OpEdNews - Diary: Did U.S. marines kill up to 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians?

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Are we looking at another massacre of innocent civilians by U.S. troops? According to an article in yesterday's Baltimore Sun, photographs taken by a Marine intelligence team "have convinced investigators that a Marine unit killed up to 24 unarmed Iraqis, some of them 'execution style', in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha after a roadside bomb killed one American last November." According to the photos, the victims included several women and six children. [Read story.] This is horrible. It is also a very complex issue. On one hand, the Geneva Conventions forbid this kind of thing. Heck, a soldier's own conscience should forbid the cold-blooded killing of innocent children. On the other hand, these Marines are in a living hell, and I'm sure that sometimes the stress and the fear get in the way of good judgment. It's not an excuse, but a possible explanation. And situations like this are where the quality of the leadership can really make a difference between life and death. An investigation is ongoing. Hopefully it will be a very thorough investigation, all the way up the chain of command. And hopefully everyone responsible will be brought to justice, all the way up the chain of command.