2006年VOA标准英语-Lawmaker Pledges Congressional Hearing on

By Dan Robinson
Washington
20 May 2006

A prominent Republican lawmaker says he will hold a hearing on an incident last November in which U.S. soldiers are alleged 1 to have killed innocent civilians 3 in the Iraqi town of Haditha. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter discussed the incident, and military investigations 5 underway, with reporters.

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Rep. Duncan Hunter  
  

Congressman 6 Hunter says two military investigations have been underway, one criminal and one administrative 7, into the events in Haditha last year.

The U.S. military has said 15 civilians died in the incident on November 19, which reports said occurred as an insurgent 8 bomb called an Improvised 9 Explosive Device exploded, killing 10 a U.S. Marine 11.

According to a Time magazine investigative report in March, Iraqi eyewitnesses 12 and local officials said in interviews that U.S. soldiers retaliated 13, shooting civilians in nearby houses. Time said U.S. Marines originally claimed the civilians were killed as a result of the explosion.

 
Rep. John Murtha at Capitol Hill news conference, May 17, 2006
  
Earlier this week, Democratic Congressman John Murtha, a key Iraq war critic, told reporters information he had indicated the incident was much worse than reported in the Time magazine article.

Murtha says U.S. soldiers appear to have over-reacted and killed innocent Iraqis, adding he believes the intense pressure on U.S. military forces in Iraq was a major factor.

Congressman Hunter spoke 14 by telephone Friday with Lieutenant 15 General Peter Chiarelli, Commander of Multinational 16 Forces in Iraq, who was also asked about the investigations in a separate video news conference Friday with Pentagon news reporters.

Congressman Hunter says the report based on an investigation 4 overseen 17 by Major General Eldon Bargewell should be delivered next week to General Chiarelli, who will review it and make recommendations before sending it up the military chain of command.

Hunter says House and Senate lawmakers have delivered this message to the military regarding the investigations:

"Let the chips fall where they may. If there were problems in the chain of command, if there was a cover-up, if anything was not reported, let the chips fall where they may but don't presume anything. Those reports aren't finished yet, [but] the reports and investigations are being pursued with great integrity," he said.

Congressman Hunter says he has not seen specifics of any preliminary report, but describes it as extremely voluminous and complicated. He said he believes the civilian 2 death toll 18 from the incident is about 20, although the Time magazine report in March put the figure at 24.

"Hunter had this reaction when asked about Congressman Murtha's contention 19 that the Haditha incident demonstrates that U.S. forces have been pushed past their limit in Iraq," he said.

"I would just reject, and I think the American people should reject, any attempt to define America's troops, especially before the report comes out but even after a report comes out, based on the activities of one person, or one squad 20, on one morning," he said.

The Marines have said three officers who were involved in the Haditha incident have been relieved of command duties pending 21 results of the criminal investigation.

Congressman Hunter says he will schedule a hearing of his House Armed Services Committee once the investigation results are sent to Capitol Hill.

There should be no question, he adds, of any political interference in the investigations.