Marine Sues Rep. Murtha for Slander in Haditha Incident

Good for him. I don't know what Murtha was thinking. Murtha won two purple hearts and a bronze star in Vietnam, I believe. The USMC is real stingy with its medals, and they don't give them out for simply graduating boot camp, so Murtha of all people should have given those Marines he slandered the benefit of the doubt before accusing them publically. I guess Murtha sold his soul to his political party.

Hopefully the folks in Pennsylvaina will retire Murtha soon.

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_270000717.html

In May 2006, six months after 24 people were killed in a small Iraqi town, U.S. Rep. John Murtha made a startling accusation.

American soldiers, he contended, had killed innocent civilians “in cold blood.”

Now, less than six weeks before the longtime Johnstown Democrat is up for re-election, a Marine involved in the now-infamous Haditha incident is suing Murtha for slander.

Justin Sharratt of Canonsburg, Washington County, left the Marine Corps last year. But he claims Murtha’s statements have caused “permanent, irreversible damage to his reputation.”

“What Murtha did is outrageous, and I am seeking punitive damages,” said Noah Geary, a Pittsburgh attorney representing Sharratt.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh.

It includes Murtha’s statements from nationally televised interviews in 2006, including an exchange during a CNN interview with anchor Wolf Blitzer.

“There was an (improvised explosive device) attack, it killed one Marine, and then they overreacted and killed a number of civilians without anybody firing at them,” Murtha told Blitzer.

“That’s what you’re going to find out.”

At this point, though, seven of the eight servicemen charged in the incident have been cleared.

Howdy,
I have been watching what Murtha has done in the past few years and what ever he was, he isnt anymore. He has deflated down to just a two bit politician if you ask me. As far as I am concerned he lives on excrement sandwiches!!!!!

Benedict Arnold was a hero before he became a traitor, so the precedent was
set a long time ago.

Good find CB.
Well said Ross and RedRocker!

Russell is Murtha's Republican challenger. More info on his web site.

Russell Comes Out Swinging Against Murtha

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Jon Delano

Lt. Col. Bill Russell was in the Pentagon when it was attacked on September 11th.

"The office I was in was actually one floor up and about 150 feet from where the cockpit ended," says Russell.

That experience and his military service in Iraq shaped Russell's strong support for the Iraq war and his political challenge to long-time Democratic Congressman John Murtha.

"People can disagree about whether we should be there, but the fact of the matter is that we are there -- and we have no choice but to win and achieve victory," says the Republican candidate.

Facing off against Murtha -- the leading critic of the war -- in a congressional district that stretches across this region, Russell's television ads use Murtha's own words against certain American troops.

Russell's ads quote Murtha, saying of American troops, "They went into houses and killed children, women and children."

"He has definitely lost his way," says Russell, "and he has certainly made some statements that have played directly into the hands of the enemy and as a savvy politician, he should understand propaganda and as a former intelligence officer he should understand enemy propaganda."

Russell stops short of calling Murtha a traitor -- but says the congressman aided and abetted the enemy.

"Sounds like you're accusing him though of treasonous activity?" Political Editor Jon Delano asked Russell.

"Well, the definition of treason is aiding and abetting the enemy, and i've got to leave that up to the voters to decide that particular issue."

"But you think he did aid and abet?"

"I believe he aided and abetted the enemy," says Russell.

Russell says Murtha's accusations against the Haditha Marines -- found untrue in all but one still unresolved case -- led to American deaths in Iraq.

"If you consider that the enemy used his words as propaganda on the Arab street to incite those who were intent on murdering, killing, injuring, maiming, or mutilating our soldiers, that's certainly -- everyone is welcome to read their definition of that."

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Jason Mattera of the Young America's Foundation confronted Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) for accusing the Haditha Marines of murder "in cold blood."

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMedVWUsSFU"]Rep. Jack Murtha cuts and runs when asked about Haditha[/ame]

One of the big problems with Murtha is that he wields a lot of power.

He will do what he can to make this all go away.

B_Skurka said:

One of the big problems with Murtha is that he wields a lot of power.

He will do what he can to make this all go away.

Click to expand...

Since I don't live in PA I can't vote against him but I can try to help Bill Russell.

Jim