OFFMEN International

WASHINGTON – For the second time since the war in Iraq began, the United States is awaiting a military investigation into sensational allegations of its troops' misconduct.

Two years ago it was Abu Ghraib. American alarm at the pictures of depravity was accompanied by questions about whether the military would be able to honestly investigate itself. Now, as the military looks into allegations that marines murdered as many as two dozen innocent civilians in Haditha last year, its justice system is again under the public microscope.

For Americans weaned on the openness of the O.J. Simpson trial, military justice can seem remote and impenetrable. For their part, experts dismiss the notion that the military system is any more corrupt or ineffective than its civilian counterpart.

But they acknowledge that it faces its own unique challenges - from the culture of silence that can pervade the most tight-knit military units to the lack of any department "district attorney" to follow up on leads. The concerns are longstanding, but with citizens getting a fuller picture of the mechanics of warfare - both on the battlefield and off - there is pressure to ensure that Americans have confidence in their military's means of justice.