Justice, the American way

A two star general and two other officers have been sanctioned for laxness in investigating the killings of 24 civilians at Haditha, Iraq, but were cleared of a coverup, the military said Wednesday. The US Marine Corps said "letters of censure" have been issued to the former commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division, Major General Richard Huck, and two colonels. Lieutenant General James Mattis, who took the action, "did not find any evidence that these senior officers intended to cover up the incident," it said in a statement. "He did determine that their actions, or inactions, demonstrated lack of due diligence on the part of senior commanders and staff." Marine Commandant General James Conway said the officers' "actions, their inactions, and decisions in the aftermath of the Haditha incident did not meet the high standards we expect of Marine senior officer leadership." Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha on November 19, 2005 but commanders did not investigate the deaths until a Time magazine report four months later quoted witnesses who said the marines went on a rampage after a marine was killed by a roadside explosion. The marines initially claimed in a press release that 15 civilians also were killed in the roadside explosion. The probe into events on the ground has found that 10 of the victims were women and children who died after being shot at close range. The two officers who received letters of censure were Colonel Stephen Davis, the former commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Division's Regimental Combat Team-2, and Colonel Robert Sokolski, the division's former chief of staff. A total of eight marines were initially charged in connection with the Haditha deaths. Four were charged with murder while four senior officers were accused of failing to properly investigate the killings. Of the four marines charged with murder, two have since had charges withdrawn, while allegations against a third are also expected to be dismissed. (fromAFP).

If you are suspected of being an enemy combatant & designated as such by US authorities, you are eligible to spend the rest of your natural life, in an American concentration camp, without the possibility of being officially charged and even being denied access to legal representation & counsel. But if you are blessed with the sacrosanctity of American citizenship, you may kill at will, and feel pretty good about it.