The Hamdania incident exposed unlawful killing and coverup by U.S. Marines in Iraq, resulting in criminal charges against seven Marines and a Navy Corpsman.
Key Facts
- Date of incident
- April 26, 2006
- Victim
- Iraqi civilian male
- Number of defendants
- 8 (7 Marines, 1 Navy Corpsman)
- Charges filed
- Murder, kidnapping, housebreaking, larceny, obstruction
- Plea deals (as of Feb 2007)
- 5 defendants negotiated pleas to lesser charges
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
U.S. Marines from a battalion stationed near Abu Ghraib targeted a suspected insurgent in the small village of Al Hamdania, west of Baghdad. The circumstances that led to the operation against this individual have been linked to broader counterinsurgency pressures and alleged misconduct during interrogations of suspected insurgents.
On April 26, 2006, seven Marines and a Navy Corpsman kidnapped an Iraqi man in Al Hamdania and subsequently murdered him. The group then allegedly attempted to cover up the killing. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service launched an inquiry, ultimately bringing charges of murder, kidnapping, housebreaking, larceny, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
Many charges were dropped against the defendants. By February 2007, five had accepted plea deals to lesser charges such as kidnapping and conspiracy, agreeing to testify at trial. Additional Marines from the same battalion faced assault charges related to interrogation practices, but those charges were also dropped.