The
Marine Corps yesterday dismissed all charges against one of the Marines accused of killing women and children in the Iraqi town of
Haditha in late 2005, the third time a Marine linked to the slayings has been exonerated
Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum, who has admitted shooting civilians inside their homes as part of a pursuit of insurgents, was cleared and granted immunity to testify in further hearings related to the investigation. The move leaves only Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich to face charges in connection with the shootings on Nov. 19, 2005.
Although the Marines were at first accused of going on a rampage, the case has evolved into a far more complex examination of the Corps' rules of engagement and the general conduct of wartime operations in hostile residential areas.
clipped from: www.washingtonpost.com