De Washington Post bericht:'US Marines Charged in Haditha Murder Case.
Men allegedly had roles in deaths of at least two dozen Iraqi civilians.
Four U.S. Marines were charged with multiple counts of murder today for their alleged roles in the deaths of two dozen civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, setting up what could be the highest-profile atrocity prosecution so far arising from the Iraq war.
Officials filed no charges against the Marines that could lead to death sentences. The troops are accused of killing women and children in house-to-house shootings that followed the death of a member of their unit. Although the Marines are not charged with premeditated murder, the charges indicate that they intended to kill their targets and should have known that their actions could have led to the deaths of innocent civilians.
In an unusual move, the Marine Corps also charged four Marine officers with crimes related to an alleged cover-up of the Haditha shootings. A separate investigation into how the incident was reported led to a lieutenant colonel, two captains and a first lieutenant facing charges of violating and order and dereliction for failing to accurately investigate and report the slayings to superiors. The lieutenant also faces charges of making a false official statement and obstructing justice, according to the Marine Corps.
Two dozen people were killed on Nov. 19, 2005, in a neighborhood near where a roadside bomb killed a Marine who was driving in a convoy of Humvees. Early reports suggested that the Marines went on a rampage after Lance Cpl. Miguel "T.J." Terrazas was killed, but the Marines have claimed through their defense lawyers that they were following rules of engagement when they responded to an attack that also involved gunfire from nearby houses.
It took the Marine Corps 13 months to charge the men, in part because initial reports about the case delivered up the chain of command were incomplete, a public affairs statement about the incident was incorrect, and investigators weren't brought in until months later, after a Time magazine reporter asked about the case. Naval Criminal Investigative Service officials have been looking into the matter since March.'
Lees verder:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/AR2006122100124.html Of:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/122106R.shtml
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