Haditha Killings Were Justified, Sergeant Says

An American sergeant who examined the scene hours after Marines killed two dozen Iraqis in Haditha last year said the shootings appeared to be an appropriate response to a coordinated insurgent attack, according to a sworn statement obtained by the Washington Post.

Sgt. J.M. Laughner went from house to house in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, and acknowledged finding two dozen bodies, including some women and children.

But Laughner’s account supports the argument made by some Marines that they believed they were following their rules of engagement when they opened fire inside at least three homes after a roadside bomb killed a member of their unit. Several Marines are under investigation, but no one has been charged.