Posted on 01/23/2006 2:06:28 PM PST by ARealMothersSonForever
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a little-noticed move, the U.S. Army has issued new regulations governing the death penalty, raising speculation that the military might be preparing for its first execution since 1961.
"This publication is a major revision," said the document issued January 17 and signed by Sandra Riley, administrative assistant to the secretary of the Army.
"This regulation establishes responsibilities and updates policy and procedures for carrying out a sentence of death as imposed by general courts-martial or military tribunals," the document said.
There are currently six men on military death row in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. One, Dwight Loving, is believed to be the leading candidate for execution.
"We're worried these new regulations might be a sign they are getting ready for an execution," said David Elliot of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
Loving, an Army private stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, was convicted of murdering two taxicab drivers in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld his sentence in 1996.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces rejected his latest appeal last month. It is unclear what, if any, legal resources, he has left at his disposal. The execution would have to be approved by President George W. Bush to go ahead.
In the last military execution to take place, Army Pvt. John Bennett, convicted of the 1955 rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old Austrian girl, was hanged at Fort Leavenworth on April 19, 1961.
Two servicemen were sentenced to death last year. Sgt. Hasan Akbar was convicted of killing two military officers in Kuwait in 2003 during the opening days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. A jury also sentenced Senior Airman Andrew Witt for stabbing to death his wife and another airman.
Most of the changes in the new regulations were technical, clarifying the role of various officers in the execution procedure. However, one change would make it possible for executions to take place at sites other than Fort Leavenworth.
"This new regulation appears to allow officials at appropriate levels with appropriate coordination to determine the location of an execution on a case-by-case basis," said Sheldon Smith, an Army public affairs specialist, in an e-mail to Reuters.
Anti-death penalty activists said this theoretically opened the way for foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who might in the future be sentenced to death by military commissions, to be executed at the prison.
Currently, 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees have been charged with various offenses, but none of these are capital cases.
What a shame. Looks like death by hanging is out.
Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out?
The left wants to give him a medal, and Ward Churchill thinks he's a war hero. Maybe the democrats would like to run him for congress.
No special priveleges for Akbar, but I'm OK with opening another register or two...
Good. Maybe their preparing trials for sedition and treason for all those liberal animals that love to subvert and betray America.
They are welcome to run his carcass. After cutting it down from the gallows.
Hmm..I wonder, If the Terrorists (and their allies :)/'RATs will appeal to USSC on this matter? ...maybe shoot 'em after the trail
Pity Lindh, Padilla and Hamdi didn't reach the gallows first.
...Plantation Voters, Felons ,Dead Voters and/or Executed Murders...Whats' the difference, to the Democrats? ...they're votes.
Lindh SHOULD have been the first.
I'm shocked, I tell you, deeply shocked. Not a word of compassion for our homegrown scum at Ft. Leavenworth.
If it were up to me, I would use the Gitmo scum to go trawling for sharks, keelhaul them or hang them from the yardarm so the anti-death penalty kooks wouldn't be able to organize a protest.
Maybe I missed it but what is the method of execution for the military? Hanging sounds so traditional
Tookie them all!
Where do you see that? Perhaps I'm just tired, but looking through it twice I do no see what method will be used. I assumed hanging or firing squad.
I surmised from the article that, since the last execution was by way of rope, the new regulations forbid its use. Simply a guess on my part.
What the heck is taking so long if the SCOTUS upheld the conviction nearly 10 years ago? Sounds like the military isn't any better at carrying out sentences than the civilian courts.
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