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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 30th,
2008 - Hearing in Marine Sniper Case Set |
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Hearing in Marine Sniper
Case Set Session will help determine if charges against Sgt. John ‘Johnny’
Winnick move forward By Mark Walker North County Times June 30, 2008 Camp Pendleton - A hearing
to help determine if a Marine sniper should face trial for killing two Iraqi
civilians and wounding two others last year is scheduled to begin at Camp
Pendleton on Tuesday morning. Sgt. John "Johnny"
Winnick II is accused of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and
failing to follow the military's rules of engagement in the incident that
took place in Iraq's Anbar province June 17, 2007. A charging document alleges
Winnick used a shotgun to kill an Iraqi civilian named Raid Ahmed. He also is
alleged to have killed or caused another to kill Rayson Muhammad on the same
day. Specific details about the
shootings that took place at or near Combat Outpost Golden near Lake Tharthar
in Iraq's western Anbar province were not available. The charging document also
alleges Winnick fired or directed fire at two other Iraqis without first
making a positive determination that those men posed a threat, resulting in
what the Marine Corps says was "grievous bodily harm." The wounded
Iraqis are identified as Hosham Motar Ibrahim and Abdullah Akhmed Hussein. Winnick was a member of Camp
Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division working with the base's 13th
Marine Expeditionary Unit when the shootings took place during his fourth
combat deployment. It is the fourth cases involving local Marines accused of
unlawful civilian killings in Iraq. On a Web site his family has
established to raise money for Winnick's defense, www.johnnywinnick.com, his
father, John Winnick, writes that his son pre-enlisted in the Marine Corps at
age 17. "His dedication to
excellence is paramount in his nature," his father wrote. "Johnny
has been a very moral person with extremely ethical and just actions." He goes on to write that his
son has a high regard for the Iraqi people and "wanted to help set them
free." "He did his duties
without any complaints," he wrote. "On the first tour, when food
was scarce, he even donated his MREs to Iraqi civilians and soldiers, staying
hungry with his men." Winnick, a San Diego native,
took part in the 2004 fight for the city of Fallujah, the largest urban
battle for the Marine Corps since the Vietnam War. His actions there were noted
in a passage by Bing West in his book, "No True Glory: A Frontline
Account of the Battle for Fallujah." The passage reads: "As
they moved up the alley, Lance Corporal John Winnick, a machine-gunner, ran
toward (Lt. Jesse) Grapes with an RPG launcher and a bag full of rockets.
'Sir, can I shoot these back at them?' Winnick, who had fired a
rocket-propelled grenade on only one other occasion, was given permission to
do so and was able to blow open a gate and ignite a fuel drum, causing
insurgents to flee, according to the passage. Winnick is being represented
by Gary Myers, an experienced military attorney who last year successfully
defended Camp Pendleton's Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt in the killing of Iraqi
civilians in Haditha in 2005. At the end of an investigative hearing in that
case, charges were dismissed based on a determination that Sharratt's actions
were within the rules of engagement. The hearing to determine if
charges against Winnick go forward is scheduled to last two days and he is
expected to make an unsworn statement about the incident. In the military
justice system, defendants can make unsworn statements which are not subject
to cross-examination by prosecutors. Prosecutors at Camp
Pendleton are bound by a policy directive from commenting on pending cases. Capt. Jeff King, a Camp
Pendleton attorney, will preside over Winnick's hearing. After it concludes,
King will write a report to the convening authority, Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland,
stating whether he believes the charges should stand. The Winnick case is the most
recent of four alleged unlawful civilian killing cases involving Camp
Pendleton troops since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In one case, seven Marines and
a Navy medical corpsman were found guilty of offenses related to the
kidnapping and killing of an Iraqi man in 2006. The highest-profile case is
the slaying of 24 civilians in the city of Haditha in November 2005. To date,
six Marines charged in that incident have seen their cases resolved by
dismissal, withdrawal or acquittal. A seventh Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey
Chessani, had charges against him dismissed two weeks ago. Prosecutors are
appealing that decision. Another ongoing case
involves three Marines accused of killing four captured insurgents during the
battle for Fallujah in November 2004. External link: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/30/military/zb46b1b6590c61844882574780055d840.txt |