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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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October 20th,
2007 - Soldier Investigated in Iraq Shooting |
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Soldier Investigated in Iraq
Shooting By Ryan Lenz Associated Press October 20, 2007 The Army is investigating a
former 101st Airborne Division soldier, who brought to light charges his
comrades raped an Iraqi teenager, for his role in a separate shooting that
left a woman dead. Spc. Justin Watt, who is now
assigned to Fort Benning, Ga., has been barred from leaving the Army on a
medical discharge until an investigation concludes, said his attorney,
Kenneth David of Tallahassee, Fla. In letters between David and
the Army's Criminal Investigations Division, the military has alleged
"credible information" exists to believe Watt obstructed justice by
trying to cover up a shooting at an Iraqi checkpoint in December 2005. But David said the
allegations could be retribution for Watt's role in helping military
prosecutors identify five soldiers charged last year with raping and
murdering an Iraqi teen and killing her family. "Justin Watt has been
the Army's shining star in terms of honesty and integrity. He put himself at
risk to get this information out," David said yesterday. Watt, who served with the
Army's 502nd Infantry Regiment, was the first to approach commanders with
suspicions fellow soldiers had committed a crime after overhearing discussion
of the March 12, 2006, attack. Five soldiers were initially
charged in the attack, one of the war's worst atrocities. Four were convicted
for their roles and given sentences ranging from five to 110 years. A fifth suspect, former
soldier Steven D. Green, awaits a federal trial in Kentucky, where he could
face the death penalty if convicted. The investigation of Watt
centers on a shooting that took place at a checkpoint near Mahmoudiya, about
15 miles south of Baghdad. A soldier, unidentified in the documents, fired at
a truck rushing a checkpoint. The shot
"inadvertently" killed a woman inside, the letters said. Investigators said sworn
statements from other soldiers last month question the legitimacy of the shot
and say Watt and other members of his unit covered it up. The 502nd Infantry Regiment
is part of the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade based at Fort Campbell,
Ky. The military was unable to
provide additional information about the investigation yesterday. The shooting was alluded to
during a court-martial in August for Pfc. Jesse Spielman, who was convicted
of rape and murder in the attack on the Iraqi family. James Culp, an attorney who
represented Spc. James Barker in his rape and murder trial stemming from the
2006 incident, said authorities have been investigating the shooting
involving Watt for more than a year. External link: http://tinyurl.com/2xzg2b |