Haditha marine ‘watched superior kill surrendering civilians’
Mark Oliver and agencies
Thursday May 10, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2076586,00.html
Yesterday, at a pre-trial hearing ahead of the trial of one of the accused, Sgt Dela Cruz gave evidence at a courtroom in Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, California.
He said he watched how his squad leader, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, shot five Iraqis who were trying to surrender and then told his men to lie about the killings.
“They were just standing, looking around, had hands up,” Sgt Dela Cruz said. “Then I saw one of them drop in the middle. I didn’t know what was going on, sir. Looked to my left, saw Staff Sergeant Wuterich shooting.”
The Iraqi civilians had been standing by a white car with their hands interlocked behind their heads when they were shot, Sgt Dela Cruz says.
“He told me that if anybody asked, they were running away and the Iraqi army shot them,” Sgt Dela Cruz said.
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