BBC News Headline: US troops 'smiled before killing'

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Four US paratroopers charged with murdering three detainees in Iraq smiled before shooting them, a military court has heard from a fellow soldier.

Private First Class Bradley Mason told the hearing at a US base near the Iraqi city of Tikrit that one of the accused threatened to kill him if he talked.

He also said soldiers had been ordered to "kill all the male insurgents" in the operation on 9 May of this year.

The incident is among a string of murder allegations against US troops.

US investigators are currently looking at the deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November, and seven US marines and a navy sailor have been charged over the death of a disabled Iraqi man this April in Hamdaniya.

'It's murder'

Under US military law, a pre-trial hearing is being held at Contingency Operating Base Speicher to decide whether the charges against the four men warrant a court martial.

Sergeant Raymond Girouard, Private First Class Corey Clagett and Specialists William Hunsaker and Juston Graber - all of the 101st Airborne Division - have been charged with premeditated murder and other offences.

Read the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5239676.stm

[MrSlayer]

1. War does fucked up things to people.

I've been reading some Vietnam books and this sort of thing was quite common. I'm sure it's been the same in every war since the beginning of time. When your job is to kill, a killer is what you become and everyone is the enemy be they civilian or soldier. It doesn't excuse what they did but you can understand why they did it. We should never have been there in the first place and this should never have happened.

[Swamp Rat]

2. What is the maximum penalty for "premeditated murder" in this situation?

?

[flobee1]

3. when you're on your 4th tour

you view everyone not wearing the stars and stripes as the enemy
and the sooner they are gone, the sooner you go home

[Swamp Rat]

4. Non Sequitur

I asked, "what is the maximum penalty for "premeditated murder" in this situation?"

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Like your use of layers on that one with the brick texture on your

background. Nice.

[Swamp Rat]

6. Dank u

Was that a drive-by (post above) from a 101st Chairborn Warrior? :D

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. LOL... She-it. That one was begging for it.

[Marr]

8. This is why war shouldn't be your first option.

It's not a fucking John Wayne movie.