Marine Exonerated in Death of Ambassador's Relative But Media is Quiet

One of our heroes has been exonerated after being accused of cold blooded murder in Iraq. According to an AP article carried by Fox News (which is the ONLY news outlet carrying this story right now)...

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A U.S. Marine has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing in last year's fatal shooting of a relative of Iraq's ambassador to the United States, a U.S. official said Wednesday. The 21-year-old engineering student, Mohammed Sumaidaie, was killed during a search of his family's home near Haditha on June 25, 2005.

U.S. authorities ordered an investigation after Samir Sumaidaie complained that his unarmed cousin had been shot in cold blood. However, Maj, Douglas Powell, a U.S. military spokesman, said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service determined that the Marine "acted properly in self defense in response to unexpectedly encountering a man pointing an AK-47 at him."

He said in an e-mail that investigators interviewed more than 40 people and conducted forensic examinations of the Marine's weapon. He did not say when the investigation was completed. "This was an unfortunate incident resulting in a tragic loss of life," Powell said without providing further details.

When the claim against this Marine was made it was trumpeted as "another example of mayhem and death by US soldiers". But now that this Marine has been completely cleared, the media is silent. Another reputation forever tarnished by a media that continues to knee-jerk their way into irrelevancy. IF the investigation had gone in the opposite direction you can bet the media would be leading their broadcasts with the story and it would be on page one in print.