Murtha Knows Best: Pronounces Marines Guilty Before Charges Filed in Haditha Scandal

Although details are just beginning to come out concerning the alleged Marine massacre of between 15 and 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha on November 19 of last year, it seems that some of the most outspoken detractors of the war in Iraq are unwilling to wait for a verdict before cashing in:

Democrat John Murtha, a former Marines colonel who has retained close links to the military despite his denunciation of the Iraq occupation, said Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War Coalition, said: "It's clear that what happened in Haditha is a war crime. It would be idle to think this is the first war crime that has been committed in the last three years. It must be assumed that more of this is going on."

"What happened at Haditha appears to be outright murder," said Marc Garlasco of Human Rights Watch. "It has the potential to blow up in the U.S. military's face."

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If it is established that the marines under scrutiny did indeed commit the atrocities attributed to them, then let them feel the full weight of justice. However -- it should be noted that there have been no charges filed against any marine currently under investigation.

I believe John Murtha's statements were ponderously premature and irresponsible, and I wonder how many U.S. servicemen will die as a direct result of his agenda-driven rush to judgment.