June 05, 2019 "Information Clearing House" -     Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has come under fire after admitting during a podcast interview that his Marine Corps unit "killed probably hundreds of civilians" during the atrocity-laden First Battle of Fallujah in 2004.

Hunter's comments came during an interview on Barstool Sports' "Zero Blog Thirty" podcast in which he voiced support for Edward Gallagher, a decorated Navy SEAL facing trial for alleged war crimes, including shooting unarmed civilians and stabbing a critically wounded prisoner of war to death.

When asked about his support for Gallagher, Hunter doubled down. "I frankly don’t care if he was killed," the congressman said, referring to the 17-year-old Islamic State fighter allegedly stabbed to death by the SEAL. "I just don’t care. And as a congressman, that’s my prerogative to help a guy out like that."

"Even if everything the prosecutors say is true in this case, then… Eddie Gallagher should still be given a break," Hunter added.

In addition to premeditated murder, military prosecutors accuse Gallagher, a SEAL Team 7 sniper, of crimes including photographing and staging a re-enlistment ceremony over his victim’s body, as well as "indiscriminate, reckless and bloodthirsty" conduct. Fellow snipers say he shot an unarmed old man, as well as a young girl who was walking with her friends. One SEAL said he saw Gallagher "fire into a crowd of what appeared to be noncombatants multiple times." Gallagher also allegedly confessed that he "killed four women" and boasted that he killed "10 to 20 people a day or 150-200 people on deployment." Other SEALs say Gallagher attempted to cover up his crimes by threatening to murder witnesses and by trying to identify, expose and destroy whistleblowers.