Haditha probe independent of White House: Bush

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) President George W. Bush promised today that the White House would not interfere in the US military's investigation of the killing of two dozen civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha.

Bush has vowed to punish those responsible if the probe verifies allegations that Marines rampaged through houses in Haditha on November 19 and shot civilians, including women and children.

''I'm not involved with the investigation,'' Bush told reporters following a Cabinet meeting. ''And you shouldn't expect me to be. I expect this investigation to be conducted independent of the White House, with a full and thorough investigation.'' Forensic data in a preliminary inquiry by the military showed the Haditha victims had bullet wounds, contradicting earlier statements from Marines that the civilians were killed by roadside bombs, according to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Some have called for an investigation to be conducted outside the US military amid the allegations of a cover-up by the Marines.

Defence officials expect two military investigations into the incident to be completed in mid-June.

A probe by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, responsible for cases involving Marines, might lead to charges including murder, officials said yesterday. A separate fact-finding inquiry involves whether Marines tried to cover up the true nature of the incident, officials said.

ETHICS TRAINING US military commanders have ordered ethics training for combat troops over the next 30 days in ''core warrior values.'' Bush said the training has been ordered to reinforce procedures and standards.

''Our troops have been trained on core values throughout their training,'' Bush said. ''This is just a reminder for troops either in Iraq or throughout our military that there are high standards expected of them, and that there are strong rules of engagement.'' ''Obviously, the allegations are very troubling for me and equally troubling for our military, especially the Marine Corps,'' Bush said.

US newspaper editorials and opinion writers have drawn parallels between the Haditha massacre and the 1968 killings of nearly 500 unarmed civilians by US troops in the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War.

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