On the June 7 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, Michael Savage labeled as “vermin” and “scum” Iraqi civilians who have accused U.S. Marines of slaughtering innocent civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and claimed that the Marines being held in connection with the alleged Haditha massacre are “POWs [prisoners of war] ... being held in America by their own government.” Savage continued: “Hell is going to break loose if they're not allowed out of those shackles.” Furthermore, Savage attacked Time magazine reporter Tim McGirk, CNN host Wolf Blitzer, and Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA), who have commented on the alleged massacre, saying that they belong in “shackles.”

Savage's comments came during a conversation with a caller to his radio program who identified himself as the father of a Marine being held in connection with the Haditha incident.

Savage also asserted that the military's detention of the accused Marines “would be the equivalent of German civilians accusing Americans of atrocities, and the military taking the side of the German civilians during the war against Hitler.” He further claimed that the Marines “are being treated almost the same way as prisoners were treated in the Hanoi Hilton, with the exception of overt torture. Thus far, they haven't been hung from hooks yet to break their shoulders to make them confess.” Savage also asserted: “I want you to start calling these men POWs. Michael Savage said it first, but not last. I am the point man on this.”

Commenting on McGirk, who first reported on the Haditha story in March, Savage stated: “He is an enemy agent. He should be in shackles.” Savage then expanded his attack to Blitzer and Murtha, stating that "[i]f I were running things" they would also be “in shackles,” and that Savage would “make them prove that they're not working for the enemy.”

From the June 7 broadcast of Talk Radio Network's Savage Nation:

SAVAGE: Seattle, Washington, [caller]. You're up on the Savage Nation. Go ahead, please.

CALLER: Hi, Michael, I'm the father of another one of the men in shackles at Camp Pendleton brig. In fact, I've met [a previous caller] before, when they returned from Iraq the last time. And I just wanted to let you know that we are all hurting very much, but what we've come to realize is that these accusations by the enemy are nothing but another weapon in their arsenal. They've discovered how the American military, the American government, and even the jailers in the brig react to these kind of accusations. And unlike the former brig jailer that you had on earlier, there are no charges, there is nothing but an investigation, these men are being treated like criminals, like convicted criminals of serial murder, and they have not even been charged. The investi --

SAVAGE: No, I know that. I know this is a witch-hunt, and I know George Bush and [Secretary of Defense] Donald Rumsfeld could stop it.

[...]

SAVAGE: I guarantee you we're not going to leave our POWs [prisoners of war] behind. Now, do you agree with my analogy that your son is one of the POWs of this war?

CALLER: Absolutely. I hadn't heard it put that way until I turned your show on today at the top of the show, but --

SAVAGE: Look, I'm telling you, I can see things in a way people can't -- others can't see them. They are POWs, only the shock is they're being held in America by their own government.

[...]

SAVAGE: Do they know that millions of Americans are rooting for them and working for them? Does your son know that there's a gigantic support network that's going to make hell -- hell is going to break loose if they don't let your son out of those shackles.

[...]

SAVAGE: And all these accusations originated with the enemy themselves, is that correct?

CALLER: That is correct. One hundred --

SAVAGE: It's all coming from the Iraqi scum -- and I'm gonna say it like it is, the vermin we're fighting. The vermin we're fighting are accusing our Marines, and our Marines are now in the brig wearing shackles. I've never heard this, [caller]. This would be the equivalent of German civilians accusing Americans of atrocities, and the military taking the side of the German civilians during the war against Hitler. That's exactly what's going on here. It's unheard of. How could George Bush get away with this, [caller]? I'm sorry, you probably won't say what I need to say. Why is Rumsfeld hiding in Vietnam? Isn't he the man who could stop this mistreatment of your son right now?

[...]

SAVAGE: He [McGirk] is an enemy agent. He should be arrested; he should be in shackles. He should be in shackles. Tim McGirk, who wrote this story putting our men in shackles, is the one, if I were running things, he'd be in shackles; Wolf Blitzer would be in shackles; Jack Murtha would be in shackles. I'd make them prove that they're not working for the enemy. I'd make them prove that they're not working for the enemy, taking the enemy's word on everything and putting our poor boys behind bars.

[...]

SAVAGE: I want you to start calling these men POWs. Michael Savage said it first, but not last. I am the point man on this, just as I was on so many other things. They are prisoners of war. Unfortunately, they're not bring held in a -- I mean, unfortunately. Unfortunately, they are being held in our own prisons, our own military prisons. They are POWs. They are being treated almost the same way as our prisoners were treated in the Hanoi Hilton, with the exception of overt torture. Thus far, they haven't been hung from hooks yet to break their shoulders to make them confess. Thank God that the Geneva Convention is being followed in Camp Pendleton.