Two Americans charged with 2004 Iraq killings

OCEANSIDE, Calif, Aug 21 (Reuters) Military prosecutors have charged a US Marine with unlawfully killing a person in Iraq, and his squad leader has been charged in a civilian court with killing two prisoners, officials said.

The charges represent the latest in a series of incidents in which members of the US armed forces are alleged to have committed crimes against civilians in Iraq, actions that have intensified international criticism over the US invasion.

Prosecutors charged Sgt Jermaine Nelson ''for the unlawful murder of an unknown foreign national in Fallujah November 9, 2004,'' a statement from Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, said.

Base spokesman Lt Col Chris Hughes declined to give more details, but said Nelson was not in detention and continued to work on the base. ''A lot is not known at this stage,'' he said.

Nelson's squad leader, Jose Luis Nazario, also faces criminal charges, but since he has left the military, he was charged with manslaughter by the US Attorney in Riverside, California.

Nazario was released on 50,000 dollars bail and faces a September 12 arraignment after pleading not guilty, a spokesman for the US Attorney's office said.

Both men served with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. Some members of the same unit are facing charges over the killing of 24 civilians in a different incident in Haditha, Iraq.

Hughes said the nearly 3-year-old case came to light when one Marine from the unit was taking a lie detector test while applying for a civilian job.

Reuters CS VP0452