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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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December 12th,
2009 - Panel Faults Marine for Response to Iraq Killings |
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Panel Faults Marine for Response
to Iraq Killings By Elliot Spagat Associated Press December 12, 2009 San Diego - A military panel
found that a Marine officer displayed substandard performance in his response
to the deaths of 24 Iraqis but said he should maintain his rank. The Board of Inquiry's
recommendation is a mixed result for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, 43, who was
accused of failing to investigate the November 2005 killings in the town of
Haditha. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus must decide whether to accept the finding
or order Chessani retired at a lesser rank. Last year, a military judge
dismissed a criminal charge of dereliction of duty against Chessani because
of improper conduct involving two other people, the general overseeing the
case and an investigator. Chessani was relieved of his command in 2006. The panel comprised of a
general and two colonels reached its decision Friday after a hearing at Camp
Pendleton that lasted nearly two weeks. It found Chessani failed to provide
as detailed and accurate report as he could have but that the shortcomings
did not merit a reduction in rank. "The only thing we're
disappointed in is that we still don't believe, after all the evidence is in,
that Col. Chessani was substandard in his performance," Brian Rooney,
his civilian attorney, said Saturday. The killings occurred after
a roadside bomb killed a Marine and wounded two others, leading to the
biggest criminal case against U.S. troops to come out of the Iraq war. Chessani resisted an
investigation after an initial inspection found no evidence of insurgent
activity and Haditha leaders met with Marines to complain of war crimes,
prosecutors said at the hearing. A full investigation did not begin until
January 2006 when a Time magazine reporter inquired. Defense attorneys said
Chessani properly reported the deaths to his superiors. They portrayed him as
a respected commander with 22 years of experience who was recommended for the
Bronze Star, praised as a top battalion commander and singled out for
advanced training and promotion. "Everyone in that chain
of command was aware that civilians were killed in residential
structures," Lt. Col. Jon Shelburne, his military attorney, said in his
opening statement. Investigators said Marines
shot five men by a car at the scene. The squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank D.
Wuterich, allegedly ordered men into several houses, where they cleared rooms
with grenades and gunfire, killing more Iraqis, including women and children. Eight Marines were charged
with murder or with failing to properly report or investigate the killings.
Charges were dismissed against six and one was acquitted. The sole remaining
defendant is Wuterich, whose court-martial is not yet scheduled. Copyright © 2009 The
Associated Press. External link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijlZuyAYL8ztNBbPZmQK-O7-UY1AD9CI00JG0 |