sirenianshores

The BBC is reporting that the marine corps are sending over their top general in an attempt to straighten things out

The commander of the US Marine Corps is going to Iraq to reinforce standards of behaviour, after allegations that marines unlawfully killed civilians.In a statement, Gen Michael Hagee said marines risked becoming “indifferent to the loss of human life”.

Earlier, the US military said it was investigating the alleged killing of an Iraqi civilian by marines last month.

Another inquiry is investigating allegations that marines killed at least 15 Iraqi civilians last year.

The victims, in Haditha, included women and children.

Officials are probing whether US troops deliberately killed the civilians after a roadside bomb attack on their unit.

“Many of our Marines have been involved in life or death combat or have witnessed the loss of their fellow Marines, and the effects of these events can be numbing,” said Gen Hagee.

This is eerily reminiscent of the last unpopular war the US fought: Vietnam. I hope this isn’t the merely the tip of the iceberg. When discipline breaks down and troops loose their ability to differentiate between enemy combatants and civilians, you know the war is going downhill. All it takes is a few more incidents like this one and even moderate Iraqis will pick up their guns and join with the insurgents.

More from CNN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators believe that their criminal investigation into the deaths of about two dozen Iraqi civilians points toward a conclusion that Marines committed unprovoked murders, a senior defense official said Friday.

The Marine Corps initially reported that the deaths were caused by a roadside bomb and ensuing firefight with insurgents.

The official, who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the yet-to-be-completed investigation, said the evidence strongly indicates the killings last November were unjustified.

According to a congressional aide, lawmakers were told in a briefing Thursday that it appears as many as two dozen civilians were killed. And they were told that the investigation will find that “it will be clear that this was not the result of an accident or a normal combat situation.”

Another congressional official said lawmakers were told it would be about 30 days before a report would be issued by the investigating agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.