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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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August 22nd,
2008 - 2 from Fort Campbell Charged in Iraqi Death |
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2 From Fort
Campbell Charged in Iraqi Death By the Associated Press August 22, 2008 Fort Campbell, KY. - A
hearing has been reset for one of two Fort Campbell soldiers charged with
premeditated murder for the shooting death of an Iraqi detainee north of
Baghdad. According to the military,
Staff Sgt. Hal M. Warner and 1st Lt. Michael C. Behenna, both of Oklahoma,
were accused of shooting the detainee “at or near” their forward operating
base near Bayji and then lying about it. Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, an
Army spokeswoman in Iraq, said Friday that an Article 32 hearing for Warner
was set to begin Aug. 15, but has been reset for Sept. 5. An Article 32 hearing is
equivalent to a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient
evidence for a court-martial. A hearing date for Behenna has not yet been
set. The military said the slain
detainee, Ali Mansour Mohammed, was initially thought to have been released
from U.S. detention around May 16. Warner and Behenna allegedly killed him
“by means of shooting him with a pistol,” according to the charge
specifications. Both soldiers are assigned
to D Company, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st
Airborne Division. Both face charges of premeditated murder, assault, making
a false official statement and obstruction of justice, according to a
statement. Warner faces an additional charge of accessory after the fact. Warner was formally charged
on July 13, and Behenna on July 31, the military said. The military said punishment
could include the possibility of life imprisonment without parole, depending
on the results of the investigation. An attorney for Behenna, Jack
Zimmerman, has said he will fight the charges. Behenna is the son of a
federal prosecutor in Oklahoma City and a retired Oklahoma State Bureau of
Investigation agent. His mother, Vicki Behenna,
helped convict Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, and his father, Scott
Behenna, was part of the investigation that led to criminal charges against
former Gov. David Walters. After the 101st Airborne’s
last deployment to Iraq in 2006, four Fort Campbell soldiers were charged in
the deaths of three Iraqi detainees. The soldiers received sentences between
18 years and nine months in prison for their roles in the deaths during a May
9, 2006, raid near Samarra, Iraq. External link: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_soldierscharged_082208/ |