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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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May 1st,
2007 - Lawyer Wants Accounting of Classified Material |
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Lawyer Wants Accounting
of Classified Material By Mark Walker North County Times May 1, 2007 8:56 PM PDT North County - An attorney
for a Marine captain charged with dereliction of duty in the slaying of two
dozen Iraqi civilians in 2005 says he is seeking a full accounting of
classified material related to the case. Charles Gittins has
requested the information as part of his preparation for a hearing starting
Tuesday at Camp Pendleton for Capt. Randy Stone. Stone was the staff legal
officer for the base's 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment when the civilian killings
occurred in the wake of a roadside bombing on Nov. 19, 2005. The 34-year-old Maryland
native faces up to two years in prison and dismissal from the service if
ordered to trial, convicted and sentenced to the maximum punishment. Gittins maintains that Stone
properly handled the initial reports of the deaths. He has asked that Maj.
Gen. Richard Huck, who was the commander of the Marines in Haditha at the
time, testify during Stone's Article 32 hearing. Huck is expected to testify
but it remains unclear if that will be done in person or by telephone. He is
now working in a planning position in Washington. The request for a breakdown
of classified information is part of an effort to determine precisely what
the government considers secret and how to access that material if necessary,
according to a letter Gittins has submitted to Lt. Col. William Pigott, a
Marine Corps officer who will preside over the hearing. Stone's case will unfold in
a base courtroom starting Tuesday and is expected to last at least four days. He is one of four officers
charged with wrongdoing in how they handled the first report of the civilian
deaths. Three enlisted men face homicide charges for their roles in the
killings. The Stone case is the first
from the Haditha incident to reach court. When the hearing is over, Pigott
will write a recommendation stating whether he believes the case should move
forward to court-martial or some other action be taken. External link: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/02/military/10_74_505_1_07.txt |