A 3rd choice is that Hamza is not getting his quotes quite right. Do you think a mayor could survive in Haditha if he did not have at least tacit approval of the terrorists? I'm not willing to take him at his word, or at least I would need more than his word.
So which article is Maj. Watt telling the press that McConnell said it was a mistake?
There's only 2 choices, because the Marines involved did kill the 2 families. Either they killed them by mistake, or they killed them deliberately.