Another Haditha Marine, this one higher up in the chain of command, has been acquitted!
A US Marine Corps officer accused of failing to properly investigate the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha has been cleared of wrongdoing, the military said today.The military said from its the Marines Camp Pendleton base in southern California that all charges against Captain Lucas McConnell stemming from the Haditha investigation had been dropped.
The charges against Capt McConnell had been dropped following a ruling by Lieutenant-General James Mattis, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces.
Lt-Gen Mattis "determined that administrative measures are the appropriate response for any errors or omissions allegedly committed by McConnell", the military said.
Capt McConnell was one of eight Marines facing charges in connection with the Haditha killings in November 2005, the most serious allegations of war crimes against US troops serving in Iraq.
Four Marines were initially charged with murder, while Capt McConnell and three other officers were charged with failing to properly investigate or report the circumstances surrounding the killings.
Certainly not here:
