US marines have rallied around a comrade under investigation for killing a wounded Iraqi during the offensive in Fallujah.
In this image taken from video provided by NBC News, a US marine is seen, raising his rifle in the direction of Iraqi prisoners lying on the floor of a mosque in Fallujah, Iraq
Marines interviewed today said they didn't see the shooting as a scandal, but the act of a comrade who faced intense pressure during the effort to quell the insurgency in the city.
"I can see why he would do it. He was probably running around being shot at for days on end in Fallujah. There should be an investigation but they should look into the circumstances," said Lance Corporal Christopher Hanson.
"I would have shot the insurgent too. Two shots to the head," said Sergeant Nicholas Graham, 24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "You can't trust these people. He should not be investigated. He did nothing wrong."
The military command began an investigation after video footage showed a US marine shooting a wounded and unarmed man in a mosque in the city on Saturday. The man was one of five wounded and left in the mosque after marines fought their way through the area.
A pool report by NBC correspondent Mr Kevin Sites said the mosque had been used by insurgents to attack US forces, who stormed it, killing 10 militants and wounding the five. Sites said the wounded had been left for others to pick up.
A second group of marines entered the mosque on Saturday after reports it had been reoccupied. Footage from the embedded television crew showed the five still in the mosque, although several appeared to be close to death, Sites said.
He said a Marine noticed one prisoner was still breathing.
A marine can be heard saying on the pool footage: "He's f**king faking he's dead."
"The Marine then raises his rifle and fires into the man's head," Mr Sites said.
NBC said the marine, who had reportedly been shot in the face himself the previous day, said immediately after the shooting: "Well, he's dead now."