Marine says beatings urged in Iraq ['Crank up the violence level', Hamandia]

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 15, 2007 | Tony Perry

[RedRover]

CAMP PENDLETON — A Marine corporal, testifying Saturday at the murder trial of a buddy, said that Marines in his unit began routinely beating Iraqis after being ordered by officers to "crank up the violence level."

Cpl. Saul H. Lopezromo said Marines in his platoon, including the defendant, Cpl. Trent D. Thomas, were angry when officers criticized them as not being as tough as other Marine platoons.

"We're all hard-chargers, we're not there to mess around, so we took it as an insult," Lopezromo said.

Within weeks of allegedly being scolded, seven Marines and a Navy corpsman went out late one night to find and kill a suspected insurgent in the village of Hamandiya near the Abu Ghraib prison. The Marines and corpsman were from 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment.

< snip >

"We were told to crank up the violence level," said Lopezromo, who testified for the defense. He indicated that during daily patrols the Marines became much rougher with Iraqis. Asked by a juror to explain, he said, "We beat people, sir."

[RedRover]

Very interesting article from the LA Times (which unfortunately is "excerpt only")

As revealed here on Free Republic, Lt. Nathan Phan's flash drive (containing orders and maps) went "missing" in NCIS custody and was never found. (It was also in the Lt. Phan case that NCIS falsified statements of Marines.)

The Hamdania case continues to stink to high heaven.

Recent related thread:

• Marine's attorneys assert executed Iraqi was insurgent

[RedRover]

Ping!

[Chode]

notice he never NAMES the Officers that him them the order...

they never do.

[i_dont_chat]

War is hell.

And fighting a limited war is more hellish.

[RedRover]

Maybe so. Though it’s possible he did name names. The reporting on the hearings (both Hamdania and Haditha) is very poor outside of the North County Times.

[jazusamo]

Ahh, our “friend” Tony Perry is still at it, the same guy that says he’s accused of writing pieces too slanted for the defense.

[RedRover]

Oh, how these journalists suffer! ;)

[lilycicero]

Lopezromo said a procedure called “dead-checking” was routine. If Marines entered a house where a man was wounded, instead of checking to see whether he needed medical aid, they shot him to make sure he was dead, he testified. “If somebody is worth shooting once, they’re worth shooting twice,” he said.

[Chode]

it's just a red flag with me when i see "Officers" instead of Capt. Smith ordered me to do it.

same-same in abu-garab...

[RedRover]

Agreed.

[Girlene]

Good reminder about Lt. Phan's flash drive being destoyed. What was on it?

From the article, Lopezromo said their target was known to his neighbors as the "prince of jihad" and had been arrested several times, only to be released by the Iraqi legal system.

Instead of the "prince of jihad", Saleh Gowad, the prosecution and NCIS claimed the Marines killed an elderly, disabled grandfather, Hisham Ibrahim Awad. But, wait, maybe not....Now the proseuction has changed their tune. Eleven days before the trial began, the prosecution and NCIS are not sure who the Marines killed. It is an Iraqi "civilian". The defense is claiming it is the cousin of the "prince of jihad", a Hashem Gowad. But no matter that the prosecution doesn't know who Thomas is accused of killing, on with the show, I mean trial.....

Lopezromo, who was not part of the squad on its late-night mission, said he saw nothing wrong in what Thomas and the others did.

"I don't see it as an execution, sir," he told the judge. "I see it as killing the enemy."

And later in the article, In August, Lopezromo and two other Marines were charged with assaulting an Iraqi two weeks before the killing that led to charges against Thomas and the others. Charges against all three were dropped.

So it makes one wonder if what Lopezromo claims is true - that they were told to crank up the violence level.

[Girlene]

Here's some more info from "short takes" in San Diego Union Tribune Identity of Iraqi victim is unproven, judge rules from July 12, 2007, Thomas' trial

CAMP PENDLETON: In a technical decision that could come into play later, the military judge in the Hamdaniya trial ruled yesterday that the government hasn't established the identity of the Iraqi man that Marines are accused of murdering.

Lt. Col. David M. Jones ruled that prosecutors can refer to the man 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment members are accused of killing as Hashim Ibrahim Awad.

But Jones said Marine prosecutors have not proved to his satisfaction that the man who Marines shot to death April 26, 2006, in Hamdaniya was indeed Awad.

This decision could come into play during sentencing if there is a guilty verdict. In that scenario, the prosecution could not use statements from Awad's family to get a stiffer sentence.

Typically, prosecutors attempt to show the jury how a death has affected a victim's family in angling for a tough sentence.

The death of Awad, 52, allegedly left 11 children without a father and a wife without a husband. Unless prosecutors can prove that the man killed by Marines was Awad, that information will never reach the military jury. –R.R.

[RedRover]

Thanks, Girl! I had missed that entirely amidst all the Sharratt news.

Wonder how we’ll keep track later this month when four hearings (or more) are going on at the same time.

[Girlene]

It's going to be a busy time for the Marine prosecutors and NCIS, isn't it? It's amazing, that they don't know who the victim is, but they know a crime was committed. In the courtroom....Emotions ran high when both sides argued over whether an autopsied body was that of Awad and whether people interviewed in Hamdania were really his family members.

So it appears the investigation into the Hamdania case may have been intiated based on lies from Iraqi "witnesses" who also received compensation for the death of whoever was killed. Why does that scenario sound familiar?

[lilycicero]

The death of Awad, 52, allegedly left 11 children without a father and a wife without a husband

Ok, I will be the bad guy. After giving this man 11 kids (I assume from the same wife) I might be smiling under that veil.

[omega4179]

I hope the beatings are with axes and with no cameras around?

[muddytadpole]

“I don’t see it as an execution, sir,” he told the judge. “I see it as killing the enemy.”

Outstanding job, Marine. Case closed.

[RedRover]

You and me both!

[RedRover]

Do you find a striking difference between the Hamdania and Haditha hearings? I’m trying to understand why this little thing about who the heck was shot wasn’t cleared up in the Article 32s.

For his hearing, Cpl. Thomas was represented by civilian attorney, Victor Kelley. I believe he’s the genius who arranged for Cpl Thomas to confess on CNN.

Now the civ lawyer for Cpl. Thomas quoted in the press is Melissa Epstein. She may be part of Kelley’s firm. Or not. Either way, I hope these Marines are getting the defense they deserve.

[Girlene]

Maybe the prosecution and NCIS didn't have to provide all relevant info at the hearing? If they knew then, wouldn't this be akin to the Nifong thing - withholding evidence? According to Epstein, the military waited until 11 days ago to give her team some documents suggesting the identification problem. This might be a good question for someone familiar with military law - is this prosecutorial misconduct?

I doubt Victor Kelley thought it was a good idea for Thomas to go on CNN. Maybe he had no control? Fortunately, this interview will not be played at the trial thanks to the IO.