'No justice, just kills’

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 17 November 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On 19 November 2005, US Marines killed 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, many of them women and children. The incident led to the longest US war crimes investigation of the Iraq war. But in the end, no one went to prison. A four-year investigation by BBC Eye has uncovered footage, legal documents and marine testimonies that have never before been made public. Reporter Lara El Gibaly speaks to the forensic investigator and lawyers involved in the case, who are speaking out about what happened, and why those responsible for the deaths walked free. And she travels to Iraq to take this information to the survivors, Safa and Khalid, who have been searching for answers about the killing of their families for twenty years.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts.
0:06.2	A warning before we start.
0:08.9	This program includes scenes that you might find upsetting.
0:16.3	Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give
0:18.9	will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
0:22.4	On a winter's morning at Haditha, Iraq, a woman is watching a grainy video of herself.
0:27.8	It's from 20 years ago.
0:30.3	In it, Safa, a little girl, is surrounded by U.S. Marines who are questioning her.
0:36.5	Would you please state your full name?
0:39.0	Safaiim, Salim, Rassif.
0:41.1	And how old are you?
0:43.1	14 years of face.
0:45.9	I'm going to ask you some questions about November 19, 2005.
0:51.6	What would happen that day?
0:54.0	I'm, of course, it's a lot of time. 2005. What would happen that day?
1:06.2	I was terrified. The incident had happened very recently. All the soldiers were there, and I was just a child among them. I was so scared, but thank God, I was able to remember and tell them what happened.
1:13.6	God wanted me to survive so I could get out and talk about it.
1:17.8	I was the only survivor out of my entire family.
1:22.1	What happened that day changed Sufah's life and her town forever.
1:27.0	At six o'clock, allegations that U.S. Marines have massacred Iraqi civilians.
1:31.4	Iraqis claim the Marines went on a rampage in the town of Haditha after one of their own men
1:37.3	was killed in a roadside bomb attack.
	...

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