ACLU seeks disclosure of Pentagon files on Haditha

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit on Thursday demanding that the US Defence Department publicly release its files on the investigation into the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq.

The Freedom of Information Act request also seeks records relating to any killing of civilians by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan since Jan. 1, 2005, the ACLU said in a statement.

US Marines have been accused of killing 24 unarmed Iraqis in the city of Haditha on Nov. 19 in retaliation for the death of a fellow Marine from a roadside bomb.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating but so far no charges have been filed.

Another probe into whether the Marines lied about the killings has been completed and a top commander is reviewing its findings, the US military has said.

"The intentional killing of civilians is a profoundly serious violation of both domestic and international law, and the allegation that senior officers suppressed evidence of this tragic incident is deeply troubling," ACLU attorney Jameel Jaffer said in a statement.

"The request we filed today is meant to encourage an investigation that is credible and comprehensive," he said.

A Defence Department spokesman said he was unaware of the request and declined to comment on the ACLU action.

Attorneys for the Marines have said they would question the authenticity of a videotape at the heart of the case and the credibility of the group that provided it.

A journalism student working through an Iraqi human rights group passed video of bodies and homes from Haditha to Time magazine.

- REUTERS