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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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September 29th,
2007 - Murtha Must Testify in Defamation Case |
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Murtha Must Testify in
Defamation Case By Kimberly Hefling Associated Press September 29, 2007 Washington - A federal judge
refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case against Rep. John P. Murtha and
ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition about his
comments alleging "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" by unnamed
soldiers in connection with Iraqi civilian deaths. A Marine Corps sergeant is
suing the 18-term congressman for making the charge, which the soldier claims
is false. Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, made the comment during a May,
2006 Capitol Hill news conference in which he predicted that a Pentagon war
crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi
civilians in Haditha in 2005. Murtha's office declined to
comment on the ruling. A Vietnam veteran and retired Marine Reserves colonel,
Murtha has said his intention was to draw attention to the pressure put on
troops in Iraq and efforts to cover-up the incident. The Justice Department
wanted the case dismissed because Murtha was acting in his official role as a
lawmaker. Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Henault said the comments were made
as part of the debate over the war in Iraq. U.S. District Judge Rosemary
M. Collyer said the congressman might be right, but said she won't know for
sure unless Murtha explains himself. She did not set a date for Murtha's
testimony but said she would also require him to turn over documents related
to his comments. "You're writing a very
wide road for members of Congress to go to their home districts and say
anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without any
liability. Are you sure you want to do that?" Collyer said, adding
later, "How far can a congressman go and still be protected?" Collyer said she was
troubled by the idea the lawmakers are immune from lawsuits regardless of
what they say to advance their political careers. Mark S. Zaid, the attorney
for the plaintiff, Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, said he wanted Murtha's
deposition and limited documents from the congressman, including calendars
and documents related to which reporters he spoke to. Zaid said Murtha was not
acting within his congressional duties and was instead trying to embarrass then-Secretary
of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, with whom Zaid said Murtha had a personal
dispute. Collyer, who was appointed
to the bench by President Bush, said the case wasn't about whether to recall
troops from Iraq and she didn't "particularly care" about Murtha's
views on the war. She said the law cares only about what Murtha intended when
he made the comments. Charges have been dismissed
against four of the eight Marines who were initially charged with murder or
failure to investigate the deaths in Haditha. A battalion commander has been
recommended for a court-martial; a final decision is pending. The investigating officer
overseeing the Haditha case is expected to recommend soon whether Wuterich
should stand trial. Wuterich, 27, of Meriden, Conn., is accused of
unpremeditated murder in 17 of the killings. Associated Press writer Matt
Apuzzo contributed to this report. Copyright © 2007 The
Associated Press. External link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j-LnJlto4CJin4_NnKFQIIGSm2hQD8RUNFG84 |