posted by Jennifer Hlad on Jan 10
In case you are coming into this a little late (in which case I am sure you are confused!), here is a copy of a story I wrote before the inquiry began, giving some background on what is going on. After this story was published, the start date was moved to Monday (Jan. 7)
There is also a link at the right you can follow to find more stories about the proceedings.
Please also feel free to e-mail me with any questions, and I will try to post some more detailed background soon.
Inquiry into Afghan shootings begins at Camp Lejeune
January 3, 2008 - 8:53PM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
CAMP LEJEUNE — A court of inquiry into the shooting of civilians in Afghanistan last year will convene Tuesday morning at Camp Lejeune.
The inquiry will examine what happened March 4 in the Nangahar Province in Afghanistan, when Army officials say a Marine special operations unit opened fire on the crowd along a roadway, killing as many as 19 civilians and injuring 50 others.
Proceedings will begin at 8 a.m Tuesday and are expected to last two weeks.
The court of inquiry will consider whether the Marines followed rules of engagement, as well as examining the conduct of the convoy, fire discipline, reporting and documentation of the incident, and the command climate in the company, according to a Marine Corps press release.
Three senior commissioned officers with combat experience will make up the court, and the officers will consider evidence gathered by Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigators and other sources, according to the release.
The officers will specifically examine the roles of Maj. Fred C. Galvin, who was the company’s commander at the time of the shootings, and Capt. Vincent J. Noble, the platoon commander at the time.
The court of inquiry is a fact-finding process designed to determine what happened and where responsibility may lie, according to the press release. It is not a criminal proceeding, and none of the Marines have been charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The court will present its findings to Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, who will make a decision about how to proceed.