US Marines slaughtered women, children
US Marines wantonly killed unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, and then tried to cover up the slayings in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha, military investigations have found.
latimes: US Marines wantonly killed unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, and then tried to cover up the slayings in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha, military investigations have found.
Officials who have seen the findings of the investigations said the filing of criminal charges, including some murder counts, was expected, which would make the November 19, 2005, incident the most serious case of alleged US war crimes in Iraq.
An administrative inquiry overseen by army Major General Eldon Bargewell found that several marines fatally shot up to 24 Iraqis and that other marines either failed to stop them or filed misleading or blatantly false reports.
The Bargewell report concludes that a dozen marines acted improperly after a roadside bomb blast killed a fellow marine, Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas.
Looking for insurgents, the marines entered several homes and began firing their weapons, according to the report.
In its initial statement to the media, the Marine Corps said the Iraqi civilians were killed either by an insurgent bomb or by crossfire between marines and insurgents.
But after Time magazine obtained pictures showing dead women and children and quoted Iraqis who said the attack was unprovoked, the Marine Corps backtracked and called for a probe.
The marines, many of whom were on their third deployment to Iraq, are part of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division.
The battalion commander and two company commanders were relieved of duty last month because, a spokesman said, Major General Richard Natonski, commanding general of the division, had lost confidence in their leadership. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducted a separate investigation, is expected to call for criminal charges including murder, negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and filing a false report.
After the roadside bomb killed Terrazas, the marines conducted a sweep of the area. But instead of following the Geneva Convention rules about identifying combatants, the marines killed Iraqis in homes and five sitting in a vehicle.
Compensation has already been paid to families of some of the slain Iraqis.
Marine officials have also confirmed that an investigation had been opened into an April 26 incident in which troops allegedly killed a civilian in the town of Hamandiya, west of Baghdad.
Marine Commandant General Michael Hagee flew to Iraq Thursday to talk to marines and remind them of long-standing orders to protect Iraqi civilians and follow the Geneva Convention.
Hagee is emphasizing "the importance of our core values" and reminding troops about the laws of war, said a Marine Corps statement.
Hagee last week briefed key congressional leaders on the upcoming report. One of those, Representative John Murtha, a retired marine colonel, said later that marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House of the Representatives' Armed Services Committee, said US troops should not be judged by the action "of one squad, in one city, on one morning." The Marines have had more than 700 personnel killed in Iraq.
In his statement, Hagee said that Marines should overcome the tendency "of becoming indifferent to the loss of a human life" in dealings with civilians. Link
latimes: US Marines wantonly killed unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, and then tried to cover up the slayings in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha, military investigations have found.
Officials who have seen the findings of the investigations said the filing of criminal charges, including some murder counts, was expected, which would make the November 19, 2005, incident the most serious case of alleged US war crimes in Iraq.
An administrative inquiry overseen by army Major General Eldon Bargewell found that several marines fatally shot up to 24 Iraqis and that other marines either failed to stop them or filed misleading or blatantly false reports.
The Bargewell report concludes that a dozen marines acted improperly after a roadside bomb blast killed a fellow marine, Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas.
Looking for insurgents, the marines entered several homes and began firing their weapons, according to the report.
In its initial statement to the media, the Marine Corps said the Iraqi civilians were killed either by an insurgent bomb or by crossfire between marines and insurgents.
But after Time magazine obtained pictures showing dead women and children and quoted Iraqis who said the attack was unprovoked, the Marine Corps backtracked and called for a probe.
The marines, many of whom were on their third deployment to Iraq, are part of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division.
The battalion commander and two company commanders were relieved of duty last month because, a spokesman said, Major General Richard Natonski, commanding general of the division, had lost confidence in their leadership. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducted a separate investigation, is expected to call for criminal charges including murder, negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and filing a false report.
After the roadside bomb killed Terrazas, the marines conducted a sweep of the area. But instead of following the Geneva Convention rules about identifying combatants, the marines killed Iraqis in homes and five sitting in a vehicle.
Compensation has already been paid to families of some of the slain Iraqis.
Marine officials have also confirmed that an investigation had been opened into an April 26 incident in which troops allegedly killed a civilian in the town of Hamandiya, west of Baghdad.
Marine Commandant General Michael Hagee flew to Iraq Thursday to talk to marines and remind them of long-standing orders to protect Iraqi civilians and follow the Geneva Convention.
Hagee is emphasizing "the importance of our core values" and reminding troops about the laws of war, said a Marine Corps statement.
Hagee last week briefed key congressional leaders on the upcoming report. One of those, Representative John Murtha, a retired marine colonel, said later that marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House of the Representatives' Armed Services Committee, said US troops should not be judged by the action "of one squad, in one city, on one morning." The Marines have had more than 700 personnel killed in Iraq.
In his statement, Hagee said that Marines should overcome the tendency "of becoming indifferent to the loss of a human life" in dealings with civilians. Link
posted by exoplanet at 10:24 PM
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