“Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice. The appearance of unlawful command influence is as devastating as actual manipulation of a trial,” said Folsom, who described his ruling as drastic but necessary. “To restore public confidence … we need to turn the clock back.”
The prosecution has filed an appeal but this is just the latest in a serious of dismissals and deals which once again show that Iraqis have no real legal protection even from the most horrific abuses of our occupation.
The defense of the Haditha Marines is being led by the Thomas More Law Center who apparently view this as yet another in their campaigns for a Christian nation:
The Thomas More Law Center is a not-for-profit public interest law firm dedicated to the defense and promotion of the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. Our purpose is to be the sword and shield for people of faith, providing legal representation without charge to defend and protect Christians and their religious beliefs in the public square. …
Our ministry was inspired by the recognition that the issues of the cultural war being waged across America, issues such as abortion, pornography, school prayer, and the removal of the Ten Commandments from municipal and school buildings, are not being decided by elected legislatures, but by the courts.
They have already announced on several right wing media outlets that they plan to sue Congressman Murtha once this case is completed for calling the massacre in Haditha “murder.”
Perhaps someday the lawyers at TMLC could explain how the slaughter of innocents in Haditha met the standards just published by the MultiNational Force Commanding General in his new CounterInsurgency Guidance (pdf available here.) Petraeus’ “Guidance” is full of the sort of motivational language normally found in bad corporate manuals. Two sections jump out as we read again about Haditha:
• Be first with the truth. Get accurate information of significant activities to your chain of command, to Iraqi leaders, and to the press as soon as is possible. Beat the insurgents, extremists, and criminals to the headlines, and pre-empt rumors. Integrity is critical to this fight. Don’t put lipstick on pigs. ….
• Live our values. Do not hesitate to kill or capture the enemy, but stay true to the values we hold dear. This is what distinguishes us from our enemies. There is no tougher endeavor than the one in which we are engaged. It is often brutal, physically demanding, and frustrating. All of us experience moments of anger, but we can neither give in to dark impulses nor tolerate unacceptable actions by others.
While General Petraeus spins his counterinsurgency message, his lead advisor David Kilcullen – as Tom Hayden has just reported – has a reputation for a very different approach which argues for :
a kind of deception-based warfare that is contradictory to democracy itself, with its instruments of critical media, congressional oversight, and public disclosure of the cost in blood, taxes and honor. The key militarily is to secure the civilian population from the insurgents, in South Vietnam by "strategic hamlets", in Iraq by the "gated communities" with checkpoints, blast walls, concertina wire, fingerprinting, retinal scans and house-to-house population listings. The insurgents, meanwhile, are to be hunted, killed if necessary, and detained without charges in American-controlled or American-supported prison camps indefinitely, without access to lawyers, journalists, human rights observers, or family members.
Not surprisingly this approach is closely aligned with the just leaked US Special Forces doctrine for Foreign Internal Defense which describes in detail the original “Salvador Option” we’ve apparently seen played out over the past years in Iraq.
More and more accounts from participants remind us what is really going on in Iraq – for example, take a look at this week’s interview in Mother Jones – Am I a Torturer? – but the people of Haditha need no such reminders:
Khadija Hassan still shrouds her body in black, nearly three years after the deaths of her four sons. They were killed on Nov. 19, 2005, along with 20 other people in the deadliest documented case of U.S. troops killing civilians since the Vietnam War.
(snip)
"We put our hopes in the law and in the courts and one after another they are found innocent," said Yousef Aid Ahmed, the lone surviving brother in the family. "This is an organized crime."(snip)
The dismissals have deepened the victims’ relatives’ grief. Many say they feel deceived after having collaborated with U.S. investigators who came into their homes, collected evidence, took testimony, and ultimately failed to hold the Marines accountable.
"Right now I feel hatred that will not fade," said Ahmed. "It grows every day." Charges against two Marines who allegedly killed his brothers were dropped in August 2007.
Week after week, Iraqis face the horrid reality of the US occupation of their land – someday perhaps our representatives will find the backbone to put a stop to it.
Meanwhile, we can reach out to the Iraqi people by offering our support to the Iraqi Red Crescent – we began a campaign to send donations to help their work on Friday. Let’s continue to do all we can.
Video from Afghanistan thanks to Real News – Join in an online conversation with Real News this Tuesday 24 June, 2008 – Phone lines will open 11am – 1pm EST North America United States: 917 463-3599/Canada: 416 916-5202.
Update: h/t to Eureka – important Dkos diary on Iran legislation coming this week – read and then call, call, call!
Related posts:
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- Sunday Late Night: Roy Blunt’s Values are Being Challenged
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- FDL Book Salon Welcomes David Owen, Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability
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Leisure Guy!
Dos
Digg it Pups Remember the Lake needs your suppost and Digging one way YOU can help!
Thanks Nahant.
dugg
Aloha, Siun!
When I’d read this at GG the other day, I thought much of it was being practiced here in the States by this Maladministration…
Good point CT … of course, we don’t seem to do the kidnappings, assasinations and support for death squads here.
Heh, maybe the lone exception… Otherwise it sums it up nicely…! ;-)
It;s nothing but a full court genocidal hostage situation.. We want the oil, permanent bases and 80 percent of the revenue… after we kill most of them for sport and as much no bid US treasure as the neo nuts can steal, which means Iran too.
There is no accountabity here– NONE.
Eureka:
I hope you are wrong about the re:Iran. I guess that’s one way to see if Conyers is serious.
Dugg it. Hi, nahant. Hi, Siun.
Evening Neuro:>) How are you this evening…. I see you have your shovel ready for some Digging!
The noises around Iran are not good – and the Israeli “practice” was not a good sign at all. I suspect Bush and Cheney are determined to get everything done before they leave – and that includes Iran.
Have y’all seen this one?
US TV Station Fails to Find Niche in Middle East
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..id=topnews
The target market doesn’t trust the message or the messenger……..gee, who’da thunk it?
The comments at the San Diego Trib site – linked at “Judge Folson Ruled” above are horrifying … and given that SD is home to so many military, it’s a frightening look at why we have Haditha’s.
I used to kid myself and consider the Iran threats a way for the GOP to threaten congress, keeping them from actually conducting investigations.. Now I just think congress wants what Bushco wants too.
The post about congress latest bill @ dkos, comes to mind.
They are stupid– millions will die, and the blood of many innocents will flow…
Just who do we think we are???
The war drums are being beaten pretty hard by a lot of the neocons like Kristol and Bolten among others…
Hey it is just another War crime what do they care about a few million people as long as it not their kids and they are getting richer. I mean there are Billions of people way too many for their taste. a little culling would be good for their pockets.
Those two clowns been beatin’ them same drums fer years now, What’s different?
I hadn’t seen that – I’ll add a link in the post – this needs attention!
Btw, Where’s the Outrage?
Both are saying that Iran will be bombed after the general election, but, before inaugural day if Obama is elected… If McInsane is elected, they’ll hold off until he makes the call…! Some serious f*ckery…!
Stop A*PAC.
Amazing how the rules of law seem to be applied quite powerfully when the defendants are members of the US military, but not when the defendants are Iraqis, Afghanis, and other non-US citizens.
Would that every defendant, enemy combatant, and detainee in US custody was the beneficiary of such careful attention to the rule of law.
Good point Peterr … while it’s good the judge ruled on the problems of the prosecution … but almost none of the prosecutions for abuse of Iraqis have gotten results.
In case you missed it, Marcy put up a new AIPAC related timeline yesterday.. The whole thread is worth a scan.
The above is from Hayden’s piece about Kilcullen. Apparently the current president of the American Psychological Assn (APA) believes in Kilcullen’s thesis.
And I wonder how much Kilcullen really knows about the Phoenix Program, for which he has nothing but high praise.
Great post, Siun. The link to Petraeus’ piece of shit yields an “Unable to Connect” box.
This is not good news…
Not that Saddam didn’t flood the city with Arabs to displace the Kurdish population.
In my professional opinion, the Thomas More Law Center’s website is a very scary place.
I have a hard time seeing how this case fits their mission (quoted above) of “providing legal representation without charge to defend and protect Christians and their religious beliefs in the public square.” Unless, of course, Lt. Col. Chessani is basing his defense on the way in which he carries out his Christian faith. I have a hard time squaring this story with the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the meek . . . blessed are the poor . . . blessed are the peacemakers . . .”
If that’s the case, however, I’ve got an even bigger problem with the colonel than I do with the TMLC.
hmmm … it just worked for me. Maybe they’re overwhelmed with folks wanting to read the great man’s words?
A little quick on the submit, weren’t ya dimwit?
I don’t think the Kurds are real fond of any plan that takes Kirkuk from their control. It is their only source of any substantial oil revenues. And they need to bucks to fight Turkey. Round and round the mulberry bush we go.
Thank you Peterr for picking up on that part … the TMLC is scary stuff and the fact that they are the defense firm for the Marines is quite telling.
That was my guess.
BTW – don’t miss the video … it’s quite telling.
Exactly! In an interesting side note; “Baghdad squatters told to leave occupied homes” and, at the same time Maliki “vows to provide facilities for refugees…”
Had to turn off Norton security. It was telling me their site was trying to attack my machine. Security off, presto. Well, I probably am on every list they’ve got so I shouldn’t be surprised.
They shouldn’t be worried about you when the Chinese can hack the Pentagon puters.
I’ve noticed that there seems to be a huge disconnect between talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk when it comes to these so-called Christians.
Slight edit.
The comments on that story about the judges ruling are also worth reading. but only if you have a strong stomach. There are people in this country that really scare me.
Siun, I meant to say this earlier, but your post Friday on the International Red Crescent and World Refugee Day was quite something. It got lost here in the craziness of the FISA votes, but it’s well worth pushing again.
The job that the IRC (and their other NGO partners) is trying to tackle is incredible, and whatever help anyone can give them will be gratefully received, I’m sure.
Armchair bigot-warriors are the most dangerous. They’re able to convince others that they should go die for them.
Thanks Peterr … we’re really hoping word with spread so more folks will help the Iraqi Red Crescent. Their work is so good – and the need is immense.
Iraqi Red Crescent, not International Red Crescent.
Aack! All these acronyms get to be a bit much after a while.
Gonna go climb into my tree.
Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.
Namaste
smiling – I do the same. They are the same organization – each country has their own local organization allied with International Red Cross Red Crescent and the International provides a lot of support to the locals.
Aloha, SD!
The 101st Fighting Keyboarders rise to fight another day.
Some of those comments are truly appalling:
Blergh.
If Thomas More were alive today, he’d turn over in his grave. These people are the antithesis of everything he believed in.
It is up to US the citizens of the United States of America to force, yes force, accountablity from our government.
I can assure you that Nancy Pelosi is going to get to know me a lot better than she wants. I have every expectation that any time she shows in SF and she will need to show to campaign against two bulldog tough primary oppontents she’s gonna have hundreds if not thousands of angry citizens….
ON HER ASS!
Thank you.
(scurrying over now)
Teddy has Late NIte upstairs!
Sunday Late Nite: Veepstakes, the “NO!” Chronicles
Amen, Rev… Juan Cole was on fire today…
Way late, but with Misters Kristol and Bolton being so privvy to sensitive military intel (shades of Colin Powell, but I digress), as far as timing and location, perhaps we should request status of each of their respective security clearances?
Only 57 posts on one of our massacres.
Thank you, as always, Siun.
;(
As a former resident of Chicago, I would be more than a little ticked off if someone firebombed the whole place.
OK, I’d be more than a little ticked off even if I wasn’t a former resident . . . But that does put the whole mess in perspective, doesn’t it?
58
You are a dear man.
Hello down here in EPU land. good post siun. no justice during the Bush years. I got excited when I saw Thomas More invoked and then oh so disappointed when I read on to see his name getting muddied.
One of my fave quotes from a man for all seasons:
To his son in law who thinks the ends justify the means:
“This country is planted thick with laws from coast to coast. Man’s laws, not God’s. And if you cut them down–and you’re just the man to do it–do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?”
“they plan to sue Congressman Murtha once this case is completed for calling the massacre in Haditha “murder.””
Good luck with that…
1. First Amendment
2. Parliamentary privilege (or whatever it’s called for congress)
“y the “gated communities” with checkpoints, blast walls, concertina wire, fingerprinting, retinal scans and house-to-house population listings.”
Just like Newport Beach or Coto de Caza….wow!