Marines Drop Murder Charges Against Lieutenant Accused of Killing 2 Iraqis

many times urging that this Marine be given "a break" on this.

I was flabergasted that a legal matter such as this was being debated on the House floor.

Seems it worked.


:mad:

Kill a RAGHEAD for CHRIST

FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH.

SO SAYETH OUR NEXT PRESIDENT



KINDASLEEZY RICE

That's just SOP in the military? What, exactly, is the difference between this incident and a suicide bomber leaving behind a videotape? Well, besides the fact that the suicide bomber at least has the guts to die for what he believes in; Lt. Pantano gets to go merrily on his way, because the "best interests" of him and his corrupt government have been served. It must be so -- the Marines said it!

I can't possibly imagine what constitutes the military mind or any mind that would excuse this sort of behavior -- blasting two unarmed men 60 times because the unarmed civilians made a "threatening" move. But that wasn't enough for Lt. Pantano. No, he had to make up a sign to post over the bodies, just in case the other Iraqis in the area didn't get the message of brutality and terror sufficiently from the bullet-riddled corpses.

This is in the best interests of Lt. Pantano and the United States government.

it works for the NYPD and LAPD.

that the U.S. harbors terrorists.

I guess if they get off, that's true. What a joke. :puke:

But I am aware of the general circumstances. I found the behavior of the LT problematic, at best. I guess MGEN Huck can kiss any thoughts of making Commandant of the USMC goodbye. This decision will come back to bite him. Of course, the article is very brief, and does not say if any other sanctions will be imposed.

All I can say is, I would not want that LT on my team...his subordinates turned him in, and one simply does not do that lightly.

What this general did is going to get him his next star, this is exactly the kind of general that this administration wants on their team.

A general loyal to BushCo.

...but down the road, things may change. This decision, on a good day, is controversial at best. If selection for any high visibility position comes down to this guy and another individual without the baggage of a controversial ruling, the other guy will win.

Also, though all upper level flag and general nominations are approved by the chimp (in reality, often this is a delegated function, and all the top dog does is sign the paper), the senior service leaders do have a lot of input into the process. I do not know this guy or his background, but if there is anything, anything at all, problematic in his background, he may be simply a useful idiot. They got the decision they needed to make this nasty incident just go away, and he is subsequently sacrificed to get the whole thing well behind them.

No great pain for him, it is a fine pension at that paygrade.

Four dead in Ohio!

Major General Richard A. Huck is the Commanding General, 2d Marine Division. He was promoted to Major General in December 2003 and was assigned his current duties November 10th 2004.

He is a 1971 graduate of Kent State University and was commissioned through the Platoon Leaders Course the same year.

"The best interests of 2nd Lt. Pantano and the government have been served by this process," the Marine Corps said in a statement

apparently the "best interests" of the victims, their families, and the American people don't matter here.

This is just another giant *FUCK YOU* screamed into the faces of any and all who have a shred of human decency. It's psychopathic.

RALEIGH, N.C. May 26, 2005 — A former Wall Street trader who rejoined the Marines after the Sept. 11 attacks will not be tried on murder charges for killing two suspected Iraqi insurgents, a Marine general decided Thursday.

<snip>

The two Iraqis were killed during an April 2004 search outside a suspected terrorist hideout in Mahmudiyah, Iraq. Pantano contended he shot them in self-defense after the men disobeyed his instructions and made a menacing move toward him.

Prosecutors alleged Pantano intended to make an example of the men by shooting them 60 times and hanging a sign over their bodies "No better friend, no worse enemy," a Marine slogan. While citing self-defense as his motive, Pantano did not deny hanging the sign or shooting the men repeatedly.

<snip>

"That's exciting, isn't it," said Pantano's mother

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=793267


Since when did "self-defense" involve shooting unarmed people 60 times and hanging a sign on their dead bodies to use as an example?

and when he returns to Wall Street, he will make enough money to fill Republican coffers with campaign contributions.

This moron joined the military on the aftermath of 9/11. Why is he in Iraq?

This stinks to high heaven of political pressure. I worry for the men of integrity who repoted LT Pantano. We should be concerned for their safety and hope that when they are safe to do so will speak out to the press.

I wonder if this figures into it somehow.

"Charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500". (Willard)

One more parallel between Iraq and Viet Nam.