US Marines could face criminal charges, including murder, over the deaths of up to two dozen Iraqi civilians last year, a defence official said yesterday.
The case could prove a further setback for President George W. Bush who described the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal as America's "biggest mistake" and admitted saying "bring 'em on" to insurgents in 2003 may have "sent the wrong message".
Military and political progress to quell the insurgency has been hard to come by.
ran, blamed by the United States for backing insurgents in Iraq, ruled out talks with US officials over Iraq because of Washington's "negative" attitude.
The US Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which handles criminal inquiries involving Marines, is investigating a November 19 th, 2005 incident in Haditha, about 140 miles (220 km) northwest of Baghdad. The military has said 15 civilians were killed, while a senior Republican lawmaker last week put the number at about 24.
The probe has not been completed and no final decisions on charges have been made, said the defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The Los Angeles Timesreported investigators were expected to call for charges including murder, negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and filing a false report. The newspaper said military investigators concluded a dozen Marines wantonly killed unarmed civilians, including women and children after a comrade was killed by a roadside bomb.
Marine Corps commander Gen Michael Hagee flew to Iraq on Thursday to tell his troops to kill "only when justified".