HoodaThunk?

Ever since the story surfaced some weeks ago, I have been keeping an eye out for information about an incident in Haidtha, Iraq wherein US Marines may have killed noncombatant civilians, including women and children. It now appears that the investigation into the incident – no, the atrocity – may be nearing its conclusion. And it’s not a pretty one:

Murder charges may be brought against some Marines for what may be the worst atrocity committed by U.S. military personnel in Iraq, a senior Pentagon official said Friday.

The official said Marines were likely responsible for killing as many as two dozen unarmed civilians, including women and children, in Haditha last November. A separate investigation is under way into whether Marines tried to cover up the killings. The official requested anonymity, citing the ongoing criminal investigation of the incident.

The Marines initially reported that one Marine and 15 Iraqi civilians had been killed in crossfire when U.S. forces responded to an insurgent attack on Nov. 19. The first report to the contrary surfaced in March, when Time magazine quoted witnesses saying the Marines “went on a rampage after the attack, killing 15 unarmed Iraqis in their homes, including seven women and three children.”

In addition, photos taken of the scene reportedly do not support the Marines’ original account of how the incident evolved.

Ed Morrissey at Captain’s Quarters has also been following the story and feels the same way I do:

This makes me physically ill. We can say it happens in every war, and that would be accurate, but it doesn’t excuse it in the least. Our military has the reputation of high discipline and morale, and 99.9% of our troops live up to that standard. As with Abu Ghraib, only on a much less serious scale, the actions of one undisciplined unit will reflect horribly on those who have done their best to protect Iraqi civilians, especially the children. Those 99.9% of our troops provide the best possible security for the United States. If these men turn out to be war criminals of the most despicable variety, they will have damaged the work done by our armed forces immeasurably.

Well put. The report isn’t completely released, and this is just a review. The actual findings from the investigatory unit will be out in a month or so. It’s just really not looking good. For my part and if the report turns out to show these Marines did what is alleged, then I would urge they be court-martialed immediately in an open and public forum. If the charges are upheld, they should be subject to the most stringent response provided by military law. The people of Iraq – indeed, the world – need to see that we don’t condone this kind of action. That our soldiers are not above the law and when they violate that law, it is they who are punished.

I await the full report and will comment on this again.