Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

On Aug. 9, 2007, Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt was exonerated from all charges in the Haditha incident of 2005 where Iraqi citizens were killed in a firefight with insurgents.. It’s been over two months now, and no apology seems to be forthcoming from Democrat Congressman Jack Murtha who relished the occasion back in 2006 to criticize our troops. I guess he only calls press conferences when there’s bad news to report about the military!

Lt. Col. Paul Ware, court martial officer, declared Sharratt’s actions were “in accordance with the rules of engagement and use of force.” He further stated that such unwarranted accusations set a “dangerous precedent that may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and its mission in Iraq.”

It was in May 2006, that Murtha publicly and emphatically called Sharratt and others “murderers” who “killed innocent Iraqi citizens in cold blood.” Apparently, Murtha, (once a Marine himself, now downgraded to “EX-Marine”), in his over-eagerness to take political advantage of some bad war news, failed to see the wisdom in affording these brave soldiers the benefit of the doubt and the presumption of innocence before condemning them!

Should we be surprised?

Liberals are quick to go the extra mile in the “presumption of innocence” when it comes to sexual predators, terrorists, drug dealers and rapists, but when our soldiers are the ones under suspicion, (however unwarranted), they’re the first ones in line shouting “throw the switch!” Their duplicitous behavior reminds me of an anti-war protest banner I saw recently that read, “We Support Our Troops When They Shoot Their Officers.”

In the slippery, slimy world of Liberalism- one finds many interesting things hiding under the rocks of “convenient” propaganda opportunities. This Haditha story is a case in point.

It all started when Time Magazine-reporter Tim McGirk obtained a video from a “human rights organization” known to be sympathetic to the Sunni-insurgents. That alone should have been a tip-off to the credibility of the source, but not for liberal reporters anxious to fan the flames of anti-war dissent back home!

The video was shot in a planned raid where the insurgents positioned innocent Iraqis as human shields, anticipating the return fire from American soldiers under assault. The plan was to then use the carnage captured on tape for the on-going propaganda war waged through their willing accomplises in the media and other “useful idiots.” Time Magazine and Murtha stepped-in like real “champs” for the enemies of our soldiers!

In March of 2006 the PHONY story came out regarding the Haditha firefight and in a matter of weeks Murtha was pounding the podium in Washington demanding a withdrawal from Iraq, and defeat for America. The Liberals seized upon the news in a feeding frenzy sensing the “My Lai” they’d long been waiting for!

What a difference a few months make! As a consequence of Gen. Petraeus’ successful Surge Strategy, now the U.S. military is claiming we have made “devastating” and “irreversible” blows to al-Qaeda Iraq. Many officials are actually advocating for some kind of “Declaration of Victory!” There’s even talk of soon turning over operations to the Army and moving all Marines out of Iraq and into Afghanistan! How is this possible when Democrat “experts” like Murtha and Reid have long proclaimed that it’s “over” and we “lost?”

Now, Ex-Marine Murtha may have more to worry about than NOT losing the war in Iraq.
A Federal Judge is calling on him to testify in court. Marine Sgt. Frank Wuterich- one of the “Haditha Eight”- has filed a libel suit against the Congressman for defamation and invasion of privacy. Judge Rosemary Collyer characterized the situation this way:

“You [Congressman Murtha] are writing a very wide road for members of congress to go to their home districts and say anything they choose about private persons and be able to do so without liability. Are you sure you want to do that? How far can a congressman go and still be protected?”

We shall see.

Both, the concerns of Lt. Col Ware and Judge Collyer, are valid. There’s another recent
example where Army Pvt. Scott Thomas Beachamp falsely accused soldiers of gross and barbaric behavior in Iraq, with no corroborating evidence whatsoever. And, of course, there’s the now infamous case of Jesse MacBeth- subject of a recent Rush Limbaugh show- where he claimed to be an Army Ranger who “routinely” committed war crimes in Iraq. As it turned out, he got kicked out of basic training and then joined a group who welcomed him with open arms- the anti-War Left, where lying is a virtue!

It’s hard to say whether these “fifth column” propaganda stunts will ultimately succeed in thwarting our military objectives in Iraq? One thing’s for sure- they certainly don’t help,
and they’re not very encouraging to our troops!

Perhaps the worst thing going on now with the Democrat Congress is their plan- led by Tom Lantos- to issue a resolution, (HR 106), formally denouncing Turkey for the “genocide” of one and a half million Armenians 90 years ago. Why is this so crucial?

Turkey is an indispensable ally for us in the Iraq war and they are threatening to withdraw their support if this “insulting” resolution passes. Turkey has NATO’s second largest army and they’re also NATO’s only Muslim member. More importantly, within their borders we have perhaps our most strategic military base in the region: Incirlik. Seventy percent of our flights, one third of our fuel and much of our water supplies for the Iraqi theater goes through Incirlik! Maintaining Turkish support is vital for winning the war in Iraq. However, because of this Resolution, Turkish General Yasar Buyukanit is saying “military ties with the U.S. will never be the same again!”

When asked about the possibility of canceling or postponing this vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi objected saying, “the measure’s timing is important because many of the [Armenian] survivors are very old.” As Republican Representative Jim Boehner rightly said, “what happened 90 years ago is a subject for historians, not politicians in Washington!” How crazy and inept can these Democrats be? It seems we’re back to “Jimmy Carter-style” diplomacy! Everyone check your brain at the door!

Actually, when you consider how invested the Democrats are in defeat, it makes perfect sense! In the case of Murtha, Lantos, Pelosi et al, “bearing false witness” may just be saving them from having to admit to a greater sin- ie. conspiring against our military in a time of war for the purpose of obtaining greater political advantage for themselves and their Party! (send comments to WFC83197@aol.com, or mail to: POB 114, Jacksboro, TN 37757)