US soldier accused of killing Iraqi general goes on trial

AP ^ | Jan 16, 2006 | AP

[Tyche]

DENVER (AP) - An Army officer is scheduled to go on trial today in the grisly suffocation death of an Iraqi general amid speculation his lawyer will argue the general was already weakened by a severe beating at the hands of a group linked to the CIA.

Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr is charged with murder in the 2003 death of Major General Abed Hamed Mowhoush. Prosecution documents say Mowhoush had been placed headfirst in a sleeping bag and bound during interrogation, and that he died with one officer sitting on him.

The documents say an electrical cord may also have been involved, but they did not say how. Welshofer's attorney, Frank Spinner, declined to discuss what he said were classified matters involving Welshofer's defence, but he said "there will be classified matters brought up."

[Tyche]

I know I'm part of the problem, but shouldn't we keep the Chief's name silent until we find out if he is guilty or not.

Putting our guys names in the papers is really starting to drive me cray. With a little help from google or such, a Terrorist could...everyone gets the idea.

[YOUGOTIT]

And what would the Saddam General done to an American if he had been captured?

I am really sick of this crap on the part of the Media where they support the enemies of the American people. Just think what they would have written about the Nazi prisoners that did not make it out of prison camps. We would have been the bad guys and Hitler would have been the good guy according to how the left-wing press is reporting this war. Just like Vietnam they support the terrorist at every chance and in every manner they can.

They are disgusting scum!!!!!

[yldstrk]

I was in the JAG Corps and I know we didn't train our people this way. The Army members had annual classes, documented hourlong classes, given by full fledged commissioned attorneys on the requirements of the Geneva and Hague conventions. Putting people's heads in sleeping bags and sitting on them? Ridiculous. Things must have gotten very out of hand.

[Tyche]

Brother, I totally agree with you. But, who is guarding his family now that he is not home?

Does the press need to post his full name?

All I'm saying is that printing names is dangerous.

[No Longer Free State]

They couldn't help editorializing, either.

"grissly suffocation death". Why not just keep the opinionated adjectives out of it and report the facts like you were taught on the high school paper?

[Candor7]

Iraqi General?

Obviously he had important intelligence information and chose not to cooperate

Bag 'em and tag 'em.

War is dirty, our soldier did what was necessary to get information to try and save others lives.

If he is court marshalled it will be a damn shame.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Chrissy tonight was salivating over pic of an MP restrained leashed dog lunging at a bound terr perp. Chrissy said poor guy, he was probably terrified.