Opponents of the Iraq War pounced on the killing by U.S. Marines of 24 Iraqis in the city of Haditha as evidence of widespread brutality by American troops.
But of the eight Marines ultimately charged in connection with the Haditha killings in 2005, charges were dismissed against six, and a seventh was acquitted.
And now, allegations that Haditha represented a “massacre” by American troops have been virtually completely debunked. The eighth Marine charged, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, has pleaded guilty — but not to manslaughter. Rather, he pleaded guilty only to a single count of negligent dereliction of duty. He faces a rank reduction but no jail time.
The incident at Haditha took place just after a fellow Marine had been killed by a roadside bomb. Wuterich said at trial the deadly response was necessary “to keep the rest of my Marines alive.”
It is regrettable that the resolution of the tragic case has taken nearly seven years. While it was unresolved, it was used frequently by opponents of the war to denigrate our military.
While troops may sometimes commit crimes in the course of war — and should be punished if they do — the near-total collapse of the case against Marines involved in the Haditha incident removes an unjustified stain from our military’s overwhelmingly courageous, decent conduct in the war.