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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 23rd,
2008 - Iraq War Veteran Called Back to Court to Testify |
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Iraq War Veteran Called Back
to Court to Testify By Sonja Bjelland June 23, 2008 The Riverside Press-Enterprise An Iraq war veteran might
again go to jail today if he refuses to testify against a former Riverside
police officer and fellow veteran accused of killing detainees. Marine Sgt. Jermaine Nelson
has been refusing to answer certain questions in grand jury proceedings
investigating Jose Luis Nazario Jr., who was indicted while a Riverside
police officer last year on charges of voluntary manslaughter. Nelson is scheduled to
appear in front of U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson this afternoon. Nazario is accused of
killing two detainees when he was serving in the Marine Corps during the 2004
Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, Iraq. The case marks one of the
few times the government has tried a veteran in civilian court for crimes
alleged to have occurred during war. Nazario's case is being held in federal
court because he left military service. Nazario's attorney, Kevin
McDermott, said he believes the prosecution is asking the grand jury for
murder charges. Such hearings are held in secret. On Monday, Nazario's trial
was rescheduled from July 8 to Aug. 19. Nelson and Marine Sgt. Ryan
Weemer are charged with murder and dereliction of duty in military court,
each accused of killing one detainee at the same house as Nazario. Weemer also has refused to
testify and has been held since June 12 in the San Bernardino County Central
Detention Center in San Bernardino, according to jail records. Nelson previously served nine
days before being released when he agreed to listen to the prosecution's
questions. He appeared before the grand
jury last week. "He answered the ones
he could," his attorney Joseph H. Low IV said. The prosecution requested
another contempt hearing, leading Nelson to return to court today. A tape of an interview of
Nelson by a Naval Criminal Services investigator was played during a
pre-trial hearing in the military procedure at Camp Pendleton. In the tape, he described
fierce house-to-house fighting in which Nazario became irate after AK-47s
were found in a home. In the interview, Nelson
said Nazario fired one round that grazed a detainee's ear, then made fun of
Nelson for trying to bandage the wound. Nazario then took a second man to a
kitchen and shot him through the eye, Nelson said. The Associated Press contributed
to this report. External link: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_W_nazario24.44c73e8.html |