Trial set for highest-ranking Marine in Haditha case

Source: Reuters

Trial set for highest-ranking Marine in Haditha case
Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:00pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The highest-ranking U.S.
Marine charged in connection with the 2005 shooting
deaths of two dozen unarmed men, women and
children`in the Iraqi town of Haditha was ordered on
Friday`to face court martial in April.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, 43, is accused of dereliction
of duty for failing to properly report and investigate
the November 19, 2005 incident at Haditha, which
sparked international condemnation of U.S. forces
in Iraq.

The former battalion commander was ordered to stand
trial beginning April 28 by a military judge sitting at
Camp Pendleton base in California. If convicted, he
could face more than two years behind bars.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1641932820071116

Color me just white-knuckled with anticipation to see if the military will hold an officer accountable for this massacre. Although I can't help but wonder if Lt. Col. Chessani might not be liable for a sentence a mite longer than one month per dead civilian if he was to be judged by the sovereign nation that sustained this injury, rather than by the military that sent him to inflict it.

...after all, Bush authorized a payout to ten of the families of the slaughtered innocents totaling a whopping $38,000 -- what else could you ask for?:sarcasm: