Military trial of Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani to begin April 28

I received this email notice fron the Thomas More Law Center. Please read. Please help if you can. Thank you patriots.

The military trial of Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani will begin on April 28, 2008. And every patriotic American should be concerned with the outcome of this case because it could drastically curtail the future ability of American soldiers to defend our Nation and its Christian heritage and values.

For twenty years Marine Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani has been defending our nation... often away from his wife and children... so that we could be safely with ours.

It’s mind-boggling that our government is sparing no expense to convict one of the most effective combat officers in Iraq on trumped-up charges. But now, you can do something about it.

I am aware that these are hard economic times for many, but please consider the sacrifices that Lt. Col. Chessani has made for each of us and our families, so that we may have peace at home. This is one of those times that you can show your gratitude. So please be as generous as you can.

The bogus criminal charges against Lt. Col. Chessani were triggered by a fierce house-to-house, room-by-room combat action taken by four of his Marines after being ambushed by insurgents in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005.

Lt. Col. Paul Ware, USMC, a judicial officer who heard testimony in several cases involving the November 19th Haditha incident, had this to say about the criminal charges:

"o believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary and sets a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq. Even more dangerous is the potential that a Marine may hesitate at the critical moment when facing the enemy... "

This Marine Officer and his family urgently need your help - Click here NOW to support his cause.

Your generous financial support can help end this personal tragedy and injustice to Jeffrey Chessani and his family... and insure the future of America’s fighting spirit.

The four Marines involved in the November 19th incident were members of the battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Chessani - the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines - one of the most decorated units in the Marine Corps.

Lt. Col. Chessani is charged with failing to accurately report and investigate that incident. He faces dismissal from the Marines Corps, loss of all retirement benefits, and up to 2 1/2 years in prison.

The U. S. Army conducted two independent investigations of the Marines and both investigations concluded: there was no massacre and no cover-up.

But judge for yourself.

On November 19, 2005 at 7:15 a.m., a Marine convoy was rolling through Haditha, Iraq — a terrorist stronghold. Suddenly, a roadside bomb was set off destroying a Marine Humvee. The powerful blast killed one Marine and injured two others. The bomb blast was the signal for the ambush to begin. The Marines immediately received fire from the ambushing terrorists, who were shooting from nearby civilian-occupied homes. A four-man fire team stormed the two houses occupied by the armed insurgents and in the ensuing gun battles killed at least 9 insurgents and 15 civilians.

That roadside bomb BLAST was also the signal for insurgency attacks throughout the city that resulted in additional Marine casualties. Unmanned aerial vehicles video taped the Haditha action that morning. The video showed insurgents gathering their weapons and attacking Marines throughout the day.

As the battalion commander in charge of an area of operations about the size of South Carolina, Lt. Col. Chessani was responsible that morning for directing the combat response of approximately 2,000 American and friendly Iraqi troops. He immediately reported the deaths of the 15 civilian Iraqis to his superiors. In urban combat where terrorists purposefully use civilians as human shields, civilian casualties are a tragic and unfortunate, but not uncommon, occurrence.

Thus, not one of Jeffrey Chessani’s superiors – including top generals – hearing of the 15 civilian deaths considered it unusual. None of them suggested an investigation. In fact, his superiors commended him for a job well done. That was before Time magazine bought into the story promoted by insurgent propaganda.

Several months after the November 19th incident, an inflammatory Time Magazine news lead, instigated by an insurgent operative, accused the four Marines of massacring innocent civilians. You can probably guess what came next...

The leading anti-war politician, Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, saw the Haditha incident as a way to put pressure on President Bush to leave Iraq – even if he had to scapegoat innocent Marines in the process. Murtha appeared on major television networks and publicly accused the young enlisted Marines of “cold blooded” murder and Marine officers of a “cover-up. ” Mind you, this was long before the investigation was completed. He blamed it all on the stress of being in Iraq too long.

Murtha is head of the House of Representatives Military Appropriations subcommittee — a position with significant power over the military. He is the same person caught on tape negotiating bribes with Arab Sheiks during the FBI’s 1980 Abscam investigation — he was an un-indicted coconspirator in that case.

Political and media pressure caused the military to buckle. We now know at least 80 investigators were assigned to conduct a year-long, multi-million dollar investigation focused on Jeffrey Chessani and his four enlisted men.

Note the absurdity of it all... Lt. Col. Chessani is charged with failing to accurately report and investigate a crime that the military knows never occurred.

Here is Lt. Col. Chessani's background.

Jeffrey Chessani has honorably served his country as a Marine officer for 20 years. He and his wife Alisa have 6 young children – ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years. He served three tours of duty in Iraq, including the Second Battle of Fallujah. He has also served in Panama and in the First Persian Gulf War. He is a devout Christian who reads his Bible daily.

According to his official 2006 Combat Fitness Report (covering the period of the Haditha incident), his superiors considered him a superb leader, who demonstrated moral courage, with unlimited potential and value to the Marine Corps. Lt. Col. Chessani was described as one of the finer thinkers in the counterinsurgency movement.

I’m sure the insurgents are laughing in their caves because their planted story has eliminated one of America’s most effective combat officers. They know...

“A nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten. ”

One distorted magazine article and an anti-war politician have devastated the life and family of this patriotic Marine officer... and could adversely affect our military for years to come. That’s why...

I need you to send the largest gift you can... and rush it to me today.

Ambitious military prosecutors are doing everything they can to convict Lt. Col. Chessani in order to appease Murtha and the anti-war press. The vast resources of the military are at their disposal. The number of military investigators is virtually limitless. They can go anywhere, talk to anyone, and get anything, all at government expense. The Marine command structure is mandated to cooperate.

Without our help, Lt. Col. Chessani’s legal bills would already be astronomical — out of reach for a husband and father of six young children surviving on military pay.

In preparing for the preliminary hearing this past summer, TMLC lawyers examined thousands of pages of investigative reports and personally interviewed countless witnesses. They spent several weeks at Camp Pendleton, California, examining documents and witnesses and participating in the Article 32 Hearing.

TMLC lawyers are now engaged in a tremendous amount of legal work in preparation for the trial. This includes:

• Filing motions to dismiss the charges on constitutional and other procedural grounds;
• Filing motions to compel discovery that has been withheld from us, particularly the various emails, correspondence, and other communications, including classified communications, between high ranking officers in the chain of command;
• Filing a motion to dismiss the charges based on unlawful command influence. In this regard, we are in the process of requesting depositions of several high ranking military officers and civilian officials, including congressmen, service department heads, and others;
• And much more.

These motions will consume hundreds of attorney hours and thousands of dollars in travel expenses, transcript production, etc. — and this is all before the trial commences. Meanwhile, we are also conducting pretrial interviews and pretrial preparation. Moreover, additional thousands of dollars will be spent on developing courtroom exhibits to detail the incident for the military jury.

The general court-martial will take place at Camp Pendleton, California. It will last several weeks. The Thomas More Law Center will bear the enormous costs associated with establishing a second office, paying hotels and all the other expenses associated with two lawyers handling a case 2,000 miles away.

Lt. Col. Chessani was in Iraq because his country sent him there. He willingly answered the call to serve his country in our defense. That's why he deserves the support of every patriotic American. Now is the time to show him our gratitude.

For TMLC attorneys to defend this loyal Marine from the politically driven agenda that fomented the accusations against him, we need your financial support.

As tragic as these civilian deaths in Haditha were, it’s essential that we not shackle our combat commanders’ ability to make decisions by placing them in fear of criminal prosecution every time there are civilian casualties as a result of combat action.

Lt. Col. Chessani has devoted his life to the defense of OUR country... NOW he needs OUR help.

George Washington’s words are a somber warning for America:

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation. ”

YOU must assist the Thomas More Law Center in ensuring that the brave actions of our fighting men and women will not be turned into political fodder and talking points for politicians.

I am counting on you to send the largest gift you can . and to rush it to me TODAY. Please click here to visit TMLC’s website to donate to this honorable Marine’s cause NOW.

May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

Richard Thompson, Esq.
President and Chief Counsel
Thomas More Law Center

Please visit TMLC's website by clicking here to subscribe to News Alerts and read more details about Lt. Col. Chessani's case.