Iraq's prime minister says he's losing patience with what he called American "excuses" for killing Iraqi civilians. Nouri al-Maliki told the Reuters news agency that he plans to launch an Iraqi investigation into the deaths of 24 civilians in the western Iraqi town of Haditha last fall. At least two military investigations of the incidents are under way, and a Congressional probe has been announced.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is examining what happened in the village of Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005. Initially, U.S. Marines claimed that an explosion killed one of their own and 15 Iraqis -- and that 8 insurgents died in a firefight following the attack.
But according to reports that have emerged since the incident, it appears that a unit of Marines went on a rampage, killing 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, following the death of Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas in a bomb attack.
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