Washington - The US Marine Corps has reprimanded three
officers for failing to sufficiently respond to the killing of 24
Iraqi citizens near the city of Haditha in November 2005.
The Marine Corps announced Wednesday that Major General Richard
Huck, Colonel Stephen Davis and Col Robert G Sokoloski have received
letters of censure that will go into their military records.
The officer overseeing the case, Lieutenant General James Mattis,
concluded that the three men did not violate any laws but that they
failed to act in the aftermath of the slaughter of men, women and
children in Haditha by lower ranking Marines.
'Accountability and responsibility are at the foundation of all we
do as Marines,' said General James Conway, the commandant of the
Marine Corps.
Several Marines face criminal charges in connection to the case.
Staff Sergeant Frank D Wuterich is accused of the unpremeditated
murder of 18 civilians and faces a maximum of life in prison if
convicted.
The Marine Corps is still evaluating the case against Wuterich to
determine whether the 27-year-old should go before a court-martial.
Wuterich's convoy was struck by a roadside bomb on November 19,
2005 in the Iraqi city that left a driver fatally wounded. Wuterich
and other soldiers were accused of going on a rampage against
civilians to exact revenge for the killing of their comrade.
Lance Corporal Stephen B Tatum also faces murder and homicide
charges. Charges against two other Marines for the killings have been
dropped. Three officers have also been charged for failing to report
or properly investigate the incident.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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