Last November Wizbang reported that journalist/blogger Kevin Sites had witnessed a disturbing killing in a Fallujah mosque. Tonight CBS is reporting that no charges against the Marine will be filed.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Military investigators have decided there is not enough evidence to bring formal charges against a Marine who killed an unarmed Iraqi while his unit searched a Fallujah mosque, CBS reported on Wednesday.
The Marines entered the mosque last fall during an offensive aimed at clearing insurgents from Fallujah. They were seeking the source of insurgent gunfire and found several men wrapped in blankets on the mosque floor.
After what he reported as movement, a Marine fired at one of the men on the floor, killing him.
“The insurgents, it turned out, were unarmed,” CBS reported. “But investigators say the Iraqi the Marine thought he saw moving could have been going for a weapon.”
“At the very least, Navy legal experts believe the situation is ambiguous enough that no prosecutor could get a conviction,” the network reported.That’s one of the arguments Wizbang commenters advanced last November.
Previous Coverage: Kevin Sites Addresses Marine Shooting
Journalist/Blogger Catches Prisoner Shooting
God bless our troops.
As we learned with the Japanese 60 years ago: the way that you deal with an enemy who does not honor the Geneva Convention and who uses white flags to lure soldiers into ambushes is simple – shoot first, and then ask questions later.
Glad to see that the military hasn’t completely succumbed to political correctness, and still has their wits about them.
Of course the moonbats will be outraged, because in their eyes every enemy casualty is “murder.”
Thank God.
It would have been a huge mistake to have prosecuted this marine. It seems so easy to second guess men in combat, and they don’t deserve that.
Stop the presses!
It’s just been learned that the Marine in question sent a nasty email to Kevin Sites. After an angry outcry by Wizbang commentators, the Navy has now decided to proceed with the prosecution.
There is plenty of evidence. The terrorists have been killing Americans for 28 years. There were terrorists right there where the Marine was trying to kill Americans. He killed one before it could kill him or his buds. He did the right thing. God bless him.
exJarehead
Mike – were you a Jarehead?
Isn’t it spelled “jarhead”?
Well, the brass finally made the right decision. The kicker to all this is that, although the patrol did not know if the building was occupied when they entered, Sites did know — and he didn’t tell the Marines he was embedded with. I can’t help but think Sites deliberately withheld that information in order to set up a confrontation that would provide him with juicy footage. If so, it worked.
McGehee – They dont teach Jareheads how to spell. We just fight for freedom; and some of us give our lives for freedom. but those of us that live rememember our friends – *FOREVER*
Fuck yeah! Awesome. That was a righteous kill, and I’m glad our JAGs are seeing it that way too.
Semper Fi
Rod,
I’m flattered and a bit overwhelmed that you would ask me that. Unfortunately, the answer is “no.”
In fact, I’ve made the past mistake of referring to Marines as “soldiers” … I’ll never do that again!
What I am is a history buff and an avid reader with a simple lick of common sense.
Mike
Thanks for posting this. As usual the major MSM outlets totally ignored to update anyone on this one.
Well most of us signed that form protesting any charges against the Marine who was only doing his job. Remember a dead terrorist is a safe terrorist. You leave one of these guys alive, the damage he can do is unlimited – he could have easily shot every single Marine in that room before he died. What good is that? This is war and the marine should not be charged for doing his duty. I’m glad he is not being charged; the best thing the service has done thus far.
Cindy