Meltdown in Haditha: The Killing of 24 Iraqi Civilians by U.S. Marines and the Failure of Military Justice

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In November 2005, Sunni insurgents attacked a U.S. Marine squad returning to its headquarters in Haditha with an improvised explosive device (IED). One marine died and two others were wounded. Within minutes, squad members killed 24 Iraqi civilians, including an elderly couple, four women and six children. It was the worst incident of its kind in the Iraq War.

Thirteen months later, four officers - including the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment - and four enlisted men were accused of crimes ranging from dereliction of duty to murder. The legal proceedings dragged on for five years, longer than any in U.S. military history. The only conviction was that of an NCO originally charged with 18 counts of murder, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and never served a day in the brig.

Unlike other legal actions conducted during the 60-year history of the present military justice system, these proceedings were held mostly in secret, either in sessions closed to the media or behind the doors of the two military appeals courts. This book investigates the tactics adopted by Marine Corps commanders and the ineptness of the proceedings, which raise serious questions about the need for reform.