No Coverup in Haditha Incident

While a separate investigation into the incident in Haditha continues, the investigation into whether there was a coverup of the purported incident has been completed, and the result is that there was no knowing coverup (via the ubiquitous leakers):

The general charged with investigating whether Marines tried to cover up the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha has completed his report, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday.

Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts by the officers supervising the Marines involved in the November incident, the official said. Rather, he said, officers from the company level through the staff of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Baghdad failed to demand "a thorough explanation" of what happened in Haditha.

In an official announcement about the report by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell, a military spokeswoman said that Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli would "thoroughly review the voluminous report as quickly as possible," but had no timetable.

"That means don't hold your breath," a defense official said.

That stands not only in stark contrast to the definitive statements made by one member of Congress, Rep. John Murtha, who declared:

"There has to have been a coverup of this thing," Rep. John P. Murtha (Pa.), ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, charged in an interview on ABC's "This Week." "No question about it."

but that it's completely the opposite conclusion from Murtha's statements. Unless Murtha is going to call the Army Generals investigating the incident liars, the only conclusion that can be reached is that Murtha himself was speaking without possessing the facts and made conclusions based on incomplete and inaccurate information.

Will we hear an apology from Murtha, or will he simply move on to the next situation, jump to conclusions, grab press, and move on once more? The Marine Corps deserves more from Rep. Murtha than this.

There is a significant difference between a coverup and a failure to ask the kinds of questions that should have been asked. A coverup is an act of comission, while the failure to ask questions is an act of omission.

Others blogging: Michelle Malkin, Flopping Aces, Small Town Veteran, and Macranger.

UPDATE:
Still others noting that the investigation into the coverup has revealed that while there were problems with communications and questioning the reports coming up the chain of command, there was no coverup: Sister Toldjah and Right Voices.