United States Marines Are Facing Likely Murder Charges
Randy L. Harrington
June 06, 2006
More than a dozen United States Marines, and one Navy Corpsman are in the brig or restricted to the base at Camp Pendleton in California. The Marine Corp plans to file criminal charges, that include some murder charges, against several of the enlisted Marines in the fatal shooting of an Iraqi civilian in April.
While Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) was investigating the April 26 shooting of a man in Hamandiya, the Marines and Naval Corpsman were brought to Camp Pendleton.
The decision to file charge may have come amid two investigations of allegations in a separate case that Marines killed at least 24 Iraqi civilians on November 19, 2005.
In the administrative investigation conducted by an Army general concluded in the Haditha case that Marines killed the civilians without provocation. The murder charges in the Hamandiya incident will be brought first against the Marines in the murder of the Iraqi citizen on April 26.
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) who has come under attack for the comments on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq said in an ABC television interview last week that “some Marines pulled somebody out of a house, put them next to an [improvised explosive device], fired some [AK-47s] so they’d have cartridges there. And then tried to cover it up.”
It has been alleged that Marines from the 3d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division may have attempted to cover-up the Hamandiya killing by planting evidence near the dead body of the Iraqi civilian, as well as a shovel and bomb to make it appear that the dead man was trying to plant a roadside bomb.
More than a dozen Marines are being held in the brig, but only eight are expected to be charged.
Keeping Marines under investigation in the brig is unusual, and it would suggest that the Marine Corps is concerned that the Marines may try to flee. The Marines involved in the Haditha case are at Camp Pendleton restricted to base, but not in the brig.
The Marines in the Hamandiya case are expected to be charged with murder, as well as conspiracy.
Copyright 2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
While Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) was investigating the April 26 shooting of a man in Hamandiya, the Marines and Naval Corpsman were brought to Camp Pendleton.
The decision to file charge may have come amid two investigations of allegations in a separate case that Marines killed at least 24 Iraqi civilians on November 19, 2005.
In the administrative investigation conducted by an Army general concluded in the Haditha case that Marines killed the civilians without provocation. The murder charges in the Hamandiya incident will be brought first against the Marines in the murder of the Iraqi citizen on April 26.
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) who has come under attack for the comments on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq said in an ABC television interview last week that “some Marines pulled somebody out of a house, put them next to an [improvised explosive device], fired some [AK-47s] so they’d have cartridges there. And then tried to cover it up.”
It has been alleged that Marines from the 3d Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division may have attempted to cover-up the Hamandiya killing by planting evidence near the dead body of the Iraqi civilian, as well as a shovel and bomb to make it appear that the dead man was trying to plant a roadside bomb.
More than a dozen Marines are being held in the brig, but only eight are expected to be charged.
Keeping Marines under investigation in the brig is unusual, and it would suggest that the Marine Corps is concerned that the Marines may try to flee. The Marines involved in the Haditha case are at Camp Pendleton restricted to base, but not in the brig.
The Marines in the Hamandiya case are expected to be charged with murder, as well as conspiracy.
Copyright 2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.