Haditha massacre

Haditha massacre
Part of the Iraq War
The bodies of five Iraqi civilians are laid out on the ground by the car they were shot in, as a Marine stands over them.
The huddled bloody bodies of Ayda Yassin Ahmed (44) and her children Sabaa (10), Ayesha (3), Zainab (5) and Mohammed (8) lying on the bed where they were shot and killed.
The bloody bodies of Asmaa Salman Raseef (32) and her son Abdullah (4). Asmaa's body can be seen holding her son, who was shot in the head.
The body of four-year-old Zainab Younis Salim lying with her siblings. Her back is marked with the number 11 in red sharpie.
The bodies of Jaheed Abdul Hameed Hassan (43), Asmaa Salman Raseef (32) and her son Abdullah (4). Jaheed is lying in the foreground with his head against the wall.
Iraqi civilians, including children killed by U.S. Marines during the massacre
LocationHaditha, Al Anbar Province, Iraq
Coordinates34°08′23″N 42°22′41″E / 34.13972°N 42.37806°E / 34.13972; 42.37806
DateNovember 19, 2005; 18 years ago (2005-11-19)
Attack type
Raids against a vehicle and several nearby houses in response to an IED attack against U.S. Marines
Deaths24 Iraqi civilians
PerpetratorsUnited States Marine Corps, specifically the K Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines

The Haditha massacre was a series of killings on November 19, 2005, in which a group of United States marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians.[1][2] The killings occurred in the city of Haditha in Iraq's western province of Al Anbar. Among the dead were men, women, elderly people and children as young as three years old, who were shot multiple times at close range. The massacre took place after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a convoy, killing a lance corporal and severely injuring two other marines. In response the marines executed five men from a nearby taxicab and 19 others inside four nearby homes.

An initial Marine Corps communique falsely reported that 15 civilians were killed by the bomb's blast and that eight insurgents were subsequently killed by the marines.[1][3] A Time magazine reporter's questions prompted the US military to open an investigation into the incident. The investigation found evidence that "supports accusations that U.S. Marines deliberately shot civilians", according to an anonymous Pentagon official.[4] Three officers were officially reprimanded for failing to properly initially report and investigate the killings. On December 21, 2006, eight marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines were charged in connection with the incident.

By June 17, 2008, six defendants had their cases dropped and a seventh was found not guilty.[5] The exception was Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich. On October 3, 2007, the Article 32 hearing investigating officer recommended that charges of murder be dropped and Wuterich be tried for negligent homicide in the deaths of two women and five children.[6] Further charges of assault and manslaughter were ultimately dropped. Wuterich was convicted of one count of negligent dereliction of duty on January 24, 2012.[7][8] Wuterich received a rank reduction and pay cut but avoided jail time.[9][10] Iraqis expressed disbelief and voiced outrage after the six-year U.S. military prosecution ended with none of the marines sentenced to incarceration. A lawyer for the victims stated "this is an assault on humanity" before adding that he, as well as the government of Iraq, might bring the case to international courts.[11]

  1. ^ a b Mcgirk, Tim (March 19, 2006). "Collateral Damage or Civilian Massacre in Haditha?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Surk, Barbara; Mohammed, Faris; Yacoub, Sameer N.; Mizban, Hadi (January 25, 2012). "Iraqi town says justice failed victims of US raid". WPVI-TV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  3. ^ O'Toole, Fintan (May 26, 2022). "Our Hypocrisy on War Crimes". The New York Review of Books. pp. 10–13, 12. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023.
  4. ^ Burns, Robert (August 2, 2006). "Nearly complete Haditha investigation supports accusations against Marines". Deseret News. Associated Press. ProQuest 351468958. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Whitcomb, Dan (June 18, 2008). "Charges dropped against Marine in Haditha case". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  6. ^ Mark Walker, Officer: Drop murder charges against Haditha Marine Archived November 17, 2007, at archive.today, North County Times, October 3, 2007.
  7. ^ Tony Perry (January 25, 2012). "Marine gets no jail time in killing of 24 Iraqi civilians". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  8. ^ "Marine to serve no time in Iraqi killings case". Fox News. Associated Press. January 24, 2012. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  9. ^ "Iraqi outrage over U.S. Marine's plea deal in Haditha killings" Archived January 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. CNN, January 25, 2012.
  10. ^ Mary Slosson (January 23, 2012). "Marine pleads guilty, ending final Haditha trial". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  11. ^ "Fury over lenient massacre sentence for US marine Frank Wuterich". The Australian. January 26, 2012. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2012.