Did Marines Massacre Iraqi Civilians?

Military Officials Fear 'Haditha' Will Become Synonymous With 'My Lai'


Twenty-four Iraqi civilians were killed
in their residences last November.
Several U.S. Marines could face charges.
(ABCNews.com)

By JONATHAN KARL

ABC News

May 26, 2006 -- Senior Pentagon officials are bracing for an investigation into the killing of 24 Iraqis last November in the town of Haditha. The officials tell ABC News the investigation will likely result in criminal charges that could range from dereliction of duty to murder.

As this unfolds, military officials say they fear "Haditha" will come to mean what "My Lai" — the massacre of Vietnamese civilians American troops in 1968 — meant for an earlier generation.
The incident is still under investigation, but several senior military officials say at least seven Marines could face criminal charges.

Although the investigation is not complete, the Pentagon has already briefed key members of Congress on the details of the investigation. After a briefing on Thursday, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee John Warner told reporters, "there are established facts that incidents of a very serious nature did take place."

ABC News has been told by several senior military officials that investigators have so far established the following :

— Early in the morning of November 19, a roadside bomb hit a small convoy of 12 Marines killing Marine Lance Corporal Lance Terrazas. All of the marines belonged to Kilo Company of the 3rd Battalion 1st Marine Regiment..

— Shortly after the bomb went off, the Marines saw a car approaching and fired, killing five Iraqi men. Military officials say all of them turned out to be unarmed.
— Some of the Marines entered a cluster of nearby homes from where, they later claimed, they had taken enemy fire.

— In the first house, however, they allegedly found only unarmed civilians. Exactly what happened inside is unclear, but by the time they left, six of the civilians were killed, including a three year old boy.

— In a second house, the Marines allegedly found and killed 8 more unarmed civilians.

— A man was allegedly shot by a Marine as he fled one of the houses.

— In still another house, the Marines said they encountered four Iraqi men , including one armed with an AK-47, and another reaching for a weapon in a closet. The Marines allegedly shot and killed all four men. It's unclear to investigators if the AK-47's were found before or after the shooting.

Continued

Link:

US 'winding up' Iraq deaths probe