WSU to Study Iraq Toxins' Effect
Spokesman-Review
by Bert Caldwell
Research to examine how exposure might damage offspring of soldiers
Washington State University scientists will use a $1.7 million grant to study what multi-generation genetic damage might be done by toxins U.S. troops could encounter in Iraq.
The research using laboratory rats, not humans, will be the first for the military to examine the epigenetic effects of pesticides, herbicides and other compounds, said lead scientist Michael Skinner, director of the university's Center for Reproductive Biology.
Previous studies have looked at the health effects of other substances, notably the Agent Orange used to defoliate jungles in Vietnam, on the soldiers directly exposed, he said, not on their children or grandchildren.
"The science really had not caught up with the trans-generational stuff," said Skinner, one of several WSU pioneers in the field of epigenetic, or multi-generational, inheritance.
Besides herbicides and pesticides – which and in what combinations has not been determined – the study also will look at the effects of explosives residues, he said.
The four-year study will allow researchers to see how any changes in genetic chemistry that develop are passed along through two subsequent generations of rats, he said, noting that only the first two years of research have been funded.
Among the problems that might develop are kidney disease, or changes in the male and female reproductive organs, he said.
If any genetic markers are identified in rats, Skinner said, follow-up research could look at whether they might show up among members of the military as well.
That would be of particular interest to Dave Holmes, interim chief operating officer of the Institute for Systems Medicine, which was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense grant passed through to Skinner.
Holmes' son, Tim Hammond, did two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps.
"They sprayed all kinds of stuff on them," Holmes said.
Although the grant money, the first awarded ISM, will fund work in Pullman, he said the organization's supporters hope any subsequent clinical studies will be done in Spokane.
"There's a lot of excitement about making it happen," he said.
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Judge to Rule Today on Case Involving 24 Iraqi Deaths in Haditha
Camp Pendleton, Calif. (AP) - It has been more than four years since Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich's squad of Marines was accusing of killing 24 Iraqis, some unarmed women and children. It has been more than two years since he was court-martialed.
As the November 2005 killings have faded in many minds, the only remaining and highest-profile defendant in the biggest criminal case against U.S. troops to arise from the Iraq war faces a key test Friday.
A military judge is scheduled to rule whether to dismiss charges against the former squad leader. Wuterich's attorneys argue that unlawful command influence occurred while a general was considering a court-martial and should prevent the case from going to trial Sept. 13.
If the judge agrees, it would mark a stinging finale for the military. Eight Marines were charged in December 2006 with murder or failure to investigate the killings. Six have had charges dropped or dismissed, and one was acquitted.
Wuterich, 30, faces reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice. He is currently assigned to administrative work at 1st Marine Division headquarters at Camp Pendleton.
The deaths occurred after a Marine was killed by a roadside bomb in the town of Haditha.
Wuterich and a squad member were accused of shooting five men by a car at the scene. Investigators say Wuterich then ordered his men to clear several houses with grenades and gunfire.
A full investigation didn't begin until a Time magazine reporter inquired about the deaths in January 2006, two months later.
At his preliminary hearing, Wuterich said he regretted the loss of civilian lives but believed he was operating within military combat rules when he ordered his men to attack.
At issue in Friday's anticipated ruling by Lt. Col. David Jones is whether commanders acted improperly or can be perceived to have acted improperly before Wuterich was court-martialed in December 2007. Defense lawyers allege the commanders were improperly influenced by an aide who had investigated the case.
The judge said Wuterich's attorneys presented credible evidence regarding the role of military lawyer, Col. John Ewers, who investigated the Haditha killings and later became a top aide to the generals who brought charges against Wuterich and ordered him to stand trial.
Gen. James Mattis, who brought charges, acknowledged during testimony that Ewers was in the room when allegations of wartime abuse were discussed but denies ever getting advice from him on the Haditha case.
The defense argues that Ewers' mere presence stifled junior attorneys who were assigned to advise the general. Court papers describe how Ewers, who was seriously wounded in Iraq in 2003, had a stellar reputation and a long history with Gen. Mattis.
That same argument worked for another defendant.
In 2008, a judge dismissed a case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who was charged with dereliction of duty for failing to investigate the Haditha deaths.
Key court ruling favors Marine charged in Iraqi shooting case
SAN DIEGO — The defense for the last Marine facing criminal charges in the fatal shooting of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005 won a key ruling Tuesday that could lead to the case being dropped.
Lt. Col. David Jones, the military judge, ruled that attorneys for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich had successfully shown that there was the possibility of what the military calls undue command influence in the decision by a general to send Wuterich to a court-martial.
Jones' ruling requires that prosecutors prove beyond a reasonable doubt that no such influence existed or that, while it may have existed, it did not influence the general's decision.
Faced with a similar ruling in the case of another Marine charged in the Haditha killings, prosecutors could not meet the burden of proof to the judge's satisfaction. After losing an appeal, the Marine Corps dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani.
Jones set a hearing for Wednesday to hear any evidence prosecutors want to present. Maj. Nicholas Gannon, one of the prosecutors, said he was "99.9 percent sure" that he has no further evidence.
During the two-day hearing at Camp Pendleton, Gen. James Mattis and retired Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland testified that their decisions to charge Wuterich were not improperly influenced. Jones promised to issue his ruling Friday afternoon.
If he rules against the prosecution, he could dismiss the charges against Wuterich, which include manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice.
He could also order the Marine Corps to hold a new preliminary hearing for Wuterich or assign the case to a general not "tainted" by the alleged undue influence. In that event, the Marine Corps could decide to drop the case, as it did with Chessani.
Jones said he was troubled by the fact that a lawyer who had been part of an early investigation into the Haditha killings later sat in on staff meetings where the Wuterich case was discussed. He also noted the fact that another lawyer advising the generals did not recuse himself from all aspects of the Haditha case after a run-in with the preliminary hearing judge for one of the defendants.
Wuterich, 30, showed no emotion when Jones issued his ruling.
Neal Puckett, one of Wuterich's attorneys, said his client "is in good spirits. He hasn't complained at all. He loves the Marine Corps and wants to make it a career."
Another of his attorneys, Haytham Faraj, said it was to the Marine Corps' credit that Mattis was ordered to undergo cross-examination about the case.
Of eight Marines charged in late 2006 in connection with the killings, six had their cases dismissed and one was found not guilty. Wuterich was the squad leader when Marines began searching nearby buildings after a roadside bomb killed one Marine and injured two.
Five Iraqis were killed by the Marines near the blast, and 19 others were killed in three houses. None was ever shown to have insurgent ties or to have been involved in the bomb blast.
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