Two Marines Face Haditha Courts-Martial

[babylonsister]

Two Marines Face Haditha Courts-Martial
by Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO - A U.S. battalion commander and an enlisted man will face courts-martial on charges related to the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq, in 2005, the Marines said on

The two men are the first to be referred a court-martial in a prosecution that has lost some momentum, with charges dismissed against four men since it began last December.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani was one of four officers initially charged in the killings that sparked international anger. He is charged with dereliction of duty and failing to report accurately and investigate the incident.

The Marines also announced on Friday that Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum would face a court-martial on involuntary manslaughter and other charges, dropping original charges of murder against him.

Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, referred the charges against the two men after reviewing evidence presented in pretrial evidentiary hearings known as Article 32 proceedings.

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http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/20/4691/

[tekisui]

1. If they had been Blackwater thugs, they'd be protected

and given a bonus.