The Iraqis have suddenly remembered that they’re supposed to be a sovereign nation:

Iraq will investigate allegations that US marines carried out a massacre of civilians in Haditha in November, the country’s prime minister has said.

Or did the U.S. nudge them and say: “C’mon guys, start acting like this sovereignty thing is true”?

In related news:

Gen Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief military adviser to the US president, said on Monday it would be premature for him to judge the outcome of the investigations.

Yes, of course. We’re only at the stage where the outcome of the investigations can only be privately revealed to Congressmen and Senators. At some point over the next month, the report will be made public. Will the time be ripe for Pace to judge the outcome of the investigation then? Or will Peter Pace on principle not presume to publicly prejudge the outcome, and just wait till he retires and writes his memoirs?

“If the allegations as they are being portrayed in the newspapers turn out to be valid, then of course there’ll be charges,” he said.

His meaning appears to have been: “If the Senators and Congressmen truthfully reported to the newspapers what we told them, and if what we told them turns out to be true, then of course …”