Investigating Haditha

What has happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? You need all the facts before you can present a case in court. So, tell me how U.S. Rep. Murtha, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, can have all the facts, when the investigation isn't even over.

Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says "we'll get to the bottom of the investigation and take the appropriate action." In other words, they will take time to find out what really occurred on November 19, 2005, in Iraq, and then they will decide what needs to be done - whether some have covered up a massacre or not.

Pantano is upset specifically that a prominent war critic, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) diagnosed Haditha last week as if he had all the facts: "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Pantano's advice that Americans not join Murtha's rush to judgment is sound.

Facts need to be nailed down; passing premature judgment is not the way to do things. Nobody knows better than a former platoon commander named Ilario Pantano. He was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and other crimes during his stint in Iraq a year ago. He was painted as a monster by the prosecutors in the courtroom at Camp Lejeune, while his wife and Mother sat listening to it all. Then, their case was blown out of the water by the autopsy report, and all charges were dismissed. He suggests letting the courts decide whether these guys are guilty or not. Don't pass premature judgement on them.

Pace said Monday that if U.S. troops did kill innocents at Haditha, they "have not performed their duty the way that 99.9 percent of their fellow Marines have."

Linked at Conservative Cat
Basil's Blog 2006-05-31
Cao's Blog - Midweek OTB
TMH's Bacon Bits - Bacon Break

Technorati Tags: Haditha, Investigation, Marines, Innocent, Guilty