San Diego
The deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha last November were “tragic” but not a crime, a lawyer for the Marine sergeant at the center of the incident said this week. Military investigators are reviewing whether the killings were a legitimate reaction to hostile acts, or retaliation for the death of a Marine killed in a roadside bomb attack. Lawyer Neal Puckett said Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, 26, and his squad were following protocol when they opened fire inside three houses during a search for insurgents. “Everything that happened that day happened in response to the IED explosion,” Puckett said, referring to the improvised explosive device that blew up the Marines’ vehicle. “The Marines operated according to their training.”
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