If Kerry really did kill that guy he probably talked him death.
I hope they cut this soldier some slack.
Posted on 11/15/2004 1:17:54 AM PST by kattracks
BAGHDAD (AFP) - A US officer was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the shooting dead of a wounded Iraqi in a Baghdad slum, the US military said. "Second Lieutenant Erick Anderson of Company C, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, Fort Riley, Kansas, has been charged with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder," a statement said.The charges were only allegations and Anderson was presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty, it added.
The military said it was unable to discuss the specific events surrounding the charges but a spokesman confirmed that they were related to the killing of a wounded Iraqi man in Baghdad's Sadr City district in August.
There have been several murder cases filed against US troops in Iraq (news - web sites), which have added to a furore sparked by the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
Anderson had been put under investigation over whether he granted two soldiers permission to shoot a man whom they thought was so badly injured he would die anyway.
One of the two, Staff Sergeant Cardenas Alban, already appeared for a pre-trial hearing at a Baghdad military court last month. The second, Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne, is due to appear before a judge at a later date.
If convicted they face a minimum of life in prison and a maximum penalty of death. Horne faces the additional charge of solicitation to commit murder.
The alleged incident occurred early on August 18 when US soldiers spotted a garbage truck apparently dropping homemade bombs in Sadr City, the capital's most populous Shiite neighbourhood.
It was unclear if any bombs were subsequently found.
Troops at the time were clashing with militiamen loyal to Shiite radical leader Moqtada Sadr.
They started shooting at the truck, which caught fire, as more soldiers were sent to the scene. A severely wounded Iraqi man pulled himself out of the truck and was leaning to the side, the prosecution charged during Alban's hearing.
According to previous testimony by Alban, Horne walked over and inspected the man's injuries and afterwards received orders from his commander, Lieutenant Anderson, to do whatever was needed "to put the man out of his misery."
The testimony was read in court by James Suprynowicz, a warrant officer who has been leading the investigation.
Notice that we are allowed to pull the plug on patients hooked up to machines in order to put them out of their misery, but a soldier who has the compassion to put an enemy out of his misery must not be tolerated.
Seriously, if this solder was real mean guy he would have laughed and spit in the Iraqi's face. Instead he ends the suffering...
Seriously wounded, likely badly burned. Officer tries to show what he believes is some mercy on the enemy. Bad judgment, perhaps, but it seems to be well intentioned.
Despite the need for it and the successes so far, you have to hate war.
thousands of people have been shot by Americans over there... its a war =o)
exactly how many different GIF's did Safrguns make for you?
You won't see the story of the U. S. Military saving a little girl's life and protecting 16 members of her family while she comes to the United States alone with only her father (who sought the help of soldiers at Abu Ghraib) except on Fox News. The OM (old media) wants everyone to think our military is a "murderous regime".
So true. What the military has to be cautious of is a trend - slipping down that slope. Most 04's, E8's and below on active duty today weren't even born when My Lai happened.
well good job to you too!!
This is assinine. What was Kerry's excuse?
If this Iraqi was dying from burn wounds killing him quickly was doing him a favor.
I guess our soldiers won't waste ammunition anymore. Let the mortally wounded die of those wounds then. If there's morphine available, then a one dose (and not an overdose) can be given.
However, I don't think that combat units will give up their morphine to a dying enemy. Thus, I suppose the dying enemies will just die screaming. So be it, until there is no more enemy.
And let America's enemies beware, we will no longer shoot the mortally wounded. You'll just have to die in terrific pain.
GRISLY FALLUJAH FIND (11/15/04)
Marines searching for holdout guerrillas in Fallujah yesterday discovered the mutilated body of a blond woman lying in the street under a blood-soaked cloth — and officials believe it could be one of two Western women kidnapped last month.The body could not be immediately identified, but Margaret Hassan, 59, a Briton who runs Iraq's division of CARE International, and Polish-born Teresa Borcz Khalifa, 54, are the only kidnapped women who remain unaccounted for.
As U.S. and Iraqi troops pushed deeper into devastated Fallujah, other kidnappers who last week snatched relatives of the prime minister announced that they had begun releasing their captives.
What is REAL insulting is that Sgt. Akbar MURDERED 2 officers and injured another 12 of his FELLOW Americans and STILL has eluded his court date (postponed until next year). Talk about PREMEDITATED acts.
It has fallen off the radar.
Anderson should be getting a medal.
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