Posted on 07/07/2006 3:58:07 PM PDT by mdittmar
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq completed a review today of an investigation into a possible cover-up of the alleged Marine killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in the western town of Haditha.
Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli forwarded his findings and recommendations to Gen. George W. Casey, the top commander in Iraq, according to a statement.
The investigation was separate from an inquiry still under way into whether a small number of Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment murdered the 24 civilians — including unarmed women and children — on Nov. 19 after a roadside bomb in the town killed one of their comrades.
Chiarelli's report was based on an investigation conducted by Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell into whether the Marines followed proper procedures in reporting the incident to commanders, or whether anyone engaged in a cover-up.
His investigation also may consider whether any criminal charges should be brought.
The military initially said the Iraqi deaths were the result of the roadside bomb and a subsequent gunfight with insurgents.
A U.S. military official said Chiarelli agreed with Bargewell's findings for the most part, but there were some areas in which he recommended a different course of action. The official did not elaborate.
He said the investigation found that errors were made in the reporting and follow up of initial allegations after the killings and suggested some were of a criminal nature.
"It essentially bolsters the ongoing criminal investigation and lays bare some of the administrative faults that existed during November 2005," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.
"What some of these people did wrong is certainly not illegal or criminal, but administratively their actions are something that Gen. Chiarelli wants to look at," the official said.
The official said the military hoped to release most of the findings in the next two weeks, but anything that could be used in the criminal investigation would not be made public.
"Some of the portions will be redacted because they could be used in a criminal investigation, either a current one or one in the future," he said.
The case is one of several allegations of U.S. abuse of Iraqi civilians that threaten to further weaken popular support for the Iraq war in the United States and tarnish the military's image.
Iraq has ordered its own probe of the killings, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki using unusually strong language to condemn them.
"It essentially bolsters the ongoing criminal investigation and lays bare some of the administrative faults that existed during November 2005," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.
"What some of these people did wrong is certainly not illegal or criminal, but administratively their actions are something that Gen. Chiarelli wants to look at," the official said."
Well, which one is it?
Criminal or just negligent?
Don't you just love 'anonymous' sources that aren't supposed to talk about things they just can't seem to keep their mouths shut about?
Oh good.
"What some of these people did wrong is certainly not illegal or criminal"
That part will NOT be printed in the MSM, only this part, 'He said the investigation found that errors were made in the reporting and follow up of initial allegations after the killings and suggested some were of a criminal nature.'
So in other words, some people may be guilty of screwing up paperwork?
It's "administrative",someone didn't cross his t's and dot his i's.
IRAQ PING.
There is no such thing as a unnamed military official. They need to Court Martial these leakers. Probably some enlightened liberal JAG furthering the cause.
Haditha ping
Assuming they exist at all of course. The MSM has shown it is not above making things up. Remember "Fake but Accurate"?
Or a clerk, who might not even be a uniformed military member.
I'm sure this thing doesn't translate all that clearly into French (for example).
Zactly. If they are authorized to speak, they speak on the record. I believe these "unamed" or "anonymous military officials" don't exist or are john murtha or john kerry.
An enlisted would really be taking an insane risk to dislose such a thing even if they were privy. I kind of doubt the General has many DOD civilians on his staff in country. I'm thinkin this is coming from the JAG corps.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Marine officers at every level up to and including the colonel who commanded the regiment failed to investigate conflicting reports of the killing of Iraqi civilians in Haditha last year, CBS News reported on Friday.
Despite evidence that initial reports the civilians died in a roadside bomb attack were false, the report said that no Marine officer in the chain of command questioned the original account, CBS reported.
The military said earlier on Friday that Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, had been sent a report on whether there was a cover-up of Marines' involvement in the killings.
The findings have not officially been made public yet, but U.S. military officials speaking on condition of anonymity told NBC News that the investigation found a number of Marines allegedly filed false reports claiming the civilians were victims of a roadside bomb by militants.
The probe also found higher officers allegedly ignored evidence that there may have been criminal activity in the case, the officials said.
CBS News reported that those officers were at every level up to and including the colonel who commanded the regiment involved in the incident.
This article is MSM propaganda designed to get to the line at the end about losing popular support for the war.
Also, this is about an investigation dealing with the supposed cover-up, which one general supposedly says did not happen. Now, supposedly, we've got another general saying someone might have done something criminal, and others might have done something not by the book.
And all of this is from anonymous sources in the military who are sworn to secrecy.
But the reporter can cite all of those supposed statements and never get held accountable for any of the wrong ones.
Report: No coverup of Haditha -WASHINGTON TIMES
Report finds US Marines failed to probe Haditha: CBS - WASHINGTON POST
Haditha Probe Reveals 'Red Flags' - CBS2
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