The Marines

Haditha used to be just another small town on the map of Iraq. Now Haditha is linked to a major criminal case involving U.S. Marines who have been charged with killing 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005. Captain Randy Stone say he did not fire any of the fatal shots at Haditha but he is being charged with failing to investigate the killings and why is man had killed the 24 civilians. The killing had happened in November 2005 and the case was open on May 8, 2007. The case is being look at and hold at Camp Pendleton in southern California with a hearing for Captain Randy Stone. He is the first one on the stand out of his squad to be changed with murder. This is clearly the biggest criminal proceeding that the military has had seen form the start of the war.

On November the 19th there was a four Humvee patrol was going into the town of Haditha and than a IED went off and killed popular lance corporal and injured two other soldiers. Within a couple of minutes five men were ordered out of the Humvee and shot down as they ran away. Then a Marine squad had stormed into three houses in the : Johnvillage and killed another 19 people. Three enlisted men have been charged with unpremeditated murder that is important because it won't be capital murder. One of them Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich is charged with 18 counts of murder. He was the squad leader and the first one into the three house they had storm into.

He was the battalion legal officer or the JAG as they call him in the military. He was charged with failing to report and investigate this incident. He may be the least important figure amongst the four officers that are charged with the same thing.



Source Citation:"Military Opens Hearings on Haditha Killings.