US Marine Was Ordered To Delete Photos Of Haditha Massacre Aftermath
Some disturbing new news regarding the Haditha massacre. From The Los Angles Times…
“A staff sergeant testified Thursday that he was ordered to destroy grisly pictures of women and children killed by Marines so that the images would not be part of a statement being prepared for an investigative officer and a magazine reporter.
The testimony by Staff Sgt. Justin Laughner, taken under a grant of immunity, is the first evidence suggesting that any Marine officer may have engaged in a coverup in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005.
Other testimony has suggested that officers made only a superficial review before deciding that the deaths were combat-related and thus no war crimes investigation was required.
At the Article 32 inquiry, similar to a preliminary hearing, for a former battalion commander, Laughner testified hat he felt the order to destroy the pictures, which he said was given by Lt. Andrew Grayson, amounted to obstruction of justice but that he complied and later lied when asked whether any pictures had been taken.
“It was wrong,” Laughner said. “Somebody was asking for them [the pictures], and we’re not going to give them to them? It’s not right, but I didn’t say anything.”
Although Laughner deleted the pictures from his computer, the images remained on his digital camera and are now part of the criminal case against four officers and three enlisted Marines.
Although Laughner deleted the pictures from his computer, the images remained on his digital camera and are now part of the criminal case against four officers and three enlisted Marines.
Grayson is charged with dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice in the aftermath of the killings, which occurred in the Iraqi town of Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005. The three other officers — including the former commander of the Marine battalion involved, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani — are charged with dereliction of duty for not calling for a war-crimes investigation.
At the inquiry on Chessani’s conduct, Laughner said that he had no evidence the lieutenant colonel ever saw the photographs or knew of their existence.
Laughner had taken the pictures in the hours after the killings.
Three months later, when he and Grayson were preparing a statement for high-ranking officers and a Time magazine reporter, Grayson told him to delete the pictures, Laughner testified Thursday.
The statement they prepared reiterated the Marines’ official position that the deaths were the result of crossfire after Marines were attacked by insurgents. Laughner and Grayson were part of an intelligence team assigned to work with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, in Haditha.
Team members interview civilians and, among other things, review the scene of civilian deaths to gather information that can be helpful to Marines.
Laughner arrived several hours after a roadside bomb had killed a Marine from the battalion’s Kilo Company. After that blast, Marines killed five young men outside their car and, after being ordered to search for insurgents in nearby houses, killed 19 civilians. Laughner testified that Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, who led the troops involved in the shootings, told him that the men in the car had “engaged” the Marines with weapons, that Marines encountered an insurgent firing at them in one house, and that AK-47s were found in the houses. Prosecutors say all three assertions are lies.”
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June 8th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Just horrible..unspeakable, must be told.
June 8th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Absolutely appalling. Makes you wonder what else they may have covered up!
June 8th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
[quote post="1095"]At the Article 32 inquiry, similar to a preliminary hearing, for a former battalion commander, Laughner testified hat he felt the order to destroy the pictures, which he said was given by Lt. Andrew Grayson, amounted to obstruction of justice but that he complied and later lied when asked whether any pictures had been taken.[/quote]
No one wanted to believe Dr. Milgram fifty years ago that we, too, will commit unspeakable acts in the name of obeying authority.
June 8th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Women and Children….
June 8th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I can’t wait to see how Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity spin this story against this soldier.
June 8th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I can. O’Reilly and Hannity are two of the worst things happening to the US right now, along with others of their ilk - including, i am going to add, Christopher Hitchins. That man is just a big idiot.
That being said, this incident is only a reflection of the entire Bush presidency. When US soldiers were coming back in body bags, no one was allowed to take pictures. Why? They claimed it was because it took away the dead soldiers basic decency, though i would argue that as a nation at war, it is a reality that might even stir nationalistic pride. No, they wanted it hidden because it actually showed something that most people understand - war is sacrifice, and people die. Which makes this false war even worse.
What is most galling, is that in keeping in line with everything else that has happened, i am sure that no one of consequence will suffer for this, only the soldier in question who took the pictures. Its every easy for the nobodies at the bottom to take a hit, while the higher ups - those with the authority and knowledge of most everything that happens beneath them, get away free and clear. Its a sad, sad world.
June 8th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
[quote]Laughner said Wuterich did not tell him that the Marines had killed women and children in the houses. But when Laughner went to the houses to look for evidence of insurgents, he found instead a young girl who was in hysterics.
He said that his interpreter told him what the girl was screaming: “She said the Marines came into her house and killed her family,” Laughner said.[/quote]
“Support our troops”, right? I apologize, that’s just a knee-jerk response to YET another travesty. If this girl was one of our own and it was Iranian troops, it’d be just like before the Spanish-American War all over again. There’d be sabre-rattling in the streets and talk of war in the pubs and cafes.
Today we have a responsibility to leave Iraq better than we found it and events like Haditha, Abu Graib, and the daily kick-ins of the doors of families everywhere are actions diametrically opposed to that responsibility. I hear that taking a starfish and cutting off its legs and tossing it back into the see works real well.
June 9th, 2007 at 4:30 am
[quote comment="15628"]What is most galling, is that in keeping in line with everything else that has happened, i am sure that no one of consequence will suffer for this, only the soldier in question who took the pictures. Its every easy for the nobodies at the bottom to take a hit, while the higher ups - those with the authority and knowledge of most everything that happens beneath them, get away free and clear. Its a sad, sad world.[/quote]
Nope, in the second paragraph it says he spoke on condition of immunity. Which isn’t to say his superiors will get into any real trouble over this, but at least he is safe. Well, “safe…” I doubt he can look forward to any promotions.
I’m glad he kept the pictures on his camera. Good man.