LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A US Marines officer accused of making false statements following the deaths of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha three years ago will stand trial next week, the military said Friday.
First Lieutenant Andrew Grayson will be court martialed on Wednesday for making false statements and obstruction of justice, a statement released by the Marines from their Camp Pendleton base in southern California said.
Grayson is also charged with attempting to fraudulently separate from the Marine Corps, the statement added.
Grayson is one of eight soldiers and officers who were initially charged with crimes in connection with the November 2005 incident, which saw men, women and children shot dead by marines in the aftermath of a roadside bombing.
Four soldiers faced murder charges and four officers, including Grayson, were accused of covering-up of failing to properly investigate the killings.
However, since charges were first announced in December 2006, prosecutors have struggled to make the allegations stick.
Five of the eight men have now had charges against them dropped, while charges of murder were replaced by the lesser offense of manslaughter in the case of squad leader Frank Wuterich, who faces trial later this year.
The killings in Haditha are the most serious allegations of war crimes leveled at US forces since the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, and is one of several cases involving Marines from Camp Pendleton.
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