Murtha Calls Marines Murderers

Crossposted from Stop the ACLU:

This has gotten quite a few people talking this morning.

Rep. John Murtha, an influential Pennsylvania lawmaker and outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, said today Marines had “killed innocent civilians in cold blood” after allegedly responding to a roadside bomb ambush that killed a Marine during a patrol in Haditha, Iraq, Nov. 19.

The incident is still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Multi-National Forces Iraq.

How irresponsible can you get? The incident is still under investigation, but Murtha has already made his own conclusions.

“It’s much worse than was reported in Time magazine,” Murtha, a Democrat, former Marine colonel and Vietnam war veteran, told reporters on Capitol Hill.

“There was no firefight. There was no [bomb] that killed those innocent people,” Murtha explained, adding there were “about twice as many” Iraqis killed than Time had reported.

No official investigation report has been released by the Pentagon and a spokesman for Murtha was unable to add to the congressman’s remarks.

“I do not know where Rep. Murtha is obtaining is information,” said Lt. Col. Sean Gibson, a spokesman for Marine Corps Forces Central Command in Tampa, Fla. “Thoroughness will drive the investigation.”

Three Marine officers from the battalion that is under investigation, including battalion commander Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, were relieved April 7 for “lack of confidence in their leadership abilities stemming from their performance during a recent deployment to Iraq.” Officials would not tie those firings to the Haditha investigation, however. The two other Marines who were relieved, Capts. Luke McConnell and James Kimber, were company commanders within the battalion.
Murtha said combat stress prompted the Marines’ alleged rampage.

“It’s a very serious incident, unfortunately. It shows the tremendous pressure that these guys are under every day when they’re out in combat,” he said. “One man was killed with an [improvised explosive device] and after that they actually went into the houses and killed women and children.”

One would think that a lawmaker with experience in the military would have the respect to hold his tongue until the Army can complete an investigation and come out with an official statement, but he is too much of a political opportunist to do anything like that. If these marines did in fact murder innocent people, then they should be punished to the highest degree. But, Murtha’s political ploy is shameful, declaring them guilty before any investigation is complete is sickening, and outrageous.

I’m with Confederate Yankee in his call for censure.
Others: Gateway Pundit
Sister Toldjah
Mudville Gazette

See the video at The Political Pitbull and Expose The Left


-------------------------------------------Murtha makes me sick. How irresponsible! This ought to be an internal military matter. If these Marines did do something wrong, then the military will deal with it. Murtha has no business trumpeting his little theories around. Is he running for President? Enough denigrating the military. Let the military do the investigation and handle the consequences, if any.

Our armed forces are doing the job of keeping the world safe for loudmouths like Murtha to spout their idiotic rantings. He ought to be ashamed of himself.

Plus Michelle Malkin has a lot more links.

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