What Are the Ramifications of the Haditha Case? | FRONTLINE

Only one thing is clear about the legal resolution of the Haditha case: No one is entirely happy with it. Supporters of the accused Marines are still angry about the initial version of the story that portrayed the squad as cold-blooded executioners.

The fact that none of the Marines involved will serve any time in prison provoked outrage in Iraq and across the world. And it’s done little to clarify the rules of war.

Victor Hansen, an expert in military law and former officer with the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps, says, he’s “frustrated like many who are observing it from the outside.”

But he’s also frustrated because the trial didn’t clarify the understanding of the rules of engagement — the criteria for using deadly force. They can change from deployment to deployment.