ANN ARBOR, MI – It is clear that the Battalion Commander of the Marines charged in the so called “Haditha Massacre” is a political scapegoat of the anti-war efforts led by Congressman John Murtha and Time magazine. This was the conclusion of Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Law Center is assisting military counsel in the defense of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani without charge. Chessani is accused of failing to properly report and investigate the battle that occurred on November 19, 2005 in which 15 Iraqi civilians were killed.
Said Thompson, “This is a media-instigated prosecution, influenced by Iraqi propagandists and inflamed by Congressman Murtha’s outrageous public comments prejudging the guilt of Marines to bolster his anti-war agenda.”
Thompson’s public comments are based on his office’s review of thousands of pages of investigative reports, interviews and sworn depositions of key combat officers intimately familiar with the events surrounding the November 19, 2005 ambush of a Marine convoy in the city of Haditha, Al Anbar Province, one of the deadliest cities in Iraq.
The decision to launch a criminal investigation of the November 19 incident was made three months after its occurrence as a result of a Time Magazine news lead, which military commanders in the field suspected was instigated by terrorist propaganda.
Congressman John Murtha, an outspoken anti-war critic and chairman of the House military appropriations subcommittee, months before the investigation was completed, publicly accused the four Marines of being “cold-blooded murderers” and high-ranking officers of “covering it up.”
Brian J. Rooney, the Law Center spokesman and a former Marine Captain, who spent 7 months in Iraq, commented, “Our office has just taken the first round of depositions of key witnesses who will be redeployed outside of the country. I can promise you some stunning revelations showing Lieutenant Colonel Chessani will be exonerated of all the charges against him.”
Said Rooney, “We are looking forward to getting on with the Article 32 Hearing. Unfortunately, it has taken the government a large amount of time to release all of the evidence in their possession. In fact, on March 20, 2007 our office received 4,000 more pages of discovery (the Bargwell Report) from the government. We originally requested March 21, 2007 as the date we wanted to start the Article 32 Hearing. The delay in getting us crucial evidence forced a further delay.”
The Article 32 Hearing date was moved from March 21, 2007 to May 14, 2007. This date may further move to May 30, 2007 to accommodate all parties involved. The original officer appointed as the Investigating Officer for the Article 32, Colonel George Smith, USMC has been replaced—due to his unavailability—by Colonel Christopher Conlin, USMC.
The maximum punishment at a General Court-Martial that Chessani could face is dismissal (an officer’s equivalent of a dishonorable discharge), loss of retirement, and imprisonment of up to 3 years.
The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.