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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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August 24th, 2006 - Marine Called
Haditha Shootings Appropriate |
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Marine Called Haditha
Shootings Appropriate By Josh White Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, August 24, 2006; A17 A sergeant who examined the
scene hours after Marines killed two dozen Iraqis in Haditha last year said
the shootings appeared to be an appropriate response to a coordinated
insurgent attack, according to a sworn statement obtained by The Washington
Post. Sgt. J.M. Laughner, part of
a Marine human-intelligence exploitation team that was hunting down insurgent
bombmakers, went from house to house in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, and
acknowledged finding two dozen bodies, including some of women and small
children. But Laughner said the scenes
of the slayings appeared to match the version of events the Marine squad
provided that day and did not seem especially out of the ordinary, according
to a transcript of Laughner's interview with military investigators in March. Laughner's account supports
the argument made by some Marines in Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
-- that they believed they were following their rules of engagement when they
opened fire on groups of people inside at least three homes after a roadside
bomb killed a member of their unit. Several Marines are under criminal
investigation in connection with the civilian deaths that day, but no one has
been charged. Laughner's statement,
although just one viewpoint, is further evidence that Marines who were on the
ground that day viewed the civilian deaths as accidental rather than the
result of a vengeful rampage. The transcript was provided
to The Post by someone who is sympathetic to the enlisted Marines facing
scrutiny for the shootings, which Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) has
characterized as a coldblooded massacre. Laughner's full name is not used in
the interview, and efforts to locate the Marine yesterday by telephone were
unsuccessful. It is not clear whether Laughner has an attorney. In a 34-minute interview
with two colonels, Laughner described taking pictures of each of the bodies
while moving from room to room in three houses, as the Marines described what
happened in each circumstance. The Marines told Laughner they had taken fire
from the houses and believed they heard people "racking AK-47s" --
preparing to fire the automatic weapons. The Marines then "cleared"
the rooms using fragmentation grenades and rifle shots. Two other accounts
given by lawyers for Marines in the unit are consistent with the version
Laughner heard from the Marines involved in the incident on Nov. 19. Laughner also said that 30
Jordanian passports and large amounts of cash were found in a home near the
shooting scenes. One investigator asked
Laughner if there was anything about the number of civilian victims or the
circumstances of the casualties that gave reason to pause and "say
jeez." "Any time you see women
and children, sir, I thought that," Laughner said. "But from what
the Marines had told me and from what I understood from them, that I can't
say I wouldn't have done the same thing in their situation. If I hear somebody
racking AK rounds, and I don't know how many guys are there, I'm going to
protect me and my guys." Laughner also said that
leaders within the Marine company were informed almost immediately about the
casualty count, and that battalion officers were also made aware of the
situation quickly. According to a similar transcript disclosed in The Post
last week, Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, commander of the 3rd Battalion of
the 1st Marines, told investigators that he viewed the civilian deaths as
"very unfortunate" but did not suspect wrongdoing. The colonels interviewing
Laughner focused several questions on a white vehicle that approached the
Marine convoy just after the roadside blast. The car, which has been a
significant subject in both an investigation of leadership failures and the
ongoing criminal probe, could figure prominently in any charges lodged
against the Marines. Laughner said five
military-age men appeared to have been killed as they ran from the vehicle,
which stopped in the middle of the road near the convoy -- a spot that could
be considered threatening. "It made sense, that
they had ran out of the car and then they engaged," Laughner said. When
asked if anyone ever hinted that the situation that day was considered
inappropriate or if something bad had happened, Laughner answered: "No,
just that a Marine died. That is the only bad thing." Staff writer Thomas E. Ricks
contributed to this report. © 2006 The Washington Post
Company External link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/23/AR2006082301829.html |