SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) - A top general has approved the appointment of defence lawyers for Marines accused of killing 24 Iraqi civilians in a three-hour rampage, indicating that charges are imminent, a report said.
The San Diego Union-Tribune cited lawyers familiar with the case as saying that the commanding general of Marine Corps Central Command, Lieutenant General James Mattis, had issued a letter confirming the appointments of defence attorneys.
The paper said the development "virtually guarantees" that soldiers from the Marines' Camp Pendleton base in southern California would be charged in connection with the alleged massacre in Haditha on November 19 last year.
The case is one of several that has tarnished the reputation of US forces in Iraq since the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003.
(more)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061214/ts_alt_afp/iraqusmilitaryjustice
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore