All charges have been dropped against a Marine accused of failing to investigate the Haditha killings of 2005. Captain Lucas McConnell of Camp Pendleton will testify about an attack that left 24 Iraqi civilians dead. But the officer says he did nothing wrong. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has details.
McConnell is now immune from criminal charges. He had been accused of dereliction of duty for failing to report and investigate the killings of civilians.
McConnell's attorney, Kevin McDermott, says the Marines fired on insurgents that day -- not civilians -- and that his client properly reported the killings in e-mail traffic with superiors. McDermott is glad the charges are dismissed; however:
McDermott: This seems to imply that there was some sort of negotiated agreement to provide either some testimony or to accept some sort of responsibility in the matter. And neither is true. The government realized that the case against Captain McConnell would have been impossible to prove.
McConnell is the fourth Marine for whom charges are dropped. Four other Marines still face charges in the same incident.
Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
