "A Media Campaign ... To Create A Wedge Between The American People And Their Government." (Letter From Osama Bin Laden To Mullah Omar, Released By The White House Press Office, 9/5/06)

Bin Laden: This Media Campaign Will Stress "That [The American] Government Would Bring Them More Losses, In Finances And In Casualties."

Bin Laden: The Media Campaign "Aims At Creating Pressure From The American People On The American Government To Stop Their Campaign Against Afghanistan."

We have shown you the AP, NYT and CNN, deliberately bringing you news from stringers,or obtaining videos from terrorists and showing them on television then offering them OnDemand or just spreading enemy propaganda, some of which has proven to be completely false.

Our media either willingly does it (in the case of CNN and NYT, linked above) or they are so incompetent, in this case, they simply did not bother to research and find the declassified information that Defend Our Marines did.

John Murtha, holding a political position like he does and being a former Marine, is even more complicit in spreading these lies and destroying these young Marines lives.

Our media and our politicians were either played by al-Qaeda or they willingly spread al-Qaeda's propaganda...either way, since we have had those al-Qaeda statements for a very long time and every one knew al-Qaeda planned to use our media against us as part of the war they are waging, there is no excuse.

None.

This is what John Murtha said in 2006, before the investigation had even been completed:

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

Gateway Pundit reminds us of NYT's complicity in convicting these marines in the media, just as John Murtha did, by showing us 3 previous pieces the NYT published on this subject:

The New York Times
June 4, 2006:

The apparent cold-blooded killing last November of 24 Iraqi civilians by United States marines at Haditha will be hard to dispose of with another Washington damage control operation. The Iraqi government has made clear that it will not sit still for one, and neither should the American people. This affair cannot simply be dismissed as the spontaneous cruelty of a few bad men.

That is only one of the pieces Gateway Pundit shows, go there to see the rest.

Our media, our politicians, our far left liberal bloggers all convicted these men and they all owe them an apology.

It won't make up for the damage that has been done to them, but it is the least that these fine Marines are owed.

[Update, at 21:45 CST]

Incredible, and a definite thank you to spree for covering this ongoing situation with such faith and care.

Is it any wonder that veteran Marines are calling John Murtha the second "ex-Marine?"

The only other "ex-Marine" in history is Lee Harvey Oswald.

Once a Marine, always a Marine...unless you betray the Corps, and John Murtha has definitely betrayed the Corps, in the eyes of this soldier. I'm not going to demand he step down, I'm going to suggest it. I only do so out of RESPECT for the Marines so that THEY can demand that he step down from his office.

Semper Fidelis. That is the motto of the Marine Corps. For those of you who don't know what it means, it means Always Faithful. John Murtha has betrayed the faith to the Corps. I personally leave handling Murtha TO the Marines, and have faith that they will, indeed, deal with him.




Tracked back by:
The Haditha Truth the MSM Buried from Miss Beth's Victory Dance...
Everyone Knew Al Qaida Orchrestrated Haditha But I from Take Our Country Back...




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Haditha Marines, John Murtha and the New York Times

We asked not long ago, if John Murtha was going to apologize to the Haditha Marines and to the American public for his slanderous, libelous accusations against the Haditha Marines before they even had the benefit of a military trial, we showed a heartfelt letter from L/Cpl Justin Sharratt's father, L/Cpl Sharratt being one of those Marines that Murtha so callously slandered, we also showed our readers when the investigator first recommended dropping the charges against the Haditha Marines..... still no apology from John "the slanderer" Murtha.

Then another Marine was exonerated and still no apology from Murtha.

A Marine is suing John Murtha for defamation and a judge refused to dismiss the case and ordered Murtha to give a sworn deposition and her words were:

"You're writing a very wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?" Collyer said, adding later, "How far can a congressman go and still be protected?"

Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.

Another Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani plans on hauling Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha, into court, suing him for libel.

The NYT as well as countless other media outlets also owe the Marines and the American public a huge apology.

Today, as Gateway Pundit so succinctly puts it, The NYT is mourning the loss of what they call Iraq's "defining atrocity".

NYT:

BAGHDAD, Oct. 5 — Last year, when accounts of the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha by a group of marines came to light, it seemed that the Iraq war had produced its defining atrocity, just as the conflict in Vietnam had spawned the My Lai massacre a generation ago.

But on Thursday, a senior military investigator recommended dropping murder charges against the ranking enlisted marine accused in the 2005 killings, just as he had done earlier in the cases of two other marines charged in the case. The recommendation may well have ended prosecutors’ chances of winning any murder convictions in the killings of the apparently unarmed men, women and children.

My personal favorite part of the NYT atrocious piece today is seem to be whining about Lt. Col. Paul J. Ware, who presided over the hearings and concluded that all three cases lacked sufficient evidence.

In the end, in Colonel Ware’s view, expressed in dozens of pages of analysis and opinion in his reports on all three cases, the Haditha prosecutors failed to amass enough evidence to win a conviction.

In his latest report, in which he recommended dismissing 10 murder charges against Sergeant Wuterich and reducing seven others to negligent homicide, Colonel Ware wrote that the evidence presented to him “is simply not strong enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.”

He made similar conclusions in his reports on the cases against two other infantrymen for whom he urged the dismissal of all charges: Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, whose murder charges were subsequently thrown out by the commanding general overseeing the case, and Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, who is still waiting to hear the general’s decision. Commanders usually follow investigators’ recommendations.

“When you have an investigating officer like Ware, who says ‘don’t go there if you can’t prove,’” your case, Mr. Solis said, “we’re left with what appear to be very reduced charges.” He added: “He’s aggressive, and he seems to make his judgments without regard for anything but the law. He must know that people — civilians, primarily — are going to howl about this, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern.”

So, what? Was Ware supposed to ignore the law and be more concerned about people "howling"?

Gateway Pundit reminds us of NYT's complicity in convicting these marines in the media, just as John Murtha did, by showing us 3 previous pieces the NYT published on this subject:

The New York Times
June 4, 2006:

The apparent cold-blooded killing last November of 24 Iraqi civilians by United States marines at Haditha will be hard to dispose of with another Washington damage control operation. The Iraqi government has made clear that it will not sit still for one, and neither should the American people. This affair cannot simply be dismissed as the spontaneous cruelty of a few bad men.

This is the nightmare that everyone worried about when the Iraq invasion took place. Critics of the war predicted that American troops would become an occupying force, unable to distinguish between innocent civilians and murderous insurgents, propelled down the same path that led the British to disaster in Northern Ireland and American troops to grief in Vietnam.

That is only one of the pieces Gateway Pundit shows, go there to see the rest.

Democracy Project thinks the NYT just excused itself, or tried to.

The other day I said that I didn’t expect to hear any apologies from the major media for their trial by press error, and the New York Times’ latest excuse for itself, a poor excuse for a self-purported newspaper of record, is decidedly not an apology but a cop-out, which only convicts itself.

Every excuse that the New York Times raises for not obtaining the lynching it desired is directly refuted by facts. I’m so disgusted that I don’t even feel like documenting them all now. For those interested, please visit the extensive writings I’ve posted over the past 1+ years: The real evidence and circumstances are all there: Iraqis who all knew of the planned attack on the Marines; Contradictory stories from Iraqis; Iraq customs do allow autopsies; Multiple contradictions by immune witnesses; Forensics that did not support a massacre; etc.

The NYT needs to stop creating excuses and apologize. More importantly though, John Murtha needs to apologize and the last time he was confronted about it, he still refused to issue that apology.

NOW he wants to wait for all the facts...well where was that line of thought when you were condemning those Marines Mr. Murtha?

From a previous post:

Yesterday Hot Air provided a video of John Murtha being confronted on the issue where he STILL is refusing to issue an apology.

Murtha was quick enough to publicly slander these Marines and yet when evidence shows that he was wrong, he is eerily quiet and still no apology.

At this point, an apology isn't good enough.

Murtha should not be holding a political position at all.

John Murtha needs to step down.

As Back Talk says:

Except, of course, in the minds of John Murtha and many other Democrats who unquestionably support the troops. To them, the mere charge was sufficient to convict our soldiers of having committed cold-blooded murder.

Black Five points out:

Do you see the missing factor he completely neglects to mention? Maybe no crimes were freaking committed. Huh? Maybe that is what hampered the effort to win murder convictions, and note the use of the word "win" not obtain. I am unable to read this as anything other than a requiem for the "defining atrocity that should have been".

This writer did a decent job of chronicling the case against MSG Anderson and CPT Staffel so it is a bit surprising to see such a nakedly biased bit like this. It is plenty fair to look at the difficulties faced in gathering evidence to try and prosecute these men. It is low and shameful to fail to note that all charges were dropped against 5 of the 6 and maybe, just maybe that was because they were innocent. I know, I know that's crazy talk.

The charges have been dropped against 5 of the 6..... with that said, now lets look at John Murtha" s original slanderous statements made to the press on may 2006 , before the investigations had even been completed:

On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the accounts are true.

[...]

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

[...]

The Marine Corps issued a statement in response to Murtha's remarks:

"There is an ongoing investigation; therefore, any comment at this time would be inappropriate and could undermine the investigatory and possible legal process. As soon as the facts are known and decisions on future actions are made, we will make that information available to the public to the fullest extent allowable."

Murtha held the news conference to mark six months since his initial call for "redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq.

He said U.S. forces were under undue pressure in Iraq because of poor planning and allocation of resources by the Bush administration.

Disgusting, pathetic excuse for a human being. I hope they sue him for every cent he has and the public should DEMAND he step down, he doesn't deserve to hold any political position.

[Update]

For those that agree that John Murtha owes this Marine and the others a huge apology for making statements about their guilt without a benefit of a trial and having now found out that all charges have been dropped, below I am listing the ways for you to contact him.


Via the Web:

His Web Contact Form.

Call him:

800-289-2642 from Western PA (or) 814-535-2642 (or) 202-225-2065


Fax him:

814-539-6229 -- District
202-225-5709 -- Washington

Write him or Visit him:

647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

For those that want to visit him, here are some directions, right from his website.

Directions to Congressman Murtha's Main District Office

People sometimes need or want to find our main office in Johnstown for various reasons. We can't offer directions from every community in this sprawling new 12th District, but these should be sufficient for most people to find their way.

From Uniontown, the fastest route is:

• Take US-119 North.
• Turn Right onto PA-31 East.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 at Donegal and proceed through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 67 miles.

From Washington , PA , the fastest route is:

• Take I-70 E toward New Stanton .
• Take Exit-9 at Donegal.
• Turn Left onto PA-31 east for a very short distance.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 North, and follow 711 through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes; Total Distance: 90 miles.

From the New Kensington area, the fastest route is:

• Take PA-366 East.
• Turn Right onto PA-66.
• Merge onto US-22 East toward Blairsville.
• Turn Right on PA-56 East.
• After entering the City of Johnstown , remain on Route 56 through several turns and a series of traffic signals on Broad Street , which is both PA-56 and PA-403.
• The road turns right and follows the Conemaugh River under a railroad overpass.
• Turn Left at the next traffic signal onto Washington Street .
• Turn Right at the fourth traffic signal onto PA-271/Clinton Street .
• Turn Left at the second traffic signal onto Main Street .
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 60 miles.

From most places in Cambria or Somerset Counties , the fastest route is:

• Take Route 219 North or South toward Johnstown .
• Merge onto Route 56 West/Johnstown Expressway.
• Take the first Downtown Johnstown exit -- Bedford Street .
• Turn Right at the end of the exit ramp onto Adams Street .
• Proceed one block and turn Left at the stop sign onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the right immediately past Feeder Street (just before the railroad tracks). Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.

What is everyone waiting for, lets tell John Murtha exactly how we feel, shall we?







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Haditha Marines: Judge Orders John Murtha to testify in defamation case

When John Murtha set off a firestorm by publicly convicting the Haditha Marines before they had even been tried, he was starting a chain of events that are continuing to snowball and one of those Marines, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, is suing him for defamation.

Another Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani plans on hauling Murtha into court also for libel.

The Justice Department tried to get the case dismissed, but his public accusations against the Haditha Marines are well documented and the Judge refused to dismiss the case and has ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat, John Murtha to give a sworn deposition.

A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 16-term congressman for alleging "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" by unnamed soldiers in connection with the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha.

The deaths became known in May 2006 when Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, said at a Capitol Hill news conference that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in the town in 2005.

Murtha's office declined to comment on the ruling. He has said his intention was to draw attention to the pressure put on troops in Iraq and to cover-up the incident.

The Justice Department wanted the case dismissed because Murtha was acting in his official role as a lawmaker. Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Henault said the comments were made as part of the debate over the war in Iraq.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer said the congressman might be right, but said she won't know for sure unless Murtha explains himself. She did not set a date for Murtha's testimony but said she would also require him to turn over documents related to his comments.

"You're writing a very wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any liability. Are you sure you want to do that?" Collyer said, adding later, "How far can a congressman go and still be protected?"

Collyer said she was troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of what they say to advance their political careers.

Background:

First we showed a letter written to John Murtha from L/Cpl Justin Sharratt's father, a heartfelt letter about Murtha's reprehensible conduct regarding those Marines.

After we found out that all charges had been dropped against L/Cpl Justin Sharratt, we asked if Murtha was going to apologize and we provided detailed information, webform contact to John Murtha, phone numbers, his office location and directions on how to get to his offices, for those of you that wanted to see him apologize to have your voices heard.

Then we saw the Haditha investigators recommending that all charges be dropped for the Haditha Marines.

Murtha's words before the Marines had been tried:

On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the accounts are true.

[...]

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

[...]

The Marine Corps issued a statement in response to Murtha's remarks:

"There is an ongoing investigation; therefore, any comment at this time would be inappropriate and could undermine the investigatory and possible legal process. As soon as the facts are known and decisions on future actions are made, we will make that information available to the public to the fullest extent allowable."

Murtha held the news conference to mark six months since his initial call for "redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq.

He said U.S. forces were under undue pressure in Iraq because of poor planning and allocation of resources by the Bush administration.

Murtha deserves to be publicly humiliated for those accusations against Marines without the benefit of a full investigation or trial and I am glad the judge has ordered this deposition.

Previously:
Letter to Murtha from Marine's Dad.
Is John Murtha Going to Apologize to the Haditha Marines Now?: UPDATED.
Haditha Investigator:Drop Marine murder case.
Haditha Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani to Sue John Murtha.
Another Haditha Marine Exonerated-Still No Apology From Murtha.


Others discussing this: (via memeorandum)
Hot Air and Right Voices.



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Another Haditha Marine Exonerated-Still No Apology From Murtha

[Update] 9/28/07- Judge orders Murtha to testify in defamation case against him.

Yet another Haditha Marine, Capt. Lucas M. McConnell, is exonerated.

The dismissal of the charges, officially dated Sept. 12, amounts to a full exoneration for McConnell, who was one of four officers charged with crimes related to the aftermath of the shootings.

"It's long overdue," said Kevin McDermott, McConnell's civilian attorney. "It is clear that everything these guys knew went up the chain of command."

Another captain -- a battalion lawyer -- was also cleared. Two officers, including the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, still face charges. Murder charges are outstanding against two Marines who killed people in Haditha, but an investigating officer has recommended that one of the cases be dropped.

July 24, 2007 we showed you a letter to Murtha from Darryl Sharratt, Proud American, Proud father of L/Cpl Justin L. Sharratt, taking John Murtha to task for his public condemnation of the Haditha Marines before they had even been tried.

Murtha's words:

On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the accounts are true.

[...]

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

[...]

The Marine Corps issued a statement in response to Murtha's remarks:

"There is an ongoing investigation; therefore, any comment at this time would be inappropriate and could undermine the investigatory and possible legal process. As soon as the facts are known and decisions on future actions are made, we will make that information available to the public to the fullest extent allowable."

Murtha held the news conference to mark six months since his initial call for "redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq.

He said U.S. forces were under undue pressure in Iraq because of poor planning and allocation of resources by the Bush administration.

Then after L/Cpl Justin L. Sharratt had charges against him dropped, we asked if John Murtha was going to issue a public apology, as publicly as he originally asserted their guilt. We also provided detailed instructions on how to get to Murtha's office, email him and all the numbers to call to ask him the same question.

Hot Air got the answer when John Murtha's office hung up on them.

Yesterday Hot Air provided a video of John Murtha being confronted on the issue where he STILL is refusing to issue an apology.



As we showed you above, Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani is still facing charges and the investigators have already recommended all those charges be dropped.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani has already stated he will initiate a lawsuit against John Murtha for his libelous public accusations against the Haditha Marines and I hope he wins and is awarded every last cent Murtha has to his name.

Brian Rooney, one of the attorneys at Michigan's Thomas More Law Center representing Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani and a former Marine captain himself told NewsMax.com that his client, who is alleged to have failed to fully investigate the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha November, 2005 and not reporting an alleged Law of War violation, may follow the example of another Haditha Marine, SSgt. Frank Wuterich who is suing Murtha for libel.

Murtha set off a media firestorm last year when even before the matter had been fully investigated he charged members of Kilo Company, 3rd Bn, 1st Marine Regiment had gone on a rampage and slaughtered 24 Iraqi civilians in cold blood to avenge the killing of a member of their unit in an IED explosion. He also said that the incident occurred in the absence of any firefight, although it occurred as part of a day-long battle with insurgent ambushers that wounded 11 Marines.

Rooney told NewsMax.Com that his group that, if as they expect, Chessani is cleared just as one officer, Capt. Randy Stone and two enlisted men have either been exonerated of had a hearing officer recommend exoneration they will seek to hold Murtha accountable.

John Murtha deserves to be held accountable and I am glad that he is being confronted on this issue publicly and I would hope that he continues to be confronted every single time he gets in front of a camera.

The man is a disgrace to the uniform he once wore.

More from Weekly Standard.






.

Haditha Marine, Col. Jeffrey Chessani to Sue John Murtha

[Update] 9/28/07- Judge orders Murtha to testify in defamation case against him.

When John Murtha set off a firestorm by publicly convicting the Haditha Marines before they had even been tried, he was starting a chain of events that are continuing to snowball and one of those Marines is planning to sue.

Background:

First we showed a letter written to John Murtha from L/Cpl Justin Sharratt's father, a heartfelt letter about Murtha's reprehensible conduct regarding those Marines.

After we found out that all charges had been dropped against L/Cpl Justin Sharratt, we asked if Murtha was going to apologize and we provided detailed information, webform contact to John Murtha, phone numbers, his office location and directions on how to get to his offices, for those of you that wanted to see him apoligize to have your voices heard.

Then we saw the Haditha investigators recommending that all charges be dropped for the Haditha Marines.

Now we have Haditha Marine Col. Jeffrey Chessani plans on hauling Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha, into court, suing him for libel, one of his lawyers told NewsMax.com.

Brian Rooney, one of the attorneys at Michigan's Thomas More Law Center representing Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani and a former Marine captain himself told NewsMax.com that his client, who is alleged to have failed to fully investigate the killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha November, 2005 and not reporting an alleged Law of War violation, may follow the example of another Haditha Marine, SSgt. Frank Wuterich who is suing Murtha for libel.

Murtha set off a media firestorm last year when even before the matter had been fully investigated he charged members of Kilo Company, 3rd Bn, 1st Marine Regiment had gone on a rampage and slaughtered 24 Iraqi civilians in cold blood to avenge the killing of a member of their unit in an IED explosion. He also said that the incident occurred in the absence of any firefight, although it occurred as part of a day-long battle with insurgent ambushers that wounded 11 Marines.

Rooney told NewsMax.Com that his group that, if as they expect, Chessani is cleared just as one officer, Capt. Randy Stone and two enlisted men have either been exonerated of had a hearing officer recommend exoneration they will seek to hold Murtha accountable.

According to Brian Rooney , SSgt. Frank Wuterich -- one of the other defendants in the investigation now awaiting a hearing on murder charges -- is already suing Murtha for those libelous comments. He insists that Murtha should be held accountable for taking the word of Iraqi insurgents and calling the Marines "cold-blooded murderers."

"Staff Sergeant Wuterich's attorneys are suing Congressman Murtha for liable for saying that the Marines were cold-blooded murderers, and that suit's still ongoing," Rooney said.

"We're not suing Murtha right now," Rooney added. "I know that Frank Wuterich's attorney are suing him for libel, and we will explore that option once our criminal case has been concluded. We hope to show that Murtha is guilty of libel against our client because when he accused the unit's officers of covering up the incident he could only have been referring to Lt. Col. Chessani.

John Murtha, a former Marine himself, should be ashamed of himself for letting his political posturing damage these Marines reputations without even a benefit of a trial or investigation.

He should be sued. He should be forced to step down for taking advantage of his political standing to libel these young men and do harm to them and their families.

John Murtha is a disgrace to every Marine alive today and should be held accountable for his careless actions and words.

Hot Air asks if any Democratic pundits will step up and criticize Murtha for rushing to judgment, then he looks and nope, he does not find any willing to do so, so he asks another question:

But nope, no criticism of Murtha. Don’t you people support the troops in any tangible way, ever?

I hope all of these marines sue John Murtha and furthermore, I hope that they win and the judgments take every penny this man has.

Murtha is beyond contempt.







.

Haditha Investigator:Drop Marine murder case

News Channel 3 tells us that the Haditha investigator is recommending that all charges be dropped against the Haditha marines.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - An investigating officer has recommended dismissal of all charges against one Camp Pendleton Marine accused of murdering two girls in an assault that killed 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha.

Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum is charged with unpremeditated murder of 2 girls and negligent homicide on suspicion that he unlawfully killed two men, a woman and a boy. He is also accused of assaulting another boy and a girl.

Investigating officer Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ware found the evidence was too weak for a court-martial....

Wapo goes into more detail:

An investigating officer has recommended that a Marine Corps general drop all charges against a Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, finding again that the 2005 shootings were "tragedies" but that the Marine did not violate the laws of combat.

Lt. Col. Paul J. Ware wrote in a 29-page report that there is insufficient evidence to show that Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum did anything other than follow Marine Corps rules when he killed women and children in two houses in a residential neighborhood in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005. Ware found that Tatum followed orders to attack the houses and shot a group of civilians only because another Marine in the unit was already shooting at them.

The case is the second in which Ware has recommended to Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis that charges be dismissed, arguing in both instances that the Marines were operating in a complex combat environment. Mattis agreed with Ware's earlier recommendation and dismissed all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, who killed a group of men in a house hours after Marines stormed into two homes and killed civilians inside.

Now we already showed you previously the letter that Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt's father had written to John Murtha, who before any investigations were completed had already publicly accused the Haditha Marines of being murderers.

Then after the charges had been dropped against Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, we asked when John Murtha was going to apologize as publicly as he made the accusations..... nothing, he didn't do it and when his office was called by Hot Air, they hung up.

So, once again, John Murtha, when are you going to apologize for your careless, premature accusations?

If you, like me, believe that he owes those marines, their families and the American people a huge apology...then let him know it.

Via the Web:

His Web Contact Form.

Call him:

800-289-2642 from Western PA (or) 814-535-2642 (or) 202-225-2065


Fax him:

814-539-6229 -- District
202-225-5709 -- Washington

Write him or Visit him:

647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

For those that want to visit him, here are some directions, right from his website.

Directions to Congressman Murtha's Main District Office

People sometimes need or want to find our main office in Johnstown for various reasons. We can't offer directions from every community in this sprawling new 12th District, but these should be sufficient for most people to find their way.

From Uniontown, the fastest route is:

• Take US-119 North.
• Turn Right onto PA-31 East.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 at Donegal and proceed through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 67 miles.

From Washington , PA , the fastest route is:

• Take I-70 E toward New Stanton .
• Take Exit-9 at Donegal.
• Turn Left onto PA-31 east for a very short distance.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 North, and follow 711 through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes; Total Distance: 90 miles.

From the New Kensington area, the fastest route is:

• Take PA-366 East.
• Turn Right onto PA-66.
• Merge onto US-22 East toward Blairsville.
• Turn Right on PA-56 East.
• After entering the City of Johnstown , remain on Route 56 through several turns and a series of traffic signals on Broad Street , which is both PA-56 and PA-403.
• The road turns right and follows the Conemaugh River under a railroad overpass.
• Turn Left at the next traffic signal onto Washington Street .
• Turn Right at the fourth traffic signal onto PA-271/Clinton Street .
• Turn Left at the second traffic signal onto Main Street .
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 60 miles.

From most places in Cambria or Somerset Counties , the fastest route is:

• Take Route 219 North or South toward Johnstown .
• Merge onto Route 56 West/Johnstown Expressway.
• Take the first Downtown Johnstown exit -- Bedford Street .
• Turn Right at the end of the exit ramp onto Adams Street .
• Proceed one block and turn Left at the stop sign onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the right immediately past Feeder Street (just before the railroad tracks). Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.

What is everyone waiting for, lets tell John Murtha exactly how we feel, shall we?

Take Our Country Back has a few words for Murtha also. Take a look.


(NOTE: Instead of leaving you with the advertisements I usually have at the bottom of each post, I will leave you with one of the videos from Freedoms Watch) [30 second video.]

Wounded Veteran:




.

Is John Murtha Going to Apologize to the Haditha Marines Now?: UPDATED

[Update below] Hot Air, gets the answer.

Somehow I doubt it. The problem with lawmakers and the press convicting people, including our military, in the press, is the original story gets so much more attention than when those people are vindicated.

What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law or in this case a military court?

Background:

WASHINGTON - A Pentagon probe into the death of Iraqi civilians last November in the Iraqi city of Haditha will show that U.S. Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood," a U.S. lawmaker said Wednesday.

From the beginning, Iraqis in the town of Haditha said U.S. Marines deliberately killed 15 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including seven women and three children.

One young Iraqi girl said the Marines killed six members of her family, including her parents. “The Americans came into the room where my father was praying,” she said, “and shot him.”

[...]

A videotape taken by an Iraqi showed the aftermath of the alleged attack: a blood-smeared bedroom floor and bits of what appear to be human flesh and bullet holes on the walls.

The video, obtained by Time magazine, was broadcast a day after town residents told The Associated Press that American troops entered homes on Nov. 19 and shot dead 15 members of two families, including a 3-year-old girl, after a roadside bomb killed a U.S. Marine.

Real big surprise here that the AP had their grubby mitts in this one, huh?

Murtha's words:

On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the accounts are true.

[...]

Murtha, a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, said at a news conference Wednesday that sources within the military have told him that an internal investigation will show that "there was no firefight, there was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

[...]

The Marine Corps issued a statement in response to Murtha's remarks:

"There is an ongoing investigation; therefore, any comment at this time would be inappropriate and could undermine the investigatory and possible legal process. As soon as the facts are known and decisions on future actions are made, we will make that information available to the public to the fullest extent allowable."

Murtha held the news conference to mark six months since his initial call for "redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq.

He said U.S. forces were under undue pressure in Iraq because of poor planning and allocation of resources by the Bush administration.

Today (Hat Tip to memeorandum again)we find out that all charges against against a Marine who had been accused of killing three Iraqi brothers in response to a roadside bomb attack in Haditha in 2005, have been dropped.

"The evidence does not support a referral to a court-martial," Lt. Gen. James Mattis wrote in his written decision.

Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, 22, had been charged with the murder in the deaths of three of those killed after the bomb attack Nov. 19, 2005.

The decision to drop the charges followed an earlier recommendation from a hearing officer who listened to evidence in the case. Under military law, a commanding general has total jurisdiction over a case.

In his recommendation, Lt. Col. Paul Ware said murder charges brought against Sharratt were based on unreliable witness accounts, poor forensic evidence and questionable legal theories.

"The government version is unsupported by independent evidence," Ware wrote in an 18-page report. "To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary."

Now back on July 24, 2007, we brought you a letter from Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt's father, Darryl Sharratt,, that stated his intention to ask the Congress of the United States to censure Representative John Murtha and hold hearings to explain his conduct in respect to the Haditha incident.

Here is the letter in full:

Throughout this Haditha investigation our family has believed in the innocence of our son L/Cpl Justin Sharratt- we knew he was innocent. There are things I do not understand and I would like to find the answers. We do not seek revenge, but we would like to see justice. In a conversation with Congressman John Murtha, my questions still remain unanswered. With the help of the American people, I hope to find justice.

On Wednesday morning, July 17th I spoke with Congressman John Murtha via telephone from his Washington, DC office. We had a courteous conversation. I knew what to expect from a career politician and Congressman Murtha did not disappoint. Mr. Murtha avoided answering the hard questions and I was unable to press him for the answers. I wanted the conversation to remain amicable and decided to let him speak and avoid a heated confrontation.

At no time during the dialogue would Mr. Murtha acknowledge the impending exoneration of my son. I pressed him to use the word exoneration but the best I could get was “things seem to have gone well in your son’s Article 32. The General is a fair man and I believe he will do the right thing.” I replied, ” Lt. Col Paul Ware presented a strong recommendation for exoneration and we are anticipating Lt. Gen James Mattis following this recommendation.”

Mr. Murtha asked me if I had served in the military. He recalled his visits with injured Marines, soldiers and sailors. He said he supports our troops and it is the war he does not condone. Mr Murtha believes combat operations in Iraq have put an enormous strain on our Armed Forces. The stress of combat situations has led our troops to kill innocent civilians. I pointed out to Mr. Murtha, ” Our Haditha Marines are innocent until proven guilty.” It seems he is again denying our Marines their Constitutional rights of due process and the presumption of innocence. Mr. Murtha replied that we have a Marine (Mendoza) testifying that innocent women and children were killed in Haditha. I retorted that he is again believing the reports of the media and Mendoza was granted immunity for his lies. Mendoza has changed his testimony at least two times. NCIS may have threatened him with deportation and denial of US citizenship. This time I scolded him, ” I witnessed their (NCIS) conduct first hand in my son’s Article 32.”

I questioned Congressman Murtha as to his statements of 17 May 2006. On national television, in front of millions of Americans, he stated ” Marines killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” I asked him why he denied these Marines their Constitutional rights of due process and the presumption of innocence. Again the Congressman used his experience to side step the answer. Mr. Murtha stated his intentions were to point out the stress our military was under in Iraq. He replied we would not win the hearts of the Iraqi people by killing women and children. I again snapped, ” Our Haditha Marines have not been convicted of killing innocents and are innocent until proven guilty.”

I believe this conversation was the first step in obtaining justice for Our Haditha Marines. I did not expect Mr. Murtha to admit to or apologize for any wrongdoing in his role to railroad my son and his Marine comrades. The American people now know that his unfounded and untruthful allegations were used to further his political agenda. It is my intention to ask the Congress of the United States to censure Representative John Murtha and hold hearings to explain his conduct in respect to the Haditha incident. I will ask the American people to question his blatant disregard for the Constitutional rights of Our Haditha Marines. I will campaign to the voters of Pa Congressional District 12 to oust Representative Murtha from his elected office. The American people deserve better, we must demand better representation from our elected officials.

Darryl Sharratt
Proud American, Proud father of L/Cpl Justin L. Sharratt

I suggest that everyone join Mr. Sharratt in his campaign for justice for his son.

The only thing I disagree with Mr. Sharratt about, is he may not "expect" John Murtha to apologize, but I believe we should all expect him to apologize immediately!!!!!

For those that agree that John Murtha owes this Marine and the others a huge apology for making statements about their guilt without a benefit of a trial and having now found out that all charges have been dropped, below I am listing the ways for you to contact him.

Via the Web:

His Web Contact Form.

Call him:

800-289-2642 from Western PA (or) 814-535-2642 (or) 202-225-2065


Fax him:

814-539-6229 -- District
202-225-5709 -- Washington

Write him or Visit him:

647 Main St, Suite 401
Johnstown, PA 15901

For those that want to visit him, here are some directions, right from his website.

Directions to Congressman Murtha's Main District Office

People sometimes need or want to find our main office in Johnstown for various reasons. We can't offer directions from every community in this sprawling new 12th District, but these should be sufficient for most people to find their way.

From Uniontown, the fastest route is:

• Take US-119 North.
• Turn Right onto PA-31 East.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 at Donegal and proceed through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 67 miles.

From Washington , PA , the fastest route is:

• Take I-70 E toward New Stanton .
• Take Exit-9 at Donegal.
• Turn Left onto PA-31 east for a very short distance.
• Turn Left onto PA-711 North, and follow 711 through Ligonier.
• Turn Right onto PA-271 about five miles north of Ligonier.
• Remain on PA-271 into the City of Johnstown -- the Route becomes Menoher Boulevard, makes a right turn onto Haynes Street at a traffic signal, passes through 3 traffic signals and turns left at the 5th traffic signal onto Bedford Street.
• Proceed one block on Bedford Street and turn Right onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes; Total Distance: 90 miles.

From the New Kensington area, the fastest route is:

• Take PA-366 East.
• Turn Right onto PA-66.
• Merge onto US-22 East toward Blairsville.
• Turn Right on PA-56 East.
• After entering the City of Johnstown , remain on Route 56 through several turns and a series of traffic signals on Broad Street , which is both PA-56 and PA-403.
• The road turns right and follows the Conemaugh River under a railroad overpass.
• Turn Left at the next traffic signal onto Washington Street .
• Turn Right at the fourth traffic signal onto PA-271/Clinton Street .
• Turn Left at the second traffic signal onto Main Street .
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the left immediately past the railroad tracks. Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.
• Estimated Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes; Total Distance: 60 miles.

From most places in Cambria or Somerset Counties , the fastest route is:

• Take Route 219 North or South toward Johnstown .
• Merge onto Route 56 West/Johnstown Expressway.
• Take the first Downtown Johnstown exit -- Bedford Street .
• Turn Right at the end of the exit ramp onto Adams Street .
• Proceed one block and turn Left at the stop sign onto Main Street
• 647 Main Street is called the Feeder Canal Building and on the right immediately past Feeder Street (just before the railroad tracks). Parking is available on Feeder Street across from the building.

What is everyone waiting for, lets tell John Murtha exactly how we feel, shall we?

[Update] I guess the titled question of this post has been answered, over at Hot Air...hehe, when asked about the Haditha Marines, Murtha's office hangs up.



WAY TO GO BRYAN!!!!!!!!!


Others discussing this:
Take Our Country Back, protein wisdom, Pundit Review, BLACKFIVE, Sister Toldjah, QandO, michellemalkin.com and UrbanGrounds

OPEN TRACKBACKS FOR THE WEEKEND

Trackposted to The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.




Tracked back by:
SQUIRM! SQUIRM MURTHA THE WORM!! from Take Our Country Back...
Charged Dismissed Against Haditha Marine from Cop The Truth...
How to Make the Perfect Hardboiled Egg from Planck's Constant...
Al-Qaeda Trained in Fallujah Iraq under Saddam Hus from Blue Star Chronicles...
Matt Sanchez Interviews a Soldier in Iraq About th from Blue Star Chronicles...
The Real FOB Falcon from Blue Star Chronicles...





.

Letter to Murtha from Marine's Dad

Thanks to CArthur for the email.

Posted in Guest Authors by Longhunter on July 23, 2007

Throughout this Haditha investigation our family has believed in the innocence of our son L/Cpl Justin Sharratt- we knew he was innocent. There are things I do not understand and I would like to find the answers. We do not seek revenge, but we would like to see justice. In a conversation with Congressman John Murtha, my questions still remain unanswered. With the help of the American people, I hope to find justice.

On Wednesday morning, July 17th I spoke with Congressman John Murtha via telephone from his Washington, DC office. We had a courteous conversation. I knew what to expect from a career politician and Congressman Murtha did not disappoint. Mr. Murtha avoided answering the hard questions and I was unable to press him for the answers. I wanted the conversation to remain amicable and decided to let him speak and avoid a heated confrontation.

At no time during the dialogue would Mr. Murtha acknowledge the impending exoneration of my son. I pressed him to use the word exoneration but the best I could get was “things seem to have gone well in your son’s Article 32. The General is a fair man and I believe he will do the right thing.” I replied, ” Lt. Col Paul Ware presented a strong recommendation for exoneration and we are anticipating Lt. Gen James Mattis following this recommendation.”


(Continued below the advertisement)



(Continued)



Mr. Murtha asked me if I had served in the military. He recalled his visits with injured Marines, soldiers and sailors. He said he supports our troops and it is the war he does not condone. Mr Murtha believes combat operations in Iraq have put an enormous strain on our Armed Forces. The stress of combat situations has led our troops to kill innocent civilians. I pointed out to Mr. Murtha, ” Our Haditha Marines are innocent until proven guilty.” It seems he is again denying our Marines their Constitutional rights of due process and the presumption of innocence. Mr. Murtha replied that we have a Marine (Mendoza) testifying that innocent women and children were killed in Haditha. I retorted that he is again believing the reports of the media and Mendoza was granted immunity for his lies. Mendoza has changed his testimony at least two times. NCIS may have threatened him with deportation and denial of US citizenship. This time I scolded him, ” I witnessed their (NCIS) conduct first hand in my son’s Article 32.”

I questioned Congressman Murtha as to his statements of 17 May 2006. On national television, in front of millions of Americans, he stated ” Marines killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” I asked him why he denied these Marines their Constitutional rights of due process and the presumption of innocence. Again the Congressman used his experience to side step the answer. Mr. Murtha stated his intentions were to point out the stress our military was under in Iraq. He replied we would not win the hearts of the Iraqi people by killing women and children. I again snapped, ” Our Haditha Marines have not been convicted of killing innocents and are innocent until proven guilty.”

I believe this conversation was the first step in obtaining justice for Our Haditha Marines. I did not expect Mr. Murtha to admit to or apologize for any wrongdoing in his role to railroad my son and his Marine comrades. The American people now know that his unfounded and untruthful allegations were used to further his political agenda. It is my intention to ask the Congress of the United States to censure Representative John Murtha and hold hearings to explain his conduct in respect to the Haditha incident. I will ask the American people to question his blatant disregard for the Constitutional rights of Our Haditha Marines. I will campaign to the voters of Pa Congressional District 12 to oust Representative Murtha from his elected office. The American people deserve better, we must demand better representation from our elected officials.

Darryl Sharratt
Proud American, Proud father of L/Cpl Justin L. Sharratt



Tracked back by:
Letter to Murtha from Marine L/Cpl Justin L. Sharr from DeMediacratic Nation...

.