On November 19, 2005, a Marine unit encountered a roadside bomb, killing one U.S. soldier. Following the event, Marine squads underwent a house to house search for insurgents. Instead, the Marines allegedly killed several Iraqi civilians, including woman and children – some of which were in their beds.
Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum is undergoing an Article 32 investigation for the negligent homicide of two men, a woman and a child, as well as assault on two children injured by a grenade. Tatum claims he was responding to deadly force according to his training protocol during wartime. He claims we was acting in accordance with the rest of his unit, who had opened fire in the area in response to AK-47 activity. Tatum claimed he was engaging hostile targets because his superior – Staff Sgt Frank Wuterich – was firing his weapon.
Wuterich's trial is scheduled to begin on August 22.
Other cases, however, are unraveling. Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt is charged with the execution style murder or three Iraqi men. Sharrat claims he was responding to hostile intent from the Iraqi's after one of them pointed an AK-47 at him. Marine prosecutors claim that Sharrat executed the men with a 9mm pistol, however, forensic evidence suggests the men were facing forward, which is inconsistent with an execution. His defense team also notes that three AK-47's were found onsite, however, it is common place for the weapon to be owned by most Iraqi's.
The Haditha trials are the largest U.S. criminal case regarding the war in Iraq.
