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| Iraq |
| US Marine exonerated for song about killing Iraqis |
| 2006-06-27 |
| via Hotair.com and this Reuters, WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military will not punish a Marine who performed an obscenity-laced song to a laughing and cheering crowd of fellow troops in Iraq making light of killing Iraqis, the Marine Corps said on Tuesday. The Marines two weeks ago launched a preliminary inquiry into whether Cpl. Joshua Belile, who returned home from Iraq in March, violated military law or rules in singing the song, a four-minute video of which was posted on the Internet. In the song, titled "hadji girl," Belile sang to fellow troops at a base in Iraq about encountering an Iraqi woman and her family. "I grabbed her little sister and put her in front of me. As the bullets began to fly, the blood sprayed from between her eyes, and then I laughed maniacally," he sang. Laughing, clapping and cheers can be heard in the background. "The preliminary inquiry has been concluded. No punitive action will be taken against Corporal Belile. And there will be no further investigation," said Maj. Shawn Haney, a spokeswoman at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. Haney said the inquiry ruled out any violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Another Marine Corps official, who asked not to be named because details of the inquiry are private, said poor taste, poor judgment and poor timing, not to mention offensive lyrics, do not necessarily amount to criminal conduct. Belile, who is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina and is a member of a band called the Sweater Kittenz, this month apologized if the song hurt anyone's feelings. He told the Daily News in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the song was "supposed to be funny," with lyrics based on lines from the 2004 satirical movie "Team America: World Police." The video's existence came to light at a time when the military is investigating the role of Marines in the deaths of 24 civilians in the city of Haditha in November. Last week, the military charged seven Marines and a Navy medic with premeditated murder in the killing of an Iraqi civilian in April. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #17 This may have been the dumbest charges in military history. What's next, the thought police? |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-06-27 22:14 |
| #16 love ya Sherry! Thanks! |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-27 20:41 |
| #15 Will Dunham is the guy at Reuters who wrote this up. The funny thing is that he reminds me of some whackjob college journalists in his selective use of facts to distort the truth. I guess he was one of those guys back in college. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-06-27 20:39 |
| #14 You're a good person, Sherry. Thank you. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-27 17:09 |
| #13 He -- I even sent an email to SGTMAJ Estrada (Blackfive site) and even got an answer back! Sherry, I appreciate you taking the time to express your feelings concerning some recent allegations about the treatment of our Marines involved. Obviously there is an ungoing investigation into the allegations which I cannot comment on right now, but don't believe everything you read in the press or hear/see on TV. I assure you that everyone involved with the recent events are being treated in accordance with our Laws, which is innocent until proven guilty as you have mentioned. Know this, the Commandant and I love and care about all of our Marines, which is why we have consistently visited with them over the past three years every where in the world. They have been doing a magnificient job for our Nation and Corps. I thank you for your support of them and their families. JLE -------------------------- Sent from my HQMC Wireless Handheld |
| Posted by: Sherry 2006-06-27 16:45 |
| #12 invoked Judas and Dante's Inferno in my polite but angry rant. ;-) |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-06-27 16:39 |
| #11 I also wonder how much the thousands of irate phone calls that the Marine Corps fielded over this had to do with the non-issue decision. LGF published the contact information for the Marines' Public Affairs Office, and LOTS of people took the time to give the Marine brasshats a piece of their mind. I know that I did : invoked Judas and Dante's Inferno in my polite but angry rant. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-06-27 16:35 |
| #10 Article 138 It's a nuke handgrenade. It'll take out the officers who pursue this crap to the level they did. I'll bet the kid won't do it, too much natural decency... but lets start the rumor anyway and make the pc careerist sweat! |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-27 16:19 |
| #9 No problem. The msm seems to think that anyone w/a computer will not double check them. Fortunately those of us in the mil have access to military newspapers. For me, it's the Marine Corps Times who dedicated about two good pages to Cpl Belile's investigation, they had the whole song in it. Just good gallows humor; much adoo about nothing as they say. Personally, I really wish he hadn't apologized. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-27 16:05 |
| #8 "meet the family" Meet the phuechers! .... and deal with them. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-06-27 16:02 |
| #7 Thank you, Broadhead6, for putting Reuters' highly-selective quotation into proper context. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-06-27 15:58 |
| #6 This is too funny. My buddies up at Al Asad used to listen to this guy's band play once in a while. They said he was pretty good. Obviously CAIR & Al'Reuters did not read all the lyrics or listened to the song in its proper context - amongst hard working Marines in Iraq! If so, there would be no story. Further, some other guy posted the video to my space - Belile didn't even know about it until the investigation hit. The song is about a jarhead who falls in love w/an iraqi broad. She brings him home to "meet the family" which is really an ambush her dad and brother have planned for him. The Marine in question uses the younger sister as a human shield when the dad and brother's pull their AK's on him. The Marine then uses their t.v. set for cover, pulls out his M-16 and kills them. Brilliant. Makes more sense to me then that shit coming out of most car speakers today. God I hate the f*cking msm & the politicians in uniform. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-27 15:39 |
| #5 Correction - Article 138 |
| Posted by: Wholumble Hupomomp4920 2006-06-27 15:31 |
| #4 Since the lad is unlikely to have a 'successful' career in the MC, he now has the opportunity to exercise his right under Article 137 of the Uniform Code of Miitary Justice - Any member of the armed forces who believes himself wronged by his commanding officer, and who, upon due application to that commanding officer, is refused redress, may complain to any superior commissioned officer, who shall forward the complaint to the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the officer against whom it is made. The officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction shall examine into the complaint and take proper measures for redressing the wrong complained of; and he shall, as soon as possible, send to the Secretary concerned a true statement of that complaint, with the proceedings had thereon. It's a nuke handgrenade. It'll take out the officers who pursue this crap to the level they did. Congress put it in the UCMJ to protect Americans from those who abuse their authority. When you have less than a minute to review personnel files for promotion, future commadn selection, or advanced military schooling, a little piece of paper in one's official personnel military record can become a big discriminator. Go for it Cpl Belile! |
| Posted by: Wholumble Hupomomp4920 2006-06-27 15:29 |
| #3 Good posts, Sherry. |
| Posted by: Matt 2006-06-27 15:20 |
| #2 An update from Cpl Belile -- at Hotair.com sent to Michelle: Update: A Malkin exclusive — Cpl. Belile speaks. I want everyone to know that I’ve read every e-mail, and every message that came my way, and out of nearly 1300 messages, I had one single message that was negative… I am planning on recording and releasing a professionally produced and engineered version of “Hadji Girl” which will be aired on the Mike Church show, and will be available for sale through their web site within the coming weeks. I have decided to take this step to show that I am in full support of every American’s right his or her own freedom of speech, military or civilian… to include my own. As long as I am representing only myself and my thoughts and opinions I am within my legal rights as an American. If you don’t want to listen to my music, I’m sure your volume knob works as well as mine. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2006-06-27 15:14 |
| #1 Reuters just outdid themselves with this writing. Sheezzz How insulting to our Marines. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2006-06-27 15:08 |