In a sworn statement to investigators reported by the Washington Post, Sgt. J.M. Laughner said the incident last year appeared to be a proper response to a coordinated insurgent attack.

Laughner, part of a team hunting down insurgent bombmakers, examined the Haditha scene hours after the Nov. 19, 2005, shootings.

He said he went from house to house, finding two dozen bodies, including some of women and small children.

But, he said the scene appeared to match the version supplied by the Marine squad and did not seem out of the ordinary.

The Marines involved said they thought they were following the rules of engagement when they fired inside at least three homes after a roadside bomb killed one of their men. Several Marines are under investigation but no one has been charged.