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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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May 23rd,
2007 - Marines who Killed Civilians were Attacked |
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Marines who Killed
Civilians were Attacked By Rowan Scarborough The Examiner May 23, 2007 Washington - Investigators found convincing evidence of
a suicide-bombing, along with spent ammunition thought to have been fired by
the enemy, at the site in Afghanistan where gun fire from members of an elite
U.S. Marine unit killed civilians, according to a secret military police
report The Examiner obtained Wednesday. The discoveries, which were
made 40 minutes after the incident, could be a significant factor in the
Marines' defense in an ongoing criminal investigation, a source close to the
probe said. The source, who asked to
remain anonymous because he was discussing a classified document, said the
evidence proves the first special operations unit ever deployed by the
Marines was under attack at the time it returned fire. The Afghan government
says 10 civilians were killed. Some eyewitnesses have
expressed doubt that any Taliban ambushers fired on the Marines last March 4
in Nangarhar Province, near the Pakistan border. Afghans accuse the Marines
of firing at civilians indiscriminately as they sped away after the bomb
blast. The Marines contend they returned enemy fire. An Army officer in
Afghanistan issued a formal apology for the deaths. That brought a rebuke
last week from Gen. James Conway, the Marine commandant. "I think he was
premature to apologize, in that there is an investigation ongoing to
determine what happened," Conway said. "I will just assume that no
one at this point, in any chain of command, apologize or talk about terrible,
terrible mistakes or those types of wrongdoings. I think it's just premature." Afghanistan President Hamid
Karzai personally complained to the U.S. command about the civilian deaths. Shortly afterward, the U.S.
military recalled the entire 120-man company, which is based at Marine Corps
Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C. A member of the 66th
Military Police Company wrote the one-page classified document after it
secured the scene. The report said police found
a 120-yard "blast radius from the blast site. The SVBIED [suicide
vehicle-borne improvised explosive device] detonated in the east bound lane.
The body of the vehicle was disintegrated due to the blast .... A person was
found approximately 50 [meters] from the blast site with no head or limbs.
Individual may have been in close proximity of SVBIED when the blast
occurred." No Marine was killed. The report also said police
found casings along the roadside, including 7.62 shells, which are used in
AK-47 assault rifles, the Taliban's primary firearm. The military police report
also said, "Thirteen mortar bases were found near the blast site."
The source said this indicates that the Taliban had set up a base near the
road. External link: http://www.examiner.com/a-744305~Marines_who_killed_civilians_were_under_attack.html |