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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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February 13th,
2009 - Charges Dropped Against Soldier in Iraq Shootings |
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Charges Dropped
Against Soldier in Iraq Shootings By Seth Robson Stars and Stripes February 13, 2009 Grafenwoehr, Germany - The
Army has dropped all charges against a 172nd Infantry Brigade soldier who was
allegedly involved in the execution of four Iraqi men in Baghdad last year. Staff Sgt. Jess Cunningham,
27, faced charges of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder for his role in
the alleged execution of the Iraqis by three U.S. non-commissioned officers
in April 2007. However, on Thursday the
Joint Multinational Training Command (JMTC), which is the convening authority
for the case, withdrew and dismissed all charges against Cunningham,
according to JMTC deputy public affairs officer Denver Makle. "Charges can be
withdrawn and dismissed at any time. … They can also be re-filed at any time,
although, I don’t believe that will happen," she said. During a pre-trial Article
32 hearing in August, witnesses testified that Cunningham was at the scene
when the Iraqis were shot and thrown into a canal. However, he remained in a
vehicle and declined to participate in the killings, they said. The Army has charged the
alleged shooters - 1st Sgt. John E. Hatley, 40; Sgt. 1st Class Joseph P.
Mayo, 27, and Sgt. Michael P. Leahy Jr., 26 - all formerly assigned to 1st
Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, with one specification each of
premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and obstruction
of justice. Several soldiers, who played
peripheral roles in the incident, have been convicted of lesser charges while
others await trial or have been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange
for testifying against the accused. Cunningham blew the whistle
on the killings in January last year, revealing them to Capt. Richard Newman,
an Army trial defense attorney. Newman then passed the information to a CID
special agent without negotiating immunity for his client, Cunningham’s
civilian lawyer, James Culp, said in August. The Army is pushing ahead
with a court martial for Sgt. Charles Quigley, another 172nd soldier who was
at the scene of the murders but who later wore a wire to help CID gather
evidence against others involved in the case. Quigley’s trial is scheduled
for early March, according to JMTC. External link: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60677 |