From what I've been reading, the charges didn't really hold up to scrutiny. Five exonerations and 3 more awaiting trial.
"Scientists make these deductions by examining a rat, or your landlord who won't cut the rent."
That is not accurate. Far from it. A number of Marines have been granted immunity in exchange for their testimony. The killings involve multiple incidents over a period of time. In the central incidents the squad leader is currently facing charges of negligent homicide in the deaths of two women and five children. Other Marines are testifying against him. Officers have been discplined for failing to properly investigate the incident. Officers are still facing charges related to the incident.
In regards to the killings in what is called house 4 the Marines have been cleared by a US military court. This leaves the killings at the taxi and in houses 1 and 2 still under dispute.
The facts are that the Marines killed 24 Iraqi men, women and children. According to the units intel officer there is no evidence that any of them were insurgents. In the killings at the taxi and the killing of the two families in houses 1 and 2 none of the Iraqis were armed. The main accused, Wuterich, now acknowledges that he saw the first dead family in house 1 and proceeded to kill the family in house 2 based on an estimation of an imagined threat that he now acknowledges (in his own words in a 60 Minutes interview) probably never existed. And the Marines initially lied about the incident claiming the civilians were killed in action or by the roadside bomb.
All the Iraqis involved including Iraqi soldiers who accompanied the Americans claim the Americans committed murder. Some Americans say the same. Some Americans say otherwise but still admit to what clearly sounds like wrong doing.
Well, putting the issue of "the myth" of this incident aside, no one is apparently going to be going to jail for anything that happened during the day (of the incident) in question or the aftermath of it. There are still a few people that could be re-charged (some Marines have retired I think), but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
Which to me is mind boggling. After reading too much on this subject and trying to look at all the available facts, imho Wuterich and a few others just flat out murdered a bunch of these people. I don't find much of what he and his accomplices claimed to be believable but even if you accept what he said at face value his and his squads actions were appalling. And the media in the US has consistently failed to present a coherent and complete version of this story and that includes this movie.
shareWelcome to war.
shareThat's called war. It's normal to kill people in war. Civilians get killed unjustly in war. It's not good, it's not bad, it's life. Just another aspect of life.
Christ, you kids need to get out more often.