Rumsfeld pressed to disclose findings of Haditha probe

The top US senator on military affairs John Warner, R-VA, seen here in May 2006, pressed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to quickly make public the findings of a probe into the alleged killing of Iraqi civilians by US Marines.(AFP/File/Jim Watson)

Jun 6, 2006

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The top US senator on military affairs pressed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to quickly make public the findings of a probe into the alleged killing of Iraqi civilians by US Marines.

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John Warner, in a letter to the defense secretary, also vowed to hold a "series of hearings" on the alleged atrocities in the Iraqi town of Haditha on November 19.

"Congress and the American people are entitled to a timely disclosure of the official findings and recommendations of these inquiries," the influential Republican wrote in the June 6 letter.

"Delays in getting out the official findings of fact due to a protracted review process will mean a mixture of information, misinformation and unconfirmed facts will continue to spiral in the public domain," he said.

"Given the alleged seriousness of these events ... these hearings are the first priority of our committee," the senator wrote.

The Pentagon is investigating whether US Marines killed 24 civilians in Haditha, a town northwest of Baghdad, after a marine was killed by a roadside bomb.

A separate inquiry is looking into whether there was a military coverup of the killings.
Pentagon officials have said the investigations are nearing completion but not given an indication when findings will be released.