When did Bush know?

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Discrepancy seen as administration says he didn't learn of massacre probe for nearly a month
BY CRAIG GORDON
Newsday Washington Bureau

June 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- The White House said yesterday it took nearly a month for President George W. Bush to learn the military was investigating whether Marines gunned down civilians in Haditha - an incident Iraq's leader called "a horrible crime" as he launched his own probe.

That explanation appeared at odds with a White House statement earlier this week that Bush was told of the inquiry "soon after" it was launched in February. Bush never discussed Haditha in public until he was asked about it by reporters Wednesday.

Yet what happened there last November now looms as a serious threat to Bush's hopes of reviving public support for the war at home, as well as being a growing impediment to smooth relations with the newly formed Iraqi government.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, U.S. commanders announced that all 132,000 American troops and other coalition forces would receive a special course on proper battlefield conduct - a 30-day program to reinforce "the values that separate us from our enemies," said Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the No. 2 U.S. general in Iraq.

But Iraq's new prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, stepped up his criticism of U.S. forces yesterday as he announced an investigation into the Haditha killings, along with other incidents involving U.S. troops.

The Iraqi government also demanded that U.S. forces apologize for the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha. Defense and congressional sources say the current investigation will show they were murdered by a handful of Marines in retaliation for the roadside-bombing death of a fellow Marine, and that the incident was covered up by mid-level officers.

"This is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces," al-Maliki said. "No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It's unacceptable."

Al-Maliki also is calling for new limits on coalition forces who are detaining Iraqis or carrying out raids in Iraqi neighborhoods - a move that could restrict the activities of U.S. troops in battling a deadly insurgency that seems to be gaining strength in Ramadi, Basra and elsewhere.

Such a move could become a major sticking point with the United States, whose forces now operate in Iraq without any formal restrictions by the government. An earlier order by the Coalition Provisional Authority also said U.S. forces aren't bound by Iraqi legal processes - another stipulation the United States would appear unlikely to give up without resistance.

Despite good relations so far with the United States, al-Maliki hasn't shied away from giving voice to the growing frustration among everyday Iraqis about the continuing U.S. presence there, and what many see as a heavy-handed and often insensitive approach by U.S. troops.

For his part, Bush has sought to reassure the public here and in Iraq that the Pentagon will "get to the bottom of this" and that the world would see "the full and complete investigation."

"If there is wrongdoing, people will be held to account," Bush said yesterday.

Bush also appears eager to avoid one mistake of Abu Ghraib - when he appeared to be caught off guard by the allegations of prison abuse, causing him to fault Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for not keeping him apprised of the investigation.

So the White House yesterday put out a timeline of Pentagon and White House actions to deal with Haditha. According to the timeline of events after the Nov. 19 shootings at Haditha, Chiarelli first ordered a military investigation of the incident Feb. 14 after Time magazine challenged the initial Marine account of civilian deaths in a bombing and subsequent firefight.

Chiarelli ordered a further review March 9. But it wasn't until March 11 that Bush was told about the case for the first time by National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

Incident in Haditha

Military investigators are seeking to determine whether Marines killed as many as 24 civilians in the Iraqi city of Haditha. Here's how the case has come to light:

Nov. 19: U.S. Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, 20, is killed by a roadside bomb in Haditha. Later that day, Marines are alleged to have retaliated by killing the civilians.

Nov. 20: Initial report by Marines states that insurgents had attacked a joint U.S.- Iraqi patrol with small-arms fire after the blast, triggering a gunbattle that left eight insurgents and 15 Iraqi civilians dead.

Feb. 10: A Time magazine reporter asks military officials about reports of a massacre in Haditha.

Feb. 14: Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli orders an investigation.

March 11: National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley briefs President George W. Bush about the investigation.

March 20: The U.S. military says it's investigating possible misconduct by the Marines and confirms there is a videotape of action in Haditha. Residents say U.S. troops entered homes and killed 15 people, including women, children and elderly men, after Terrazas' death.

April 10: The military says three officers were relieved of command in connection with problems including their battalion's actions in Haditha.

May 17: Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) says a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed more than a dozen innocent Iraqi civilians "in cold blood."

May 30: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says the killings were not justified.

May 31: Bush promises that any Marines involved in the alleged murders of Iraqi civilians will be punished.

June 1: Chiarelli orders U.S. commanders to hold ethical training on battlefield conduct.

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.