US officers reprimanded in connection to Haditha killings

Sep 5, 2007, 21:50 GMT

Washington - The US Marine Corps has reprimanded three officers for failing to sufficiently respond to the killing of 24 Iraqi citizens near the city of Haditha in November 2005.

The Marine Corps announced Wednesday that Major General Richard Huck, Colonel Stephen Davis and Col Robert G Sokoloski have received letters of censure that will go into their military records.

The officer overseeing the case, Lieutenant General James Mattis, concluded that the three men did not violate any laws but that they failed to act in the aftermath of the slaughter of men, women and children in Haditha by lower ranking Marines.

'Accountability and responsibility are at the foundation of all we do as Marines,' said General James Conway, the commandant of the Marine Corps.

Several Marines face criminal charges in connection to the case. Staff Sergeant Frank D Wuterich is accused of the unpremeditated murder of 18 civilians and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

The Marine Corps is still evaluating the case against Wuterich to determine whether the 27-year-old should go before a court-martial.

Wuterich's convoy was struck by a roadside bomb on November 19, 2005 in the Iraqi city that left a driver fatally wounded. Wuterich and other soldiers were accused of going on a rampage against civilians to exact revenge for the killing of their comrade.

Lance Corporal Stephen B Tatum also faces murder and homicide charges. Charges against two other Marines for the killings have been dropped. Three officers have also been charged for failing to report or properly investigate the incident.