Via Free Beacon:
The United States Marine Corps has finally exonerated a group of special forces Marines accused of war crimes in connection to a 2007 ambush in Afghanistan.
Major General Frederick M. Padilla, speaking on behalf of Commandant General Robert B. Neller, sent a letter to Rep. Walter Jones (R., N.C.) acknowledging that seven members of the Marine Corps’ first special forces unit acted appropriately when they returned fire following a suicide bombing and ambush from enemy forces. Padilla quoted from a 2008 Marine Corps Court of Inquiry, saying the Marines “acted appropriately” and “reflected sound military judgment” in responding to the attack.
“The Marines acted in accordance with the applicable operations order, the rules of engagement, and the law of armed conflict,” Padilla said in the January letter.
Rep. Jones hailed the letter as a victory for the seven Marines who stood before the Court of Inquiry, the Corps’ highest administrative investigative body.
“These men have been to hell and back,” he said in a statement. “They were bravely serving their country, only to have their personal and professional lives ruined by misinformation and poor timing. I very much appreciate General Neller and his staff for taking a look at this case and reiterating that these men did nothing wrong on March 4, 2007.”
The military sent out a press release announcing the Marines’ acquittal on the Friday before Memorial Day in 2008. Padilla’s letter, according to Jones, affirmed the exoneration in a more public manner. The muted response stood in contrast to major public condemnations from top military leaders in the aftermath of the March 2007 attack. General John Nicholson, who now commands all American troops in Afghanistan, called the Marines “a stain on our honor” (he was a colonel at the time) and apologized to Afghan villagers killed in the attacks in a May 2007 press conference with reporters.
Nicholson did not respond to a request for comment about the exoneration or his past comments about the Marines.
Retired Major Fred Galvin, who led Fox Company and helped develop the training regimen for the Marines’ first special operations force, wants further action taken. He said the public statements from commanders irrevocably damaged the reputations of his men. He objected to Padilla’s assertion that “there is nothing to be gained by revisiting the events of March 4, 2007.” Three of his Marines have suffered from PTSD and only one of the original seven remains on active duty. The high profile nature of Nicholson’s comments has damaged their ability to find work despite the Court of Inquiry findings, their honorable discharges, and other commendations, including multiple Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts.
HT: American Mom