The incident took place last November in the
Iraqi town of Haditha. It was first reported several months later, and a
preliminary military investigation in February recommended that a formal
criminal investigation be launched. Officials say that probe is still
underway.
According to the military, 15 Iraqi civilians died in the incident as a
result of an explosion caused by an insurgent bomb, what the military
calls an IED, or Improvised Explosive Device, that had also killed one of
the Marines. Other reports charged that the U.S. Marines on the scene shot
the civilians to retaliate for losing their comrade.
On Wednesday,
Representative John Murtha, said the military investigation indicates the
Marines did kill the civilians and for no reason.
"There was no firefight," he said. "There was no IED that killed these
innocent people. Our troops over-reacted because of the pressure on them.
And they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."
Congressman Murtha also said the civilian death toll was 24, not 15 as
the Marines first reported. Murtha is a former Marine, a respected expert
on defense issues and a strong supporter of the military. Six months ago
he called for the Bush administration to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq
quickly.
Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to confirm or deny
Murtha's claims about what the military investigations have discovered.
"On the recommendation of the investigating officer, a criminal
investigation was initiated," he said. "That criminal investigation is
still ongoing. Because of that, it would be premature, and in my mind
irresponsible, to judge any individuals or units until the investigation
is completed."
The spokesman could not say when the second investigation might be
completed, but he pledged that if there was wrongdoing the people involved
will be punished.
"If somebody has done something wrong, they will be
held accountable for those actions," he said.
The unit that was involved in the incident has since returned to the
United States. The Marines say three officers who were involved have been
relieved of command duties pending the results of the criminal
investigation.
U.S. forces are accused of abusing their firepower from time to time,
and sometimes the charges are proved. But Whitman said the vast majority
of U.S. troops follow the rules, even under the most difficult and
dangerous circumstances.
"All of our service-members deployed are held to an extraordinarily
high standard of conduct, a standard that is being met every day," he
said.
Whitman says the report of the initial investigation will not be made
public, at least for now, but he said further information will be made
available once the criminal investigation is finished, including any
possible indictments of military personnel.
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