Marine Sergeant Says Rules Were Followed in Haditha Killings

A sergeant who led a squad of Marines during the incident in Haditha, Iraq, that left as many as 24 civilians dead said his unit did not intentionally target any civilians, followed military rules of engagement and never tried to cover up the shootings, his lawyer said.</p> <p>Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told his attorney that several civilians were killed Nov. 19 when his squad went after insurgents who were firing at them from inside a house. The Marine said there was no vengeful massacre, but he described a house-to-house hunt that went tragically awry in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.</p> <p>"It will forever be his position that everything they did that day was following their rules of engagement and to protect the lives of Marines," said Neal A. Puckett, who represents Wuterich for the ongoing investigations into the incident. "He's really upset that people believe that he and his Marines are even capable of intentionally killing innocent civilians."</p> <p>Wuterich's detailed version of what happened in the Haditha neighborhood is the first public account from a Marine who was on the ground when the shootings occurred. As the leader of 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Wuterich was in the convoy of Humvees that was hit by a roadside bomb. He entered the house from which the Marines believed enemy fire was originating and made the initial radio reports to his company headquarters about what was going on, Puckett said.</p> <p>The allegations that Marines wantonly shot unarmed civilians in Haditha, including women and children, is one of the most shocking, and potentially damaging, incidents of the Iraq war. A criminal investigation looking into possible charges of murder against half a dozen Marines is under way. A separate probe is examining whether Marines tried to cover up the shootings, and whether commanders were negligent in failing to investigate the deaths.</p> <p>Three Marine officers have been relieved of command. In the absence of a public response from Marine Corps officials — who are declining to comment to preserve the integrity of the investigation — reports of what happened in the western Iraqi town have been leaking out piecemeal from the Haditha neighborhood and in Washington.</p> <p>Wuterich's version contradicts that of the Iraqis, who described a massacre of men, women and children after a bomb killed a Marine. Haditha residents have said that innocent civilians were executed, that some begged for their lives before being shot and that children were killed indiscriminately.</p> <p>Wuterich told his lawyer in initial interviews over nearly 12 hours last week that the shootings were the unfortunate result of a methodical sweep for enemies in a firefight. Two attorneys for other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich's account is consistent with those they had heard from their clients.</p> <p>A Marine who served near Haditha in November said it was not unusual for Marines to respond to attacks "running and gunning" and that it was standard to spray rooms with gunfire when threatened. "It may be a bad tactic, but it works," he said. "It keeps you alive."</p> <p>The unit stayed at the scene for hours, helping to collect bodies as photos were taken. Wuterich remains on duty in California, where he lives with his wife and two young daughters.