US marine 'astonished' at failure to probe Haditha killings

[Barrett808]

Source: AFP

CAMP PENDLETON, United States (AFP) - A US Marine probing the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha told a hearing Monday he was "astonished" it took four months to launch an investigation.

Colonel John Ewers was testifying at a preliminary hearing for captain Randy Stone, who stands accused of failing to hold a proper investigation into the alleged massacre of the Iraqis by US troops on November 19, 2005.

Ewers said he had been ordered to conduct an investigation into the killings by Army Major General Eldon Bargewell following the publication of a report into the deaths by Time magazine.

Bargewell told Ewers to "get up there (to Haditha) and ask the hard questions" in March last year.

"Three to four months had elapsed, and it didn't pop up on anybody's radar screen," Ewers said. "I remember feeling pretty astonished that no investigation had been conducted."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070515/ts_alt_afp/usiraqmilitaryjusticehaditha

[babylonsister]

1. I'm so glad this trial is seeing the light of day; I've read so many differing

opinions on what happened at Haditha, whether the events were worthy of a trial, etc. This marine has the right idea imo.

[Kagemusha]

2. Well I'm sure not astonished after reading of the other testimony!

Summary:

- They're just gooks.. er.. ragheads.
- We get complaints like this all the time. It's enemy propaganda then, we had no reason to believe it wasn't enemy propaganda now.
- Our jobs don't include reporting on the details of deaths. Just if women and children were shot. In passing. No assumption it could be anything but what we were told - civilians ran into a crossfire and got shot. Too bad so sad
- They're just gooks.

[BeHereNow]

3. Colonel John Ewers ...why do you hate a'muikkka?

:sarcasm:
BHN