WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Eight U.S. marines
were charged with criminal offenses Thursday for their alleged roles in the mass
murder of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, CNN reported.
The U.S. Marine Corp. announced the charges at a
press conference in Camp Pendleton, California, according to the report.
However, no charges against the marines could lead to
death sentences.
Four of them were charged with multiple counts of
murder.
Although the four are not charged with premeditated
murder, the charges indicate that they intended to kill their targets and should
have known that their actions could have led to the deaths of innocent
civilians.
The other four marines, all officers, were charged
with crimes related to an alleged cover-up of the incident.
The officers, including a lieutenant colonel, two
captains and a first lieutenant, face the charges of violating and order and
dereliction for failing to accurately investigate and report the slayings to
superiors.
Charges in such a case are the first step in the U.S.
military's legal process and will be followed by an Article 32 hearing, which is
roughly equivalent to a civilian grand jury investigation.
After that hearing, an investigating officer will
recommend how to proceed, and commanders will decide if the cases should go to a
court martial.
The four marines charged with murder face maximum
possible sentences of life in prison. The four officers face much lesser
sentences.
The Haditha killings happened on Nov. 19, 2005, after
a roadside bomb hit a U.S. marine convoy in Haditha, Iraq, killing one soldier.
After the bomb exploded, the marines allegedly killed
five unarmed men in a nearby vehicle and then raided a nearby cluster of houses,
killing a total of 24 civilians, including 15 women and children.
The details of the killings were not made public
until the Time magazine broke the story in March 2006.
Related:
(2006-12-22 06:31:25)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Eight U.S.
marines were charged with criminal offenses Thursday for their alleged roles in
the mass murder of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, CNN
reported. Full
Story>>
(2006-11-17 08:01:06)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- A U.S.
soldier accused of participating in the rape of an Iraqi girl and then killing
her and her family was sentenced to 90 years in jail on Thursday, media reports
said. Full
Story>>
(2006-10-19 04:58:18)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Eight U.S.
soldiers on rape and murder charges in Iraq have been referred to a
court-martial, the U.S. military said in a statement on Wednesday. Full
Story>>
(2006-09-05 04:55:07)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A U.S.
military investigator has recommended a court-martial on charges that could lead
to the death penalty for four soldiers accused of raping and killing of a Iraqi
girl, The New York Times website said Monday. Full Story>>
(2006-08-03 20:37:24)
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Evidence
collected on the deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November supports
accusations that US marines killed civilians, including unarmed women and
children, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. Full Story>>
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. marine
who was under investigation in connection with killing Iraqi civilians last year
filed a lawsuit Wednesday against an anti-war lawmaker, accusing the congressman
of defaming him in public comments on the case. Full
Story>>
