It's unclear if possible charges against Marines allegedly involved in the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians last November will cause dismissals at the top of the corps. The investigation is continuing, but Marine Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee is taking pre-emptive measures. He briefed select members of Congress on the probe, then traveled to Iraq to lecture troops on the laws of war. One confidant (a senior Marine officer not directly involved in the case, granted anonymity discussing an ongoing probe) said Hagee wants to avoid the mistakes made by the military in the Abu Ghraib scandal, when details dripped out over months and top officers weren't held accountable. "Mike thinks the fallout from Abu Ghraib would have been far less damaging if senior heads had rolled, and rolled pretty swiftly," said the officer. Congressmen who heard the briefing say the shootings of Iraqi civilians in the Sunni town of Hadithah after a bomb killed a Marine could shape up as the worst atrocity of the war. A separate investigation will determine whether there was a cover-up. Pentagon officials condemned the leaks. But Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, a Marine spokesman, said the corps would be "as open and upfront with this thing as we can."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
