The Shamestream Media

I really despise the lamestream media. Apparently the editors at the Augusta Chronicle can sometimes second the emotion.

Now they ignore Haditha

'Massacre' loses its luster for media now that charges are melting away

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Back in November 2005, the mainstream media and much of the Democratic Congress, spurred on by the anti-war, military-bashing, hate-America crowd, went into hysterics over the so-called "Haditha massacre."

The claim, made by Iraqi witnesses, was that a squad of Marines in the village of Haditha -- angry after comrade-in-arms Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas was ripped in half by a roadside bomb -- retaliated by wantonly slaughtering unarmed women and children.

Big-city newspapers, network and cable TV ran with the firestorm for days. Time and Newsweek had cover stories on it. Congressional members denounced Marines' so-called brutality, highlighted by U.S. Rep. John Murtha's scurrilous accusation that the Marines had engaged in a "cold blooded" killing of innocent civilians.

The anti-war left was delighted that they'd finally found the Iraq War's My Lai, and the Pentagon, reeling under the negative publicity, quickly put together a crack prosecution team, including 65 investigators, to bring to justice eight Haditha Marines charged with murder.

Well, the Marines are getting justice all right, but not the kind Murtha and fellow anti-war fanatics expected. The five Marines so far slated to go on trial have had their murder charges reduced to manslaughter, then reduced again and again until finally the prosecutors gave up and simply dropped all charges.

So what happened?

According to court observers, the real evidence -- as opposed to the far left's hysterical non- evidence -- just hasn't been there for a serious prosecution. An eight-hour taped deposition by a battalion intelligence officer, and supported by photographic evidence, confirmed Marines' account that they were under hostile fire from buildings in the area, and that they had every right to do what Marines are trained to do under those circumstances -- respond with overwhelming force.

Yes, innocent women and children were killed, but not because the young Marines were angry or out of control. It was because cowardly enemy snipers were using the innocents as shields.

There are still three Marines left to be tried for murder, but court observers believe those charges will also be dropped. Don't expect to hear much about this from Congress or the mainstream media -- or to see any cover stories in Time or Newsweek . It's only news if they're supposedly guilty.

When our courageous troops are not guilty, it's an embarrassment to even bring the issue up in polite far-left company-- much less get an apology from them.

From the Thursday, April 17, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle