Marine may call Murtha as witness

Here’s a bit more information on the possible application of “unlawful command influence” in the Haditha case, as was also noted in an earlier post.

A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder. Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in “cold blood.” Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify.

So, the point is? Read on:

Mr. Puckett said such public comments from a congressman via senior Marines amount to “unlawful command influence.” He said potential Marine jurors could be biased by the knowledge that their commandant, the Corps’ top officer, thinks the Haditha Marines are guilty. “Congressman Murtha will be one of the first witnesses I call to the witness stand,” Mr. Puckett said yesterday.

If in fact this influence WAS exercised, there DOES need to be a Court Martial, but of the higher brass that leaked the stuff to Mutha-f Murtha.