Federal judge orders Murtha to testify in Haditha defamation case

OK, I buy into this guy's argument so long as Jack Murtha didn't name names. Should he have singled out Frank, then there's a case. If he only talked about the incident and didn't name anyone, it isn't an issue. Frank Wuterich is accused and his involvement isn't yet established except for...the idiot admitted he was one of the accused! Duh.

Addendum below.

A federal judge has ordered Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.) to testify in a defamation case related to the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005, according to the Associated Press.

Murtha, a former Marine. accused Marines involved in the "cold-blooded murder and war crimes'' during the Haditha incident. Frank Wuterich, a Marine sergeant involved in the incident, has sued Murtha for defamation over his comments.

...

Frankly, I don't understand this ruling at all, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is appealed by the Justice Dept. and/or House general counsel's office on behalf of Murtha. Murtha, who can say some inappropriate things once in a while, was clearly acting in his capacity as a lawmaker when he made the comments and is thus protected by the Speech or Debate Clause from any type of prosecution for official acts.

Addendum: First off, Frank, should you decide to sue me for defamation you'll end up with a couple empty Diet Pepsi cans and navel lint. Second, when you have a traffic accident the first rule is SHUT THE FUCK UP! You don't admit to anything. Capiche?

What a maroon.

Via Politico.

Marines’ Trials in Iraq Killings Are Withering

Damn it! I was afraid this might happen. Twenty four dead civilians and no one is guilty?

Last December, when the Marine Corps charged four infantrymen with killing Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq, in 2005, the allegation was as dark as it was devastating: after a roadside bomb had killed their buddy, a group of marines rampaged through nearby homes, massacring 24 innocent people.

In Iraq and in the United States, the killings were viewed as cold-blooded vengeance. After a perfunctory military investigation, Haditha was brushed aside, but once the details were disclosed, the killings became an ugly symbol of a difficult, demoralizing war. After a fuller investigation, the Marines promised to punish the guilty.

But now, the prosecutions have faltered. Since May, charges against two infantrymen and a Marine officer have been dismissed, and dismissal has been recommended for murder charges against a third infantryman. Prosecutors were not able to prove even that the killings violated the American military code of justice.

Now their final attempt to get a murder conviction is set to begin, with a military court hearing on Thursday for Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, the last marine still facing that charge. He is accused of killing 18 Iraqis, including several women and children, after the attack on his convoy.

If the legal problems that have thwarted the prosecutors in other cases are repeated this time, there is a possibility that no marine will be convicted for what happened in Haditha. [emphasis mine]

Now I have no idea whether one Marine killed all 24 or they all participated, but someone is guilty. It has never been established that this was some fucking mass suicide.

Via New York Times.