Senior State Department official, James Jeffrey, told defense reporters Tuesday that the US is “concerned whenever a foreign leader criticizes our forces,” as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has done over the alleged killing of civilians by Marines in Haditha, Iraq. However, said Jeffrey, that type of rhetoric is “typical” in that there is a “general attitude around the world is that whenever our troops do something, leaders speak out about it.” He noted that there is a constant buzz about what our troops do and do not do in Iraq and added that this is no different than in past conflict and post-conflict situations. Jeffrey asserted that the important thing now is to investigate the Haditha incident and follow through.
Unit commanders are being told to separate service members who can’t shave their cheeks and chin for medical reasons for more than a year, according to new guidance from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
