What Murtha Should Say

Of the eight Marines charged in connection with the battle of Haditha, six have had all charges dropped and one has been exonerated in a military court. The last Marine remains to face charges related to the handling of the incident. In our experience, Marines – including retired Marines – do the right thing. So we expect John Murtha to issue a serious, responsibility-taking apology to the eight Marines he publicly defamed following the battle. We expect it to look like this:

Of the eight Marines charged in connection with the battle of Haditha, six have had all charges dropped and one has been exonerated in a military court. The last Marine remains to face charges related to the handling of the incident. In our experience, Marines – including retired Marines – do the right thing. So we expect John Murtha to issue a serious, responsibility-taking apology to the eight Marines he publicly defamed following the battle. We expect it to look like this:

I am sorry. I accused United States Marines in a wartime situation of “cold blooded murder” that I said was “worse than My Lai.” This was wrong at many levels and I want to be clear that I understand how grievously I erred at the expense of these Marines and the reputation of the Marine Corps.

I was running for office and I allowed myself to be swayed by media reports of what happened in Haditha. Where I should have maintained skepticism of the media and faith in the Marines, I did the opposite. Where I should have drawn on my own knowledge and experience in battle, I read accounts told to a reporter with no combat experience by a source from the Iraqi insurgency. I apologize for that mistake and for my lack of faith in American Marines.

I was and remain an opponent of the war in Iraq as it evolved after I voted with 80 of my Democratic colleagues to authorize the use of force. I allowed my opposition to President Bush and to the war to influence my view of the soldiers fighting it. I believed that if American soldiers had committed crimes against Iraqi civilians, Democrats could hold the President personally responsible and thus further erode the support of the American people for the President and for his policies. I apologize for using these Marines and the reputation of the Marine Corps for partisan political ends.

My words had the effect of undermining respect and support for the Marines, and by extension support for all American service men and women. I apologize to all of them.

This week the Supreme Court erased precedent from previous wars about the handling of enemy combatants; the Court erased the carefully crafted compromise between the Executive and Legislative Branches of our government for handling enemy combatants; and the Court arrogated to unelected judges the right to determine by lawsuit what had already been determined by statute. I did something worse. Violating a fundamental pillar of American justice, I presumed guilt instead of innocence and I did it publicly. I apologize for that to these Marines and to the Marine Corps.

The Marines have a saying: “To err is human, to forgive is Divine; neither is Marine Corps policy.” I do not know whether the Marines at issue or the Marine Corps as an institution will forgive what a retired Marine has done. I can ask for forgiveness, but it isn’t for me to say that I deserve it. It is my obligation, however, to acknowledge that I was wrong, to say I am profoundly sorry and to say I will do my best never to put the Marine Corps or myself in such a position again.