TEHRAN – New evidence has come to light revealing horrific killings of civilians in Iraq that were long hidden by the US military.
A BBC investigation has uncovered new evidence linking two American soldiers who were never brought to justice to the infamous Haditha massacre during the US occupation of Iraq.
The findings, based largely on statements and testimony made in the immediate aftermath of the killing, raise serious questions about the integrity of the U.S. investigation and highlight long-standing concerns about accountability within the U.S. military.
The Haditha massacre is one of the darkest war crimes of the Iraq War, but no American was ever convicted. Four US soldiers were initially charged with murder, but over the years US military prosecutors dropped charges against three of them due to inconsistencies in their accounts.
These Marines were granted immunity, protecting them from future legal action. The new BBC investigation follows an earlier investigation by The New Yorker that detailed what Iraqis have known for decades but U.S. authorities have tried to cover up.
On November 19, 2005, US soldiers patrolling the town of Haditha in Anbar province went door to door and killed at least 20 civilians.
According to survivors, the youngest victim was only 3 years old. A family was shot at close range. Men, women, and children were not given the opportunity to plead for their lives. Shortly before that, four students who were riding in a taxi heading to the massacre site were removed from the car and executed along with the driver.
The U.S. military did not begin an investigation until Time magazine reported on the massacre several months later. When an investigation was finally conducted, the charges were quickly dropped. A conviction would have further tarnished the image of the US occupation.
Leaked photos published by The New Yorker last year showed parents lying dead while trying to protect their children. Entire families, including babies, were massacred, and their bodies were later photographed by the US military. Without these photos, the massacre may never have been known to the public.
For years, the U.S. government has blamed human rights abuses in Iraq on a “few bad apples.” But records tell a different story. The torture and humiliation of Iraqi detainees by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison did not begin or end with the fall of Saddam Hussein.
In another infamous incident on March 12, 2006, in the Iraqi town of al-Mahmoudiyah, American soldiers took turns attacking 14-year-old Abeer al-Janabi, killing her and her parents who tried to protect her. Her 6-year-old sister was also killed. One of the attackers later described the assault as “amazing”.
The US military initially blamed the Iraqis, but overwhelming evidence forced a trial. Still, officials insisted the soldiers were isolated criminals.
But Iraqis wonder how many “bad apples” it takes before the system itself is called into question. Why weren’t senior American commanders called to the jury?
Human rights groups have documented widespread human rights abuses by the US military between 2003 and 2011, including indiscriminate attacks, secret detention, torture, mock executions, and threats of rape. Former detainees spoke of sleep deprivation, hunger and constant fear.
While Iraqis are still dealing with the trauma of recent years, the United States has shifted its focus. It is now supporting a new cycle of war crimes in Gaza.
Children were shot at close range. A UN shelter was bombed. Hospitals accept infants with no head left for identification. Many abuses, mass arrests, stripping of health workers, torture, and rape go unrecorded and unreported.
So, as in the case of Iraq, much of the truth may remain buried. The full extent of war crimes may never be revealed.