The American Pundit

Courtesy of Hot Air, I see Reuters is reporting all charges were also dropped against Capt. Randy Stone, also accused of killing Iraqis in Haditha back in ‘05.
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It was reported last month that a report by Lt. Col. Paul Ware recommended all charges be dropped against Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, who was accused of killing three Iraqis in Haditha in 2005. Today, all charges have been officially dropped.

Murder charges against a US Marine accused of killing three Iraqi civilians during an alleged massacre in Haditha two years ago have been dropped, the military said on Thursday.

A statement released by the Marines at their Camp Pendleton base in southern California revealed that three charges of unpremeditated murder against Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt had been withdrawn.

The decision was announced in a written ruling from the commander Lieutenant General James Mattis and followed a recommendation from an investigator last month that the charges should be dropped.

“An independent Article 32 investigating officer has considered all the facts and determined that the evidence does not support a referral to court-martial for Lance Corporal Sharratt,” Mattis wrote.

“Based on my review of all the evidence in this case and considering the recommendation of the Article 32 officer, I have dismissed the charges.”

Sharratt was accused of shooting three Iraqi men execution-style in what prosecutors alleged was part of a rampage that left 24 civilians dead following the death of a Marine in a roadside bomb in November 2005.

Sharratt said the men were shot at close quarters as Marines cleared a house where insurgents were believed to be operating.

In a statement recommending the charges be dropped released last month, investigator Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ware said the prosecution charges were “unsupported by the independent evidence.”

“To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary,” Ware added.

This is not the first case of charges being dropped against a Marine accused of killing Iraqis in Haditha. The evidence didn’t support the charges against Sergeant Dela Cruz either, and all were dropped.

Now, when is Congressman John Murtha (D-Penn) going to apologize? Remember this?

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Let me ask you Mr. Murtha to give us some details about that. Draw us a picture of what happened at Haditha.

REP. JOHN “JACK” MURTHA: Well, I’ll tell you exactly what happened. One Marine was killed and the Marines just said we’re going to take care – we don’t know who the enemy is, the pressure was too much on them, so they went into houses and they actually killed civilians. And, and –

MATTHEWS:—was this My Lai? Was this a case of – when you say cold blood Congressman, a lot of people think you’re basically saying you got some civilians sitting in a room around a field and they’re executed.

MURTHA: That’s exactly it.

H/t Michelle Malkin.