Three Soldiers Charged In Detainment Deaths

Three members of the 101st Airborne Division have been charged in connection with the deaths of three detainees during an operation near in southern Salaheddin Province, Iraq, on May 9, the U.S. military announced Monday.

A military news release said the charges in the case include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice.

The release said the unit commander ordered an investigation on the day the alleged murders occurred, and the Army's Criminal Investigative Division is continuing the probe.

The soldiers charged in the case are in pretrial confinement, the release said, while it is determined if enough evidence exists to proceed with courts-martial.

This isn't related to the Haditha incident, where some are accusing Marines of massacring civilians, but those same Marines claim that they were responding to incoming fire from areas containing civilians.

This is a separate incident where there are questions as to the conduct of soldiers, and the military is taking the appropriate actions. The next step would be a court martial, where those accused would be tried based on evidence presented and defend themselves. We haven't gotten to that point yet. There is still a presumption of innocence.