Jeffrey Chessani

Infobox Military Person
name= Jeffrey Chessani
born=
died=
placeofbirth= Rangely, Colorado
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Marine Corps
serviceyears=
rank= Lieutenant Colonel|
commands= 3rd Battalion 1st Marines
unit=
battles=Operation Just Cause Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom
awards=
laterwork=

Jeffrey R. Chessani is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps and was the commanding officer 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines during the time of the November 2005 urban combat in Haditha, Iraq, where Marines in his battalion were accused of having murdered 15 civilians while pursuing insurgents after one of them had been killed in an insurgent attack. He was removed along with Captains Luke McConnell and James Kimber according to a report by "The Times" on 29, May 2006. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2201470_1,00.html "Marines and the 'massacre': a neighbour tells of aftermath"] by Ali Hamdani and Ned Parker, "The Times". Accessed June 2, 2006.] Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich was the Marine on patrol and is under investigation. The Thomas More Law Center is defending Colonel Chessani against the charge that he failed to investigate the killings. To date, after numerous trials, no Marines have been found guilty of committing any crimes.

On June 17, 2008 Military Judge Colonel Steven Folsom dismissed all charges against Lt Colonel Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds that General James Mattis, who approved the filing of charges against Chessani, was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the incident. The ruling was without prejudice, which allows the prosecution to refile. [cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/17/iraq/main4185854.shtml |title=Marine Cleared In Haditha Massacre | date=2008-07-17 |publisher=CBS News | author= |accessdate=2008-06-18]

Chessani, age 42 as of late 2006, was raised in the small town of Rangely, Colorado, where he graduated from high school in 1982. He then went on to receive a B.A. from the University of Northern Colorado in 1988. [ [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4731323,00.html "Colo. Marine in eye of storm"] by Joe Garner, "Rocky Mountain News". Accessed June 2, 2006.] During his military career he has participated in Operation Just Cause (1989 Invasion of Panama), the 1991 Gulf War, and most recently the Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom). [ [http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?article=3873847 "No direct link ties Marine to deaths"] by Kirk Mitchell, "Denver Post". Accessed June 2, 2006.]

In 2008 an appeal filed on behalf of the Marine Corps claims that a judge abused his power when he dismissed dereliction of duty charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani in the 2005 slaying of two dozen Iraqi civilians. [http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/08/05/military/z24633184f0a151da88257494006dd5f0.txt]

Notes

ee also

*Haditha killings
*Command responsibility

http://www.thomasmore.org/qry/page.taf?id=63