Hagee promises accountability

[USMCRET6391]

By Gordon Trowbridge
Times staff writer

Any Marines guilty of atrocities in two high-profile cases will be held accountable, Marine Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee said Wednesday in his most extensive comments to date on war-crime allegations against Marines in Iraq.

In a brief appearance before defense reporters at the Pentagon, Hagee invoked Marine Corps history from Belleau Wood to Chosin Reservoir, and said he is confident Marines know right from wrong and that Marine Corps standards are understood and accepted.

“Without accountability, standards are nothing more than goals,” said Hagee, who just returned from trips to Iraq and Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he spoke to Marines about the need to adhere to rigorous moral standards. “Any Marine found to have violated our standards will be held accountable. It is an important part of who we are, and all Marines expect it.”

Hagee also acknowledged his ultimate responsibility for Marines’ conduct. “I am the one accountable for organizing, training and equipping Marines. I am responsible, and I take these responsibilities quite seriously.” But in response to a question, Hagee said he has not offered to resign.

Military investigators are probing possible atrocities by Marines in two cases — an incident in November 2005 in Hadithah, Iraq, in which as many as 24 Iraqi civilians may have died, and a small group of Marines may face murder charges in the April killing of a civilian in Hamdaniya.

Hagee said he was “gravely concerned” about the allegations, but refused to comment on specifics of either case until investigations are complete. In addition to criminal investigations of both cases, an Army general in Iraq is investigating whether officials in the Marine chain of command failed to investigate the Hadithah incident or tried to cover it up.

The commandant said he did not believe the stress Marines are under in Anbar province, the hotbed of Iraq’s deadly insurgency, contributed to the two incidents. “[Marines] are focused on what they are doing,” he said.

[SGRock]

Originally Posted by USMCRET6391

“Any Marine found to have violated our standards will be held accountable. It is an important part of who we are, and all Marines expect it.”
WE know this. I just wish the MSM could understand this. If these Marines are guilty, try them and punish them by the UCMJ. If not then get these media people to back off.

But in response to a question, Hagee said he has not offered to resign.

This is a civilian trait, to run with your tail between your legs when the crap hits the fan.