New Evidence Emerges In Haditha Incident

Military sources familiar with the incident have told NewsMax:
Within minutes of the early morning IED explosion, a firefight erupted between insurgents and Marines. Civilians were caught in the middle of the firefight. Also, although civilians did die, their deaths were the result of door-to-door combat as the Marines sought to clear houses and stop the insurgent gunfire.

Ample evidence proves that a firefight took place. For example, every second of the ensuing firefight was monitored by numerous people at company, battalion, and regimental HQs via radio communications.

Video evidence supports the Marines' claims. Within a very few minutes, battalion, regimental, and division headquarters were able to watch the action thanks to an overhead ultralight aircraft that remained aloft all day. Photos of some of the action were downloaded and in the hands of Marines and the NCIS.

Some of the insurgents involved in planning the attack and firing at Marines during a daylong engagement have been apprehended and are in custody.

The NCIS investigation is still ongoing, so these latest leaks need to be taken with a grain of salt. However, compare and contrast this information with the information provided by Rep. John Murtha and earlier leakers, which all but convicted the Marines involved in the Haditha incident of murder despite the fact that an investigation was only starting and that there were serious questions about the witnesses and other forensic evidence. Someone else is trying to counter the earlier leakers, but this is getting out of hand.

The Newsmax article notes that that part of the incident may have been captured on reconaissance aircraft video. That evidence tends to support the Marines' contention that they got involved in a firefight following the detonation of an IED. Hot Air wonders about the timeline of what was captured on the video and what was captured on audio tapes of communciations between units.

Sweetness and Light is skeptical as well - noting that such information is too good to be true.

This is yet one more reason why we need to let the investigation continue without leaks - and punish those who do leak information. People on one side have tried to get these Marines convicted in the court of public opinion and the other side has responded with leaks of their own.

Others blogging: Flopping Aces, Prairie Pundit, and Liberty and Justice.