This much is clear more than two weeks after the story broke that Marines in Haditha allegedly massacred 24 civilians “in cold blood,” a descriptive used by Representative John Murtha who supposedly has seen excerpts of the military report on the incident.
One side or the other is lying in spectacular fashion.
And not just little inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony that one would expect in a war zone either. There are extremely disturbing indications that press reports detailing eyewitness accounts have failed to reconcile what Iraqis in Haditha were telling them with other known facts that were either conveniently left out or ignored altogether. There are also clear and unambiguous cases where Iraqi eyewitnesses have changed their stories 2, 3, and even more times.
While it is not unusual for small details to be lost or found in different translations, these discrepancies are huge, up to and including one 12 year old girl (or 13 or 15 depending on which report you are reading) being in different houses, being shielded from the wrath of the Americans by 3 different family members, and telling completely different and ever more bloodcurdling details of how the Marines killed her family.
Then there is the weird case of Aws Fahmi. In an AP report, he is reported to have been a victim of the massacre, left to bleed in the street after being shot by the Americans. But the Washington Post story in which several eyewitnesses are interviewed, features Mr. Fahmi’s testimony prominently and in which the “victim” has morphed into an eyewitness, viewing the events from his house with no mention of his being shot and left to bleed to death in the street.
I want to be extremely careful here because there may be other, more mundane explanations for the discrepancies in eyewitness accounts than what appears on the surface to be a coordinated disinformation campaign by the insurgents that has taken in reporters for AP, Reuters, and Time Magazine to name a few.
Nor do the conflicting stories by Iraqis and the press mitigate the facts found by the military investigation into this matter. But the inconsistencies raise troubling questions about this probe. I found it strange that Members of Congress had been briefed on the investigation prior to its conclusion, with massive leaking of some preliminary conclusions by both lawmakers and top brass at the Pentagon. In their haste to “get out in front” of the story, did the Pentagon rush to judgement?
The Washington Post has the Marine’s side of the story this morning some of which seems to confirm parts of the initial reporting on scene by Reuters in the immediate aftermath of what happened in Haditha last November 20.. This is from my friend Clarice Feldman’s meticulously researched piece that appeared in The American Thinker on Friday:
On November 20, 2005, Reuters reported that on the previous day an IED killed a US Marine and 15 civilians in Haditha, a town known to be a center of the insurgency, a town as hostile to our forces as the better known Fallujah was. Reuters reported that “immediately after the blast, gunmen opened fire on the convoy†and US and Iraqi forces returned fire, killing 8 insurgents and wounding another in the fight. The paper further reported that “A cameraman working for Reuters in Haditha says bodies had been left lying in the street for hours after the attack.â€
The Marine interviewed in the Post this morning confirms this story in a very general way and also says that they never reported that the civilians had been killed by an IED:
Wuterich’s version contradicts that of the Iraqis, who described a massacre of men, women and children after a bomb killed a Marine. Haditha residents have said that innocent civilians were executed, that some begged for their lives before being shot and that children were killed indiscriminately.Wuterich told his attorney in initial interviews over nearly 12 hours last week that the shootings were the unfortunate result of a methodical sweep for enemies in a firefight. Two attorneys for other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich’s account is consistent with those they had heard from their clients.
Kevin B. McDermott, who is representing Capt. Lucas M. McConnell, the Kilo Company commander, said Wuterich and other Marines informed McConnell on the day of the incident that at least 15 civilians were killed by “a mixture of small-arms fire and shrapnel as a result of grenades” after the Marines responded to an attack from a house.
The discrepancy in the number of civilians killed – the Marines say 15 while the Iraqis claim 24 bodies were brought to the morgue – indicates to me that this could very well be at least part of a disinformation campaign by the insurgency in Haditha. I base this conclusion on the facts that were uncovered during the investigation of a similar claim of massacre at Ishaqi.
Is it beyond imagining that at both Ishaqi and Haditha, insurgents “bumped up” the number of civilians killed by dumping additional bodies at the site? Is it also impossible to believe that some of these “eyewitnesses” are in fact deliberately spreading lies as a result of them being in league with or sympathetic to the insurgent’s cause?
In fact, the similarities are eerie. Both Ishaqi and Haditha had eyewitnesses changing their accounts several times. Both incidents had discrepancies in the number of civilians killed as well as how the operation was carried out. Both incidents had a videotape of of the bodies lying at the morgue offered as proof that the civilians were butchered by American soldiers.
At Ishaqi, the military determined that the troops had acted properly and within the rules of engagement. I’m not so sure that a similar finding will emerge from their investigation into what happened at Haditha. By the Marine’s own account, Americans burst into several houses, only one of which they were receiving small arms fire and used indiscriminate tactics that resulted in the deaths of 15 innocents. Of course, once the decision was made to enter the houses, the die was cast – anyone found in those houses were almost sure to die. I’m sure that decision will be examined carefully and a determination made as to whether or not the Marines followed proper procedure.
What is most disturbing to me is that it appears the reporting on this story has been just plain lazy. While every newspaper, magazine, and TV reporter covering this story likes to believe that their own investigation should stand alone as definitive (or at least a representation of what happened reflecting an effort to find out what happened to the best of their ability), it is clear that absolutely no effort has been made by reporters to reconcile the various versions of eyewitness accounts coming from supposedly victimized Iraqis. And their failure to report on the political leanings of some of the Iraqis who have emerged as key witnesses to the massacre is unconscionable.
In addition to Clarice’s piece in The American Thinker, I would also urge you to read Dan Reihl’s excellent work on this issue here as well as his take on the Marine’s story here.
We still don’t know what happened at Haditha. And it is very clear that the truth of the matter is proving more elusive than the anti-war left will admit. To do so would ruin their campaign to delegitimize our troop’s efforts in Iraq as well as build support for withdrawing our military before the job is done.
But for those of us who do want to get to the bottom of what happened there and let the chips fall where they may, much more work is needed by both the military and the press in discovering the facts in such a manner that is fair to both the Iraqis and the Marines.
UPDATE
Check out Allah at Hot Air this morning for more on the Marine’s side of the story. I’m sure he will be linking throughout the day to other reactions.
Bruce Kesler has further thoughts on the media coverage of this story.
8:43 am
My Lai, or My Lie?
Perhaps this should not be surprising, but Marine Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich gives a version of events exactly opposite of those described by “cold-blooded” Congressman John Murtha and the Sunni residents of Haditha in a story by Josh White…
8:53 am
[...] UPDATE: Others: Democracy Project, Blue Star Chronicles, The Real Ugly American, Right Wing Nut House, Mudville Gazette, Politburo Diktat, All Things Beautiful, Sister Toldjah, Prairie Pundit and Small Town Veteran. [...]
10:18 am
What I find incredible is that the Marines are back at Camp Pendelton in hand and leg shakles in SOLITARY CONFINDMENT for 23 hours a day before the investigation is finished. President BUSH, please take our soldiers out of the brig, you are treating Gitmo guys with more compassion.
10:35 am
Haditha: The Other Side
Contrary to the impression being given by John Murtha and others, there are two sides to the Haditha story and today’s Washington Post features an A1 piece by Josh White on the other side: A sergeant who led a squad…
11:31 am
Marine Says Rules Were Followed At Haditha
While many jumped on the bandwagon to condemn our Marines of a bloody rampage of murder in Haditha, others have been staying on the side of caution. Red Hot Cuppa Politics has been following how much of the MSM’s story has been falling apart. ...
11:48 am
There have been three other instances I know of where sunni insurgents slaughtered civilians and told the press that US troops were to blame. In each case it was proven to be a propaganda ploy but, before any investigation was even started, the press reported it straight from the insurgents mouths as if it was fact. Their retractions bore little resemblence to their initial reports in both tenor and visibility. It was happening in the same time frame as this Haditha incident. The insurgents find the American and European press to be willing participants in anti-US propaganda so if they feel they have succeded in smearing these marines they will escalate their efforts. The press is guilty of criminal negligence getting civilians slaughtered in their consistant promotion of the insurgency.
This episode will turn out to be a hoax, just as the other instances were, but the press and the democrats will continue to pump nickles into this drugstore pony ride and pretend that it’s real and they are riding somewhere. Regardless that this pony is faux and only rocks back and forth in place when the nickles are inserted.
2:20 pm
Haditha – The Marines side
WAPO has an article detailing the Marines’ side of the Haditha incident. A sergeant who led a squad of Marines during the incident in Haditha, Iraq, that left as many as 24 civilians dead said his unit did not intentionally…
2:38 pm
[...] Right Wing Nut House has this to say: [...]
4:10 pm
Now that the democrats have been caught hyping a massacre that most likely didn’t happen they have switched to bashing Ann Coulter. What are the elected representatives of the country doing spending days bashing a private citizen and going as far as ‘banning’ a private book. Do you people now believe that the democratic party is leading you down the road to communism. You had better wake up, that is exactly what is happening.They would kill the Pope if they thought it would soothe their wounded ego’s and gain them even one seat in congress. Hate has turned to insanity in the highest levels of the democratic party.
4:18 pm
I’m not sure if you’ve read this Rick, but this is probably one of the best blog posts to explain the difference between tragic, but justified action, and murder:
http://www.madison.com/post/blogs/militarymatters/85715
4:32 pm
Now The Media Seeks Out Marines’ Story About Haditha?
Since the story about Haditha broke the media has been all over the story charging that Marines massacred and then covered up the (as John Murtha said) “cold blooded murder” of Iraqi civilians. And the liberal left has left their drool all over this…
5:19 pm
Whatever Happened to “Innocent Until Proven Guilty
The MSM likes to prate on about how people we know to have committed heinous crimes, like Tookie Williams, are innocent until proven guilty. And, even when that person is found guilty (as sin) by a jury of his peers, the MSM still treats him as thoug…
6:02 pm
Haditha Pushback
This is apparently the first statement from anyone who has direct knowledge of the events relating to the Haditha incident. Other soldiers and witnesses have thus far made statements relating to what they saw after the alleged incident occurred. Stil…
9:38 pm
[...] American, BrothersJudd Blog, ShrinkWrapped, Small Town Veteran, PrairiePundit, The Jawa Report. | Permalink No Comments» [...]
10:14 pm
[...] Right Wing Nut House [...]
2:32 pm
This is another SNUF by MSM,liberals, assholes and film at 11:00
Can’t wait for chris Mathews to stage a re-enactment. They’ll have the country correct but that’s about it.
I am so tried of the Press making up stuff, finding criminality in our military, belittleing their efforts. BUT if after every RATHERISMS that occur we have the hope of converting to us, from the Dark Side, more people who realize that they are being lied to then eventually the MSM will be singing to the choir.
12:13 pm
Did anyone check the weather there right after? (Just asking for evidence sake)
2:55 pm
Haditha Story Falling Apart
I honestly no longer believe the Murtha version of events regarding Haditha. Do these allegations come from wanting more blood money or from the unending hatred of the United States? I’m not sure yet but I do know that the…
4:39 pm
[...] As an example, there was the reporting on the Haditha massacre. Leaving aside the army investigation for a moment, the news stories that were written about that incident were wildly different and varied enormously. Here’s what I wrote when the story of the massacre first came to light: [...]