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The
War Profiteers - War Crimes, Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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The Killing of a 13-Year-Old Boy in Western
Baghdad |
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Background - March 23rd, 2006 March 27th, 2006 - Memorandum THRU Report by the U.S.
Department of the Army; Headquarters; 1st Battalion; 87th
Infantry; 10th Mountain Division “[…] The investigating officer, having carefully
considered the evidence, finds: “I find that a local national was killed on 23 March
2006 by shots fired from the weapon of SSG [redacted], a team leader for the
Scout PLT of HHC/1-87 IN 1/10 MTN. SSG [redacted] acted within the rules of
engagement when he fired on the local national. “On 23 March 2006, SSG [redacted] scout/sniper was
inserted into western Baghdad along with another team from his platoon.
Before his team was infilled SSG [redacted] was briefed the rules of
engagement by his platoon Leader 1LT [redacted]. The ROE that was given was
that lethal force was authorized for any of the following: PID on an
individual emplacing an IED, any drive by attack on the MSR, any threat or
lethal force used against his team, and any individual digging or emplacing
objects that could be IEDs after curfew hours on Route [redacted]. After
receiving the brief from his PL, SSG [redacted] briefed the members of his
team on the ROE. His team was then infilled to grid [redacted], which is a
building along Route [redacted] in an area of high IED concentration. On that
evening illumination was 49 %, but at the time of the shooting the moon was
already set below the horizon. “Around 2230, after curfew hours of Baghdad, SSG
[redacted] team spotted an individual walking west along Route [redacted]
approximately 200m east of their location. The individual appeared to be
carrying something in his hands. As the individual continued west down route [redacted]
SSG [redacted] lost sight of him because of bars on the window of his hide
site. SSG [redacted] moved to the roof of his hide site to regain visual
contact with the individual. The individual was now approximately 100m from
their location and was crouching in the median of Route [redacted] in between
the guard rails. The individual stayed crouched for approximately 45 seconds
to a minute and appeared to be digging or setting something up in the median.
SSG [redacted]’s position on the roof gave him a clear view of the individual’s
position. The individual then stood upright and began to leave the median of
the road. The individual no longer appeared to be carrying what he previously
was. SSG [redacted] who believed the individual had just emplaced an IED[,]
fired on him with his M4 with an ACOG sight, killing the individual. “SSG [redacted] reported into the BN TOC and
coordinated to have a ground unit cordon off the area. EOD was called to
search the area. EOD did not find an IED on the site. A further investigation
of the sight did not find anything significant. The object that the
individual was carrying could not be positively identified. The body of the
local national was turned over to the IPs. SSG [redacted] and his
scout/sniper team were then exfilled back to the 1-87 BN TOC for debriefing.
[…] “[…] The next day it was reported to us that it was
a 12-13 year old kid that was walking the MSR that night. If I would have
been with the team that night, I would have ordered to take the shot and I
know that any other team that I have in my platoon would have done the same
thing. We are out to protect the MSR’s from IED’s and have done so for
several months now, and SSG [redacted] said that this was the first time that
he has seen anyone walk the MSR like this at such a late hour. […]” |
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Database - Year 2006 Back to
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