Seven Marines Accused of Murdering Iraqi in Cold Blood in Baghdad

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marine Corps yesterday charged seven Marines and one Navy corpsman with murdering an Iraqi civilian April 26 near the town of Hamdania, west of Baghdad.

The troops from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division also were charged with kidnapping and conspiracy, Colonel Stewart Navarre, chief of staff, Marine Corps Installation West, told a press conference at Camp Pendleton, Calif., where the troops have been held.

The troops allegedly pulled an unarmed man from his home, tied him up, shot him, then planted a rifle and shovel next to his body to make it appear he was an insurgent trying to bury a roadside bomb.

“All Marines are trained in the law of armed conflict and are expected to fully comply with it,” Colonel Navarre said. “The Marine Corps takes allegations of wrongdoing by its members very seriously and is committed to thoroughly investigating such allegations.” The charges were served earlier yesterday, he said.

The case is one of several involving claims of American military misconduct against Iraqi nationals, including the killings of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians November 19 in Haditha, west of Baghdad, and three Iraqi detainees May 9 in Salah ad Din province, north of Baghdad.

Four soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division have been charged with murdering the detainees. Three were charged June 19 and the fourth yesterday.


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