Iraq to investigate alleged massacre in Haditha
{{date|May 31, 2006}}
The [[Iraq]]i government is to launch a formal investigation into {{w|Haditha massacre|claims}} that [[United States]] Marines murdered civilians in the Iraqi town of {{w|Haditha}} in November 2005.

[[Image:USMarineCorps.png|175 px|right|thumb|Insignia of the US Marine Corps.]]

In an interview with the [[BBC]], the Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] said: "It is not justifiable that a family is killed because someone is fighting terrorists." and speaking to the [[w:Reuters|Reuters]] news agency, said  "We will hold those who did it responsible."

Following the announcement, on Tuesday, May 30, the White House spokesman Tony Snow said they would make the details of the US investigation into the incident public.

Initial reports from the Pentagon stated the gun battle that ended in 15 civilian casualties, as well as 8 terrorist deaths, was a fight with militants. 
  
Eyewitness reports claim that {{w|United States Marine Corps|US Marines}} went house to house gunning down innocent men, women, and children without cause or provocation. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is evidence to support these claims.

Lance Corporal Roel Ryan Briones of Hanford, California, who was in Haditha on that day, told  the Los Angeles Times, "They ranged from little babies to adult males and females. I'll never be able to get that out of my head. I can still smell the blood."

While some politicians sounded a note of caution that not all facts are yet known for conclusions to be drawn, {{w|John Murtha}}, a {{w|Democratic Party (US)|Democratic}} [[US House of Representatives|Congressman]], said in an interview with CNN "It is as bad as Abu Ghraib, if not worse." 

The United States President, {{w|George W. Bush}}, is said to have learned of the Haditha incident from a journalist earlier this year and has already had a briefing on it from his national security advisor, Stephen Hadley.

==Related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=US marines may face death penalty for "massacre" of civilians in Iraq
|date=May 26, 2006}}
*{{Wikinews|title=Rep. Hunter calls for hearings about alleged "cold-blooded killings" of civilians by U.S. Marines
|date=May 20, 2006}}
*{{Wikinews|title=Time: 15 Iraqi civilians dead; U.S. Marines under investigation
|date=March 22, 2006 }}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/31/content_4623411.htm|title= White House promises to publicize details of Iraq killing probe|author=Xinhua|pub=Xinhua|date=31 May 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5030960.stm|title= Iraq to probe US massacre claims|author=BBC News Online|pub=BBC|date=30 May 2006}}
== External links ==
{{wikipediapars|[[w:Haditha massacre|the Haditha massacre]]}}

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[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:War crimes]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Nouri al-Maliki]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
The Iraqi government is to launch a formal investigation into claims that United States Marines murdered civilians in the Iraqi town of  in November 2005.

Insignia of the US Marine Corps.

In an interview with the BBC, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said: "It is not justifiable that a family is killed because someone is fighting terrorists." and speaking to the Reuters news agency, said  "We will hold those who did it responsible."

Following the announcement, on Tuesday, May 30, the White House spokesman Tony Snow said they would make the details of the US investigation into the incident public.

Initial reports from the Pentagon stated the gun battle that ended in 15 civilian casualties, as well as 8 terrorist deaths, was a fight with militants. 
  
Eyewitness reports claim that US Marines went house to house gunning down innocent men, women, and children without cause or provocation. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is evidence to support these claims.

Lance Corporal Roel Ryan Briones of Hanford, California, who was in Haditha on that day, told  the Los Angeles Times, "They ranged from little babies to adult males and females. I'll never be able to get that out of my head. I can still smell the blood."

While some politicians sounded a note of caution that not all facts are yet known for conclusions to be drawn, Democratic Party (US)|Democratic Congressman, said in an interview with CNN "It is as bad as Abu Ghraib, if not worse." 

The United States President, , is said to have learned of the Haditha incident from a journalist earlier this year and has already had a briefing on it from his national security advisor, Stephen Hadley.

*
Crime and law War crimes Politics and conflicts United States Iraq Nouri al-Maliki North America Middle East