An Army general's report that examined the actions of Marine Corps officers in the wake of the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005 contends the leadership ignored signs of misconduct and wilfully failed to investigate the incident, according to two reports published Saturday.

The report's conclusions were reported by the New York Times and Washington Post which said they had obtained copies of the 103-page document. The Marine Corps has not made the document public.

Four officers were charged with dereliction of duty and other offenses in the wake of the killings, which also led to murder charges against four enlisted Marines. One of the enlisted men, Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz, was granted immunity by the Marine Corps earlier this month and charges against him were dropped in exchange for his testimony at upcoming court hearings.

The accused men are all from Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment contend they are innocent of any wrongdoing and that the slayings were the result of a legitimate response following a roadside bombing that killed a lance corporal.

Brian Rooney, an attorney for the highest-ranking officer charged in the case, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, said Saturday that he believes the report actually helps exonerate his client.

"Lt. Col. Chessani went to the battlefield that night and the next day and reported up the chain what he knew," Rooney said.

The Bargewell document faults the Marine division commander, Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, and the regimental commander, Col. Stephen W. Davis, for failing to investigate the civilian deaths, according to the Post and Times reports. Neither of those men was accused of any criminal wrongdoing.

See Sunday's North County Times for a full report.