No word yet on Afghan shooting inquiry

[unhappycamper]

No word yet on Afghan shooting inquiry
By Estes Thompson - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 6:26:15 EST

RALEIGH, N.C. — Four weeks have passed since the close of a Marine Corps inquiry into a March 2007 shooting of Afghan civilians by a special operations team, and there remains no word about any conclusions.

A Corps spokesman said Monday it was unclear whether three senior officers who heard nearly a month of testimony had decided if two Marines involved in the shootings should be charged. The officers haven’t sent a report to Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of Marine Corps Central Command who has the final say on whether criminal charges be filed, said Lt. Col. Sean Gibson.

It’s also unclear how much of the report will be made public. More than half of the 47 witnesses testified at least in part during closed, classified court sessions.

“Our goal is to present as much information as is publicly releasable without jeopardizing the investigation, due process and the rights of individuals,” Gibson said.

“We’re accountable to the American people for our actions and this is one way we can show transparency and help people understand the process by which we investigate allegations and, when appropriate, hold service members accountable.”


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_marsoc_inquiry_022508/