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US Marines Face Charges Over Death of a Disabled Iraqi Man |
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Thursday, 22 June 2006* Seven American Marines and a Navy corpsman were charged Wednesday with premeditated murder in the shooting death of an Iraqi man who was pulled from his home and shot while U.S. troops hunted for insurgents
* Charges of premeditated murder, kidnapping and conspiracy have been filed against eight servicemen in connection with the death of an Iraqi civilian, officials said today.
* The marines could face the death penalty if convicted.
* The investigation is separate from the probe of the events of Haditha in November 2005, in which Marines are alleged to have killed 24 Iraqi civilians after a roadside bomb blast in the town killed a fellow Marine
The US marine corps has charged seven marines and a navy sailor with murder over the death of a disabled Iraqi man.
All eight would also face kidnapping and conspiracy charges, a spokesman told reporters at the Californian camp where the defendants were being held.
They are accused of shooting a disabled man in Hamandiya in April, and covering up the circumstances of his death.
It is one in a series of inquiries into the alleged abuse or killing of Iraqis by coalition forces.
Another Pentagon inquiry is looking into an alleged massacre at Haditha last November, in which 24 civilians are thought to have been killed.
Roadside bomb
The Hamandiya investigation has been examining claims a man was deliberately killed on 26 April in the town in central Iraq.
The accused are alleged to have taken the 52-year-old victim from his house, shot him and then left a rifle and shovel by his body to make it appear as if he were an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.
Local Iraqis are said to have told marine leaders about the alleged shooting, which prompted an inquiry.
The accused were taken out of Iraq and held at Camp Pendleton in California.
A military spokesman said all were presumed innocent and it would be up to the authorities to decide if the men would face the death penalty in any future courts martial.
They have been identified as Sgt Lawrence Hutchins, Cpl Trent Thomas, Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Melson Bacos, Lance Cpl Tyler Jackson, Pfc John Jackson, Lance Cpl Jerry Shumate, Lance Cpl Robert Pennington and Cpl Marshall Magincalda.
"The marine corps takes allegations of wrongdoing by its members very seriously and is committed to thoroughly investigating such allegations," spokesman Col Stewart Navarre told reporters.
"The marine corps also prides itself on holding its members accountable for their actions."
More charges
Correspondents say the Hamandiya and Haditha cases have generated a huge amount of unfavourable publicity for the marines and concern within the corps about the conduct of some in Iraq.
Separately, the US military in Iraq announced that murder charges had been filed against a fourth soldier following the shooting of three male Iraqi prisoners near Tikrit in northern Iraq on 9 May.
The announcement came after three soldiers were charged on Monday with premeditated murder in connection with the incident.
Another US inquiry has cleared marines of blame for the deaths of civilians in Ishaqi in March.
Earlier this month the US military announced that US-led troops in Iraq were to undergo 30 days of ethical training in the wake of the alleged massacre in Haditha.
Compiled by the JTW Staff
BBC; VOA, and news agencies
22 June 2006 |
Thursday, 22 June 2006
US in Iraq
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