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by David Allender |
October 23, 2011
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 In a shocking
development, John Hugya, former aide to the late Congressman John
Murtha, announced his support for SSgt Frank D. Wuterich, the last of
the Haditha Marines awaiting exoneration.
The statements by John Hugya were reported by
Philip Petrunak in the Somerset County
Daily American on October 20, 2011.
According to the article, Hugya said "that he
supports Wuterich and believes he should be exonerated. Hugya added
that if Wuterich is convicted, the president should pardon him."
In May 2006, Hugya's boss at the time, John
Murtha, charged that SSgt Wuterich had led a squad of rampaging
Marines in Haditha, killing civilians in “cold blood.”
By 2008, seven of the eight Marines charged in
the incident had been exonerated. Only one Marine, Staff Sgt. Frank
Wuterich, still awaits trial.
SSgt Wuterich's trial is scheduled to commence on January 4, 2012, a
date after all US forces reportedly will leave Iraq. As DOM previously
reported (see
SSgt
Frank Wuterich and Our Future in Iraq), the entire
Haditha fiasco affected negotiations at the very highest level with
Iraqi officials over the continued presence of American troops in that
country.
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