U.S. officer charges dismissed in Haditha killings

By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Marines have dismissed charges against an officer accused of failing to report accurately the U.S. killing of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.

Capt. Lucas McConnell was granted immunity by Camp Pendleton's commanding officer, Lt. Gen. James Mattis, and will cooperate in the remaining Haditha prosecutions, the Marines said in a statement.

McConnell, 30, monitored fighting in and around Haditha but was not at the scene when women and children were among those killed in two Iraqi homes after a Marine beloved by his unit was killed by a roadside bomb.

"Lt. Gen. Mattis determined that administrative measures are the appropriate response for any errors or omissions allegedly committed by McConnell," the Camp Pendleton statement said.

The commanding officer of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, McConnell had been charged with two counts: failing to report the incident accurately to higher authorities and failing to ensure a thorough investigation.

"From our perspective he had been the public whipping boy, along with the rest of the Haditha Eight, for a year and a half," said McConnell's lawyer, Kevin McDermott.

The defense attorney said the proper focus should be on military commanders who set the basic rules of engagement for U.S. forces.

"You don't want the lance corporal, the 19-year-old kid with the M-16, thinking twice about pulling the trigger for fear that he'll end up being investigated if in fact he reasonably believes there are insurgents involved with the attack upon him," McDermott said.