The court martial against a lieutenant with the US Marines on charges of lying following the deaths of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha in 2005 has opened, a Marine spokesman said. First Lieutenant Andrew Grayson, 26, is being court martialed for making false statements, obstructing justice, and attempting to fraudulently separate from the Corps, the Marines said. The court martial is taking place at the vast Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton, 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Los Angeles. Grayson is one of eight soldiers and officers who were initially charged with crimes in connection with the November 2005 incident, which saw men, women and children shot dead by Marines in the aftermath of a roadside bombing.