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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 30th, 2006 - U.S. Servicemen
Suspected of Unlawful Killings |
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U.S. Servicemen Suspected of
Unlawful Killings 30 Jun 2006 15:50:26 GMT Reuters Several U.S. servicemen have
been suspected of killing civilians and detainees in Iraq in separate cases. The U.S. military has
launched a new criminal investigation into whether U.S. soldiers killed a
family of four Iraqi civilians, south of Baghdad, officials said on Friday. Following are some details
of those cases: Hamdania: - Seven Marines and a navy
medic have been charged with premeditated murder and other crimes in the
April 26 killing of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania, a village west of Baghdad,
the U.S. Marine Corps said. - Military investigators
examined whether the servicemen took a 52-year-old disabled Iraqi man,
identified as Hashim Ibrahim Awad, from his home, shot him and then planted
an AK-47 assault rifle and a shovel next to his body to make it appear he was
an insurgent placing a roadside bomb. - Defence attorneys say
their clients are innocent and have asserted that investigators extracted
incriminating statements by using inappropriate interrogation methods. - Those charged were:
Marines Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins, Cpl. Trent Thomas, Lance Cpl. Tyler Jackson,
Pfc. John Jodka, Lance Cpl. Jerry Shumate, Lance Cpl. Robert Pennington, Cpl.
Marshall Magincalda and Navy Hospitalman Third Class Melson Bacos. Thar Thar Lake: - Four soldiers have been
charged with premeditated murder after being accused of shooting three
detainees north of Baghdad on May 9 and then threatening to kill a fellow
soldier if he told the truth about the incident. - The deaths occurred during
a raid on a suspected insurgent training camp near Thar Thar Lake, southwest
of Tikrit. - Charges were brought
against Army Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard, Spc. William Hunsaker and Pfc.
Corey Clagett, according to charge sheets provided by Pentagon officials. - A fourth soldier, Spc.
Juston Graber, was later charged with premeditated murder in the same case. Haditha: - U.S. Marines have been
accused of killing 24 unarmed Iraqis in the city of Haditha on Nov. 19. An
investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service into the role of
the Marines in the killings could lead to murder charges. - A separate investigation
into whether the Marines lied about the killings has been completed and a top
commander is reviewing its findings, the U.S. military has said. - Attorneys for the Marines
have said they would question the authenticity of a videotape at the heart of
the case and the credibility of the group that provided it. Ramadi: - Spc. Nathan Lynn has been
charged with voluntary manslaughter for shooting an unarmed man in Ramadi on
Feb. 15. - The military said Lynn was
also charged with obstructing justice, along with a second soldier, Sergeant
Milton Ortiz, for conspiring with a third who prosecutors say placed an
assault rifle by the body in an apparent cover-up attempt. - Lynn and Ortiz, both of
the Pennsylvania National Guard, are now at a base in Baghdad preparing for
pre-trial hearings that will determine whether they should face a court
martial. Mahmudiya: - The U.S. military has
launched a criminal investigation into whether U.S. soldiers killed a family
of four Iraqi civilians in their home in the area of Mahmudiya, south of
Baghdad, on March 12, 2006. - A preliminary military
inquiry into the incident found sufficient reason to move to a formal
criminal investigation. - The investigation began on
June 24, one day after two soldiers reported alleged involvement by other
U.S. soldiers in the deaths. External link:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30328914.htm |