Wuterich regrets the death of innocent at Haditha

North County Times:

Accused of leading his troops in what prosecutors say was the wrongful killing of two dozen Iraqi civilians in the city of Haditha nearly two years ago, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich has served as a symbol for U.S. military action in Iraq having gone awry.

On Thursday, a calm and clear-speaking Wuterich said in a military courtroom that he followed his training after his squad was attacked by a roadside bomb and that he will forever regret the loss of innocent life.

"As a sergeant and a squad leader, I am responsible for the decisions made to employ the tactics we used that day," Wuterich told Lt. Col. Paul Ware, the Marine officer who presided over a four-day hearing for the accused Marine. Ware will recommend whether Wuterich should face trial in the deaths of 17 of the 24 Iraqi civilians.

"I will always mourn the unfortunate deaths of the innocent Iraqis who were killed during our response to that attack,"

Wuterich was leading a squad from Camp Pendleton on a resupply mission the morning of Nov. 19, 2005, when a Humvee was destroyed by a roadside bomb, killing a lance corporal and injuring two other Marines.

Moments later, five men who emerged from a car that drove up were killed by Wuterich and another Marine. Wuterich said those men were running away when he knelt and shot them in the belief they were insurgents responsible for the roadside bombing and possibly carrying a bomb in their car.

"The threat had to be neutralized," he said.

Nineteen other Iraqis, including six children and two women, would die in the next few hours as Wuterich and his Marines stormed four homes. According to testimony, they were in search of the bomb's triggerman and those they believed were shooting at them.

Most of the 27-year-old Marine's comments came as he read from a prepared statement. He then answered several questions from his lead attorney, Neal Puckett, who asked how he felt about the incident, which would draw international attention to Wuterich and the Marines.

"I will never be OK with what happened that day," Wuterich said. "One of my Marines got killed, two of them got seriously injured.

"Personally, I feel like there were certain decisions that I made then that I might have changed, such as taking a different route back."

As his wife and parents watched him speak from the gallery of a base courtroom, the married father of three daughters also expressed remorse.

"Families got killed that day, and I know I can look at my family and I would not want that to happen to them," he said. "I will never be OK with how the events turned out that day."

Wuterich also denied saying a week prior to the incident that if his squad was ever attacked he would lead his men in killing everyone in the vicinity. A witness against Wuterich, squad member Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, testified last week that Wuterich made that statement.

Wuterich also rejected Dela Cruz's testimony that Wuterich told him to say the men from the car were shot by Iraqi army troops with the Marines that day.

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Ware may have tipped his hand in remarks at the close of the hearing. He told prosecutors he wanted them to explain in writing why Wuterich should be held accountable for the deaths of six Iraqis inside a bedroom of the first home they stormed.

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Two officers still face hearings on charges of dereliction of duty. However, if Wuterich's case is also dismissed then the charges against the officers would be tenuous at best. The case against Wuterich was much less than the media anticipated. He was apparently a good Marine NCO with an even temperament. Whatever the outcome of his hearing, it is clear that the charges made against him by Congressman Murtha were unfair. Weterich has filed suit against the congressman. That is probably why the blow hard has been so silent in recent weeks as the charges against the other Marines were dismissed.