An internal military investigation has found that U.S. marines killed as many as 24 Iraqis–including women and children–in the city of Haditha last November and then tried to cover it up. We speak with an attorney and researcher at Human Rights Watch, an independent journalist who spent months unembedded in Iraq and we go to Baghdad to speak with the bureau chief for Knight Ridder.
We take a look at the Haditha massacre and the
aftermath, which has continued to rock the military and political
establishments. Last November, a roadside bomb struck a Humvee carrying
US troops in the western Iraqi town of Haditha. The bomb killed one
marine and injured two others. The next day, the Marines said in a
statement that 15 Iraqi civilians died in the initial blast. They said
that after the explosion, gunmen attacked the US convoy with small arms
fire, prompting the Marines to return fire, killing eight insurgents.
But eyewitnesses contradicted this account. They said the men, women and
children were killed when marines burst into their houses after the
blast and shot them dead in their nightclothes. Early this year, a
videotape of the aftermath of the incident, showing the bodies of women
and children, was obtained by Time magazine. The video verified the
eyewitness accounts and prompted an investigation by the military. There
are now 2 investigations–one into the encounter itself and another into
whether it was the subject of a cover-up by the military.
Last week, the Pentagon concluded one of its investigations. Members of Congress who were briefed said that at least some members of the Marine unit may be charged with murder, which carries the death penalty.
Abdul Salam Al-Kubaissi, spokesman of the Muslim Clerics Association spoke at news conference in Baghdad on Sunday:
We invited a representative from the Military to be on the program but they declined our request.
The reporter who broke the story for Knight Ridder, Matthew Schofield, was interviewed by Democracy Now.
Last week, the Pentagon concluded one of its investigations. Members of Congress who were briefed said that at least some members of the Marine unit may be charged with murder, which carries the death penalty.
Abdul Salam Al-Kubaissi, spokesman of the Muslim Clerics Association spoke at news conference in Baghdad on Sunday:
- Abdul Salam Al-Kubaissi: "The situation has reached a level when the U.S. soldier becomes a professional killer, who kills with premeditation and deliberation. This should be among war crimes and the ones who should be put on trial are the U.S. commanders and not the U.S. soldier because the commanders are the ones who instruct those (soldiers) and justify their acts as it happened in Abu Ghraib’s scandal."
- Aparisim Ghosh, excerpt of Democracy Now interview, March 21st, 2006. [Click for full interview]
We invited a representative from the Military to be on the program but they declined our request.
- Nancy Youssef , Baghdad Bureau Chief for Knight Ridder.
- Dahr Jamail, independent journalist who was based for a time in Baghdad. He was one of the only independent, unembedded journalists in Iraq at the time. Dahr publishes his reports on a blog called DahrJamailIraq.com.
- John Sifton, researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The reporter who broke the story for Knight Ridder, Matthew Schofield, was interviewed by Democracy Now.
- Matthew Schofield, excerpt of Democracy Now interview, March 23rd, 2006. [Click for full interview]
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