ACLU seeks disclosure of Pentagon files on Haditha

Posted on June 22, 2006

What’s Next? Broadcasting Troop Movements?
It seems our “friends” over at the American Civil Liberties Union want public oversight into the allegations of Marines intentionally killing unarmed civilians in Haditha Iraq. They actually believe that it would spark a “comprehensive investigation”.

The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a Freedom of Information Act request demanding that the Defense Department publicly disclose investigative files relating to the alleged killing of 24 civilians by U.S. Marines in Haditha, Iraq.

“The intentional killing of civilians is a profoundly serious violation of both domestic and international law, and the allegation that senior officers suppressed evidence of this tragic incident is deeply troubling,” said ACLU attorney Jameel Jaffer. “The request we filed today is meant to encourage an investigation that is credible and comprehensive.”

The ACLU’s FOIA request seeks information about an incident in which U.S. Marines are said to have killed 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, in retaliation for the killing of another Marine by a roadside bomb. The request seeks information about the Haditha incident, about the alleged cover-up of that incident by senior officers, and about other incidents involving the killing of civilians by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The request also seeks to ascertain whether military officers attempted to suppress information about these deaths.

Specifically, the request seeks the release of all records relating to the killing of civilians by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan since January 1, 2005, including death certificates, autopsy reports, investigative files, documents related to criminal and administrative proceedings, witness interviews, statistics, policy documents (including “rules of engagement”), paperwork for compensatory payments to relatives of victims, photographs, and videos.

Ok then, should we also give the media, the UN, the EU, and Al Jazeera 7 days notice prior to troop movements? Should we be required to inform them how many troops from what units armed with which weapons and a list of equipment being used.

This investigation is still ongoing. The least the ACLU could do is give the military time to finish its job before butting its ugly head into the mess. This lawyer, Jameel Jaffer, however let it be known how much trust he has in our military.

The request we filed today is meant to encourage an investigation that is credible and comprehensive,” he said.

Why didn’t they request the autopsy results on the two American soldiers tortured and butchered in Iraq this last week? They are so busy accusing the U.S. of torture to the U.N. that they overlook the enemy? Oh wait, they aren’t overlooking them, they are defending them! When are they going to change their name from “American” Civil Liberties Union to Al Qaeda Civil Liberties Union?

Check out the comments at FR.
Bryan Preston at Hot Air:

The ACLU will do what this data what it did with the last set of data it FOIAed out of the government–use the most salacious bits to paint a picture that’s a lie. In that case, the ACLU has used uncorroborated tales of terrorist abuse at Gitmo to fool Andrew Sullivan and his gullible ilk into thinking that we’re a torture country. They’ll fool him again, only this time we’ll be a murdering country. Watch for it. If the ACLU gets this information, it will feed months and years of press hysteria. St. Andrew of the Sacred Heart-Ache may have an aneurism an hour.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post

» Filed Under ACLU, News, War On Terror

Trackback URL

Comments

3 Responses to “ACLU seeks disclosure of Pentagon files on Haditha”

kerwin_brown on June 23rd, 2006 12:51 am

I have a lot of doubt that the freedom of information Act was meant to reveal ongoing police investigations.

Congress can alter the Act any time they want so if the ACLU and the activist judge go overboad they can clarify it.
Draven32 on June 23rd, 2006 2:18 am

Give them this, and ten years from now it will be “ACLU Files FOIA request for all military operations planned for this month”
patd95 on June 23rd, 2006 8:30 am

“The intentional killing of civilians is a profoundly serious violation of both domestic and international law…

So this lawyer knows who is guilty and how the crime was commited before the military investigation is concluded? Amazing. If this is the case, then why even have docuemnts released. You just told the world everyone is guilty. No need for docs to be released. Man, those lawyers at the ACLU are wicked smart!