Investigative Report Reveals New Details on Haditha Massacre Involving US Marines

Sun Nov 30 2025 23:32:38 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent investigation sheds light on the controversial Haditha massacre in Iraq, implicating two US marines in the deaths of an innocent Iraqi family in 2005, and raising questions about military accountability.

The BBC Eye investigation reveals that forensic evidence implicates two US marines in the fatal shooting of Safa Younes's family during the Haditha massacre in Iraq in 2005. Despite the scale of the tragedy, with 24 civilians killed, no marines were ever convicted. Safa Younes, now 33, demands accountability for the incident that claimed her family.

This is the room where my whole family was killed, says Safa Younes.

Bullet holes pepper the front door to the house in the Iraqi town of Haditha, where she grew up. Inside the back bedroom, a colourful bedspread covers the bed where her family was shot.

Safa was just 13 years old on November 19, 2005, when US marines stormed into her home and opened fire, killing everyone except her. Her father was shot dead while opening the front door to the marines.

Two decades later, a BBC Eye investigation has surfaced forensic evidence implicating two marines in the killing of Safa's family. The investigation raises doubts about the original American inquiry, questioning the accountability of US armed forces in wartime actions.

The Haditha massacre resulted in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians, including women and children, and ignited the longest US war crimes investigation of the Iraq War, yet no convictions resulted.

According to involvement statements from the marines, they claimed to be responding to gunfire after a roadside bomb killed a squad member, which they allege justified their actions. However, Safa asserts, We hadn't been accused of anything. We didn't even have any weapons in the house. She survived by pretending to be dead among her siblings.

Initial charges were brought against four marines, but many faced conflicting accounts leading to dropped charges. Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich was the only one to stand trial but faced an ultimately unsatisfactory plea deal.

Michael Maloney, a forensic expert who investigated the crime scene, indicated that there was sufficient evidence to establish culpability among the marines involved. The narrative provided by different marines and their testimonies created a complex picture of the incident, often inconsistent and questionable.

Safa, now a mother herself, continues to struggle with the consequences of that day. She insists that justice has been denied, stating, It's as if it happened last year. I still think about it… I want those who did this to be held accountable and to be punished by the law.

The US Marine Corps maintains that it is committed to a fair approach and would reopen the case if new admissible evidence surfaces. Despite these assurances, Safa's story serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of war and the struggle for justice.