Marine's Wife Paints Portrait of US Troops Out of Control in Haditha...

[bridgit]

· Unit accused of abusing drugs and alcohol
· Officers relieved of duty after killing of 24 Iraqis

'The marine unit involved in the killing of Iraqi civilians in Haditha last November had suffered a "total breakdown" in discipline and had drug and alcohol problems, according to the wife of one of the battalion's staff sergeants.

The allegations in Newsweek magazine contribute to an ever more disturbing portrait of embattled marines under high stress, some on their third tour of duty after ferocious door-to-door fighting in the Sunni insurgent strongholds of Falluja and Haditha.

The wife of the unnamed staff sergeant claimed there had been a "total breakdown" in the unit's discipline after it was pulled out of Falluja in early 2005.

"There were problems in Kilo company with drugs, alcohol, hazing , you name it," she said. "I think it's more than possible that these guys were totally tweaked out on speed or something when they shot those civilians in Haditha."' http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0605-02.htm

[rodeodance]

1. umm.. will that be their defense?

[bridgit]

2. used to be eating too many twinkies would get you off, we'll have...

to see about this one x(

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. It is quite possible

but if they pull it off, it is a general indictment of the leadership... they will hang the Staff Sergeants before they look at a general, or a Full Bird... if there is overwhelming evidence of this, they might consider sacrificing a Major or a Lt Colonel, but you can almost bet this will not go beyond that


Then again this IS the USMC... where thngs that dishonor the Corp are the worst of possible crimes.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. Kicked and Recommended

[roguevalley]

4. this is terrible if true. too many time bombs. too many opportunities

to go off. we need out now.

[bridgit]

6. true...