Thursday, June 15, 2006

Murtha to Testify?

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One can hope:

A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder.

Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in "cold blood." Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify.

Mr. Puckett said such public comments from a congressman via senior Marines amount to "unlawful command influence." He said potential Marine jurors could be biased by the knowledge that their commandant, the Corps' top officer, thinks the Haditha Marines are guilty.

I find it difficult to believe that senior Marine Corps officers would tell a congressman that the Marines killed "in cold blood" and it would be interesting to see Murtha forced to come clean. If he indulged this story to make political points, he should never be called a Marine again. In my opinion, he's slapped everyone who has ever worn the uniform by branding them as murderers before the investigation is completed.

He should be ashamed of himself, but sadly he is so caught up in his new-found standing with the hard-left that he is beyond shame. Our troops are the ones who will suffer.

You disgust me Representative Murtha.

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