The US military has dropped all charges against one of the marines accused of involvement in the killing of Iraqi civilians in Haditha in November 2005.
L/Cpl Stephen Tatum, 26, was about to face a court martial on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors say that US marines indiscriminately killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, in the incident.
Five of the eight men initially accused have now had all charges dismissed.
Jack Zimmerman, a defence lawyer for L/Cpl Tatum, said in a statement: "It became clear to the experienced prosecution team that the right thing to do was to dismiss all charges.
"We believe the evidence shows that Lance Corporal Tatum reacted to an enemy attack the way he was trained to do."
Criminal investigation
L/Cpl Tatum had been about to face trial for two counts of involuntary manslaughter, of unarmed children, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.
The dead in Haditha included women, children and elderly men
The Marine Corps said it was dropping all charges against him and granting full immunity "in order to continue to pursue the truth-seeking process into the Haditha incident".
The case stemmed from a roadside bombing in Haditha on 19 November 2005 which killed one marine, L/Cpl Miguel Terrazas, and injured two others.
The US military at first reported that the Iraqis had been killed by that explosion, or in a subsequent gunfight with insurgents.
But Iraqi witnesses said the US troops shot dead five unarmed men in a car when they approached the scene of the bombing in a taxi.
The troops were then accused of killing 19 other civilians in three houses nearby over the next few hours.
'No deal struck'
Despite the accusations, there was no full US investigation into what happened until January 2006, when video footage emerged of the aftermath, shot by a local human rights activist.
A subsequent investigation by Time magazine suggested that most of the dead were shot by marines after the bomb - and in March 2006 a criminal investigation was begun.
The following month, three officers in charge of troops in Haditha were stripped of their command and reassigned.
Those accused of involvement in the incident have maintained they were reacting to insurgent fire.
The investigator overseeing L/Cpl Tatum's pre-trial hearing had recommended the dropping of all charges on the grounds that he shot at the children because another marine, Staff Sgt Frank Wuterich, was already firing.
Sgt Wuterich faces a court martial on nine counts of voluntary manslaughter later this year.
L/Cpl Tatum's lawyer denied that a deal had been struck under which the marine would testify against Sgt Wuterich.
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Posted Mar-29-2008 ByElhasi_teezi_jihad (22.24) Elhasi_teezi_jihad View Channel Send Message
(4)
i feel bad for the family's who lost their loved ones but this is what happens when terrorist hide in civilian clothes and among the civilian population
Posted Mar-29-2008 Bytylerjames12 (20.82) 
tylerjames12 View Channel Send Message
(3)
keep smoking your underwear kid.
.
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByKiffur (113.10) 
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(3)
Total set up .... LIAR! the Brit "journalist" is a LIAR. He thinks he's a Judge Jury and Executioner all rolled into one.
Well no one lies about American MARINES while I'm alive without me setting the record straight.!!
The terrorists/al-Qaeda killed their own people and they ran and hid amongst civilians putting in danger the Civilian Iraqis in Haditha.
"Despite the accusations, there was no full US investigation into what happened until January 2006, when video foot More..
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByKiffur (113.10) 
Kiffur View Channel Send Message
(2)
Well no one lies about American MARINES while I'm alive without me setting the record straight.!!
The terrorists/al-Qaeda killed their own people and they ran and hid amongst civilians putting in danger the Civilian Iraqis in Haditha.
"Despite the accusations, there was no full US investigation into what happened until January 2006, when video footage emerged of the aftermath, shot by a local human rights activist. "
These Marines were put under the full weight of a extra powerful Court Marshal and let me tell you that the average person would have crumbled under it.
Now how in the hell was their a so called "peace activists team" in the middle of Iraq during months of combat? They obviously were a terrorist agit-prop team looking to get a cooked up story since they were losing the combat phase..
Have you ever heard of
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
Fu'ck You Brit Media
."
Got that, Boy!"
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByISLAMISBAD (7.18) ISLAMISBAD Send Message
(1)
Whether or not they actually did it, if we don't have any sort of proof, we can't charge them. Period. When our "soldiers" commit war crimes (such as that group that raped that girl and killed her family, scumbags) we prosecute them with all we have. Guess what happens when we have substantial prove that they commited a war crime? They go to jail, and that's a well documented fact. Sad, but there's scumbags in every group, and regardless of race or religion or country of origin, t More..
Posted Mar-30-2008 Bydajini (90.24) 
dajini View Channel Send Message
(1)
pardon me I mind WEAK money
Posted Mar-30-2008 Bybetomaz (55.66) 
betomaz View Channel Send Message
(1)
Well no one lies about American MARINES while I'm alive without me setting the record straight.!!
The terrorists/al-Qaeda killed their own people and they ran and hid amongst civilians putting in danger the Civilian Iraqis in Haditha.
"Despite the accusations, there was no full US investigation into what happened until January 2006, when video footage emerged of the aftermath, shot by a local human rights activist. "
These Marines were put under the full weight of a extra powerful Court Marshal and let me tell you that the average person would have crumbled under it.
Now how in the hell was their a so called "peace activists team" in the middle of Iraq during months of combat? They obviously were a terrorist agit-prop team looking to get a cooked up story since they were losing the combat phase..
Have you ever heard of
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
PALLYWOOD
Fu'ck You Brit Media
."
Got that, Boy!
Posted Mar-29-2008 BySimpleSiren (786.74) SimpleSiren View Channel Send Message
(0)
Justice always prevails.
This "muslim" who is reporting is IMPOTENT to do anything.
CHARGES are DROPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAHOO!
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByWE ARE POWER (3491.46) 
WE ARE POWER View Channel Send Message
(0)
Show them how democracy works.
They will love you.
If the UN would have balls, they would declare WW to USA, but they havenīt...
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByO12 (94.02) 
O12 Send Message
(0)
Posted Mar-29-2008 ByTheEspada (46.02) TheEspada View Channel Send Message
(0)
crusade for justice and moral, the good against the evil!!!
bla bla bla...
what a joke!
the same old babykiller from the same old U.S army:
vietnam...iraq...
the rednecks will never learn untill too late...
and too late arrive fast for you...
your week money, your future handled by chineese, almost the whole world against you...
it's time to kiss your ass and say good bye...
R.I.P AMERIKA!
Posted Mar-30-2008 Bybetomaz (55.66) 
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(0)
They kill children for the sake of 'the future'.
Posted Mar-29-2008 BybadMother (3732.04) badMother View Channel Send Message
(0)
sorry I mind weak money
Posted Mar-30-2008 Bybetomaz (55.66) 
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(0)
Who cares about 20 something Iraqi's when there is so much oil to liberate for Americans thirst?
It's all about getting that big ol S.U.V to work and showing up the neighbors ride!
Those damn arabs need to just give the U.S what it needs! Why did god have to put all that hazardous, polluting black gold where we can't claim it for our own? We'll show god and the rest of the world who is entitled!!!
Posted Mar-29-2008 Bymartiniman (62.94) 
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(0)