US to take action against marines responsible for civilian deaths

Washington, May 30 (UNI) The United States would take appropriate action against marines held responsible for the death of 24 Iraqi civilians, Military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, chairman, Gen Peter Pace said.

Appearing on the CBS's ''The Early Show'' yesterday when the US observed Memorial Day in honour of military men and women, Mr Pace said ''it would be premature for me to judge the outcome of a Pentagon investigation into the killings.'' He promised a thorough investigation and an appropriate action.

The chairman's remarks came after Rep John Murtha, a Marine war veteran and prominent critic of Iraq policy, said the incident could undermine US efforts there more than the Abu Ghraib prison scandal did.

Rep Murtha, D-Pa, also charged that the shootings last November at Haditha, a city that has been infused with insurgents, were covered up.

Asked whether things could be covered up as stated by Mr Murtha, the chairman replied, ''Fortunately, it does not happen very frequently, so there's no way to say historically why something like this might have happened. We'll find out.'' Mr Pace's predecessor, retired Gen Richard Myers, told ABC's ''Good Morning America'' that he had ''no idea'' what happened but that there ''has been and there is an ongoing, thorough investigation.'' The marine war veteran repeated his view that the war in Iraq cannot be won militarily and needs political solutions, which he said were damaged by such incidents involving the US.

According to media reports here, a military convoy was ambushed on Nov 19, killing a Marine. Marines then shot and killed unarmed civilians in a taxi at the scene and went into two homes and shot other people.

The Iraqi survivors of the killings described Marines shooting 19 people dead in three homes, including a 77-year-old man in a wheelchair and a 4-year-old boy in one home and five children, ages 3 to 14, in another home, The New York Times reported yesterday.

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