Inquiry into Afghan deaths starts next week

[unhappycamper]

Spec ops Marines
Convoy conduct to be scrutinized.


Inquiry into Afghan deaths starts next week
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jan 3, 2008 12:47:19 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — A court of inquiry investigating allegations that spec ops Marines killed Afghan civilians after an attack on their convoy will begin at Camp Lejeune, N.C., next week.

The inquiry, a rarely used formal procedure that can function as an Article 32 hearing, will convene Tuesday morning, according to a Marine Corps Forces Central Command press release. A panel of three senior commissioned officers with combat experience will examine the facts and evidence of the March 4, 2007 incident, which involved a platoon from Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

The 30-man platoon, part of the first Marine Special Operations Company ever to deploy for combat ops, was attacked with a suicide car bomb in Nangarhar province. Attorneys representing some Marines involved say the convoy also came under small-arms fire.

Shortly after the incident, the entire 120-man company was removed from Afghanistan by Army Lt. Gen. Frank Kearney, who was the top special operations officer in the Middle East at the time. Kearney’s decision to pull the company out is now under investigation by the Defense Department’s Inspector General. Eight Marines were sent home to Camp Lejeune, while the remainder of the unit was re-deployed.

Tuesday’s inquiry will look into the conduct of the convoy, fire discipline, adherence to operations orders and rules of engagement, reporting and documentation of the incident and the command climate in MSOC-Fox, according to the press release. Specifically, the actions of Maj. Fred Galvin, the company commander at the time, and Capt. Vincent Noble, the platoon commander, are being examined.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/01/marine_MARSOC_inquiry_080103/