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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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April 17th,
2009 - Marines Seek War Crimes Charges Against Camp Pendleton Officer |
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Marines Seek War Crimes Charges
Against Camp Pendleton Officer By Tony Perry Los Angeles Times April 17, 2009 Marine Corps lawyers have
asked a court to reinstate war crimes charges against an officer at Camp
Pendleton in connection with the 2005 deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha,
Iraq.. The lawyers asked Thursday
that the case of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani be considered by the full nine
members of the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. On March 17, a three-member
panel on the court upheld a court-martial judge's decision to toss out
charges against Chessani on grounds that an appearance of "unlawful
command influence" had tainted the case. The panel agreed with the
judge that it was improper for a Marine lawyer who had investigated the
Haditha case to sit in on meetings where the case was discussed with the
general who later levied charges against Chessani and seven other Marines. In its appeal, the Marine
Corps argues there is no evidence the lawyer influenced the general's
decision or even that he spoke at the meetings. Chessani was accused of
failing to order a war crimes investigation after the killings. Of eight
Marines initially charged, one has been acquitted and six, including
Chessani, have had charges dropped. Only Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, the squad
leader, still faces charges. Chessani was a battalion
commander when the killings in Haditha occurred. He was on his third combat
tour in Iraq. "The way our government
has treated this true American hero is outrageous," said Richard
Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, which
has represented Chessani. Thompson said the government
is giving Chessani "less legal consideration than it is giving the
terrorists held at Guantanamo." External link: http://tinyurl.com/crkwuk |