The 104-page report, authored by Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell, sharply criticizes the actions of Marines including the enlisted men involved in the Nov. 19, 2005, shootings and the two-star general who was commander of the 2nd Marine Division at the time of the incident, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

"All levels of command tended to view civilian casualties, even in significant numbers, as routine and as the natural and intended result of insurgent tactics," Bargewell wrote. "Statements made by the chain of command during interviews for this investigation, taken as a whole, suggest that Iraqi civilian lives are not as important as U.S. lives, their deaths are just the cost of doing business, and that the Marines need to get 'the job done' no matter what it takes."

The report, which also said Marine commanders discounted "obvious" signs of "serious misconduct" after the incident, was authored in June 2006, but only recently declassified due to the ongoing criminal cases against three of the Marines accused in the shootings.