US soldiers charged with murder in Iraq in court (3 male prisoners)

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A military court opened a preliminary hearing in Baghdad on Tuesday to determine whether four U.S. soldiers charged over the deaths of three male prisoners in Iraq will face court martials.

They have already been charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice in the killings in or around May 9 north of Baghdad.

The Article 32 hearing comes at a sensitive time when the military is investigating other cases of alleged abuses, including the killings of up to 24 unarmed civilians in the town of Haditha last year by U.S. Marines.

The soldiers -- Private First Class Corey Clagett, Specialist William Hunsaker, Staff Sargeant Raymond Girouard and Specialist Juston Graber -- are from the 101st Airborne Division and were based in Samarra, north of Baghdad.

They have said the three men who were killed were trying to escape during the shootings near Lake Thar Thar.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060801/ts_nm/iraq_usa_soldiers_dc

[babylonsister]

1. Just one of the many valid news stories happening in Iraq that

aren't being reported on. :grr:

Thanks, Barrett808, for keeping me/us informed.

[Disturbed]

2. The Headline seemed to be saying that

the troops were being charged in an Iraqi Court. Iraq cannot charge any US Citizen for alleged crimes possibly commited in their own country.

[babylonsister]

4. Maybe Iraq can now. Who knows? No one's reporting anything!

:nuke:

[babylonsister]

5. Just reread: appears the military are conducting the proceedings

in Iraq. I'm assuming the military they're speaking of is the U.S.

[coalition_unwilling]

3. Meanwhile, back at home, U.S. General Jeffrey Miller (of

Gitmo-izing Abu Ghraib fame) allowed to retire and awarded a Distinguished Service Cross. Heard it on Democracy Now this morning. Miller is unlikely to face any criminal charges for the torture at Abu Ghraib.

[EFerrari]

6. He had to retire before Congress could pretend to investigate him.

They can't charge him. He knows who gave him the order.

[Eugene]

7. Reuters: US soldiers smiled before killings in Iraq: witness

US soldiers smiled before killings in Iraq: witness
Wed Aug 2, 2006 6:18am ET

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers charged with murdering three detainees
in Iraq smiled before carrying out the shootings and threatened to kill another
soldier if he informed on them, a military court heard on Wednesday.

Prosecution witness Private First Class Bradley Mason said one of those charged,
Staff Sergeant Raymond Girouard, told him if he were arrested he would try to get
out of it on medical grounds because he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"They just smiled," said Mason.

"I told him (Girouard) that I am not down with it. It's murder."

-snip-

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=TopNews&storyID=2006-08-02T102418Z_01_GEO231532_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-USA-HEARING.xml