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Posted on 09/04/2007 1:37:00 PM PDT by RedRover
A Marine is in the brig awaiting court-martial on a charge of killing an Iraqi soldier with his bayonet while the two were assigned to a nighttime sentry post at Camp Fallujah.
Marine Lance Cpl. Delano Holmes, 21, says he acted in self-defense when he thought the Iraqi, who was wearing a ski mask, smoking and talking on a cell phone, might have been signaling to an insurgent sniper.
Three days earlier, in a different location in Fallujah, three Marines in Holmes' battalion were killed in a sniper attack....
Holmes' civilian defense counsel, former federal prosecutor Stephen Cook, said the investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service "was shockingly flawed" and, among other oversights, never sought to investigate the background of the dead Iraqi to see if he had insurgent ties.
Also, he said, the Iraqi's cell phone was never recovered to see what numbers he had been calling or whether he was sending text messages....
Cook said Holmes told the Iraqi to put down his cigarette and cell phone and when he refused, a fight broke out. Holmes is accused of stabbing the Iraqi at least 10 times.
The sentry post was an elevated platform at the perimeter of the base and light from a cell phone or glowing cigarette could be a signal, Cook said. Pictures show that the windows at the platform were pockmarked from previous sniper shots, Cook said....
In Indianapolis, Holmes' former foster mother, Jenni Crowley...has established a Web site, www.helpdefenddelano.com, encouraging the public to write to Mattis and members of Congress and to donate to Holmes' legal defense fund. Cook's Irvine-based Howrey law firm has taken the case pro bono....
The Marine Corps declined to release the hearing officer's report that led Mattis to order a court-martial.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
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sounds like he did the right thing. iraqi should have done what was ordered. why is this hero in the brig. SAD!
Holmes’ civilian defense counsel, former federal prosecutor Stephen Cook, said the investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service “was shockingly flawed” and, among other oversights, never sought to investigate the background of the dead Iraqi to see if he had insurgent ties.
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Gee that kinda sounds familiar... God Bless this Marine and his family.
One wonders which is more dangerous for a marine - fighting Al-Qaeda or the Marine Corps.
I agree with the Marine.
Ski Mask, cell phone, cigarette lighter and cigarette was talking on the phone.
“Abdul, when I count to 3 put a round at the height of my cigarette but 2 feet to your left.”
Also unfortunately, the Article 32 hearing got no media attention at all, so very little is known about the facts in the case. I'm hoping we can learn more about it before the court martial.
From what I know about LCpl Holmes' family, they are good people who could use support.
I agree with the Marine.
Ski Mask, cell phone, cigarette lighter and cigarette AND was talking on the phone.
“Abdul, when I count to 3 put a round at the height of my cigarette but 2 feet to your left.”
These people that are second guessing combat Marines should be the ones put in front of a firing squad. Most especially their commanders sitting in Washington D.C. playing politics.
Insurgent or not, reckless display of light during times of darkness in a sniper infested area should be plenty cause for immediate execution.
No American is safe while members of “the Woodstock generation” occupy any government office.
While there are instances of Marines and Iraqi soldiers - called jundis - working well together and establishing mutual respect, there also is widespread suspicion and misunderstanding about the Iraqis among the Marines. Iraqi soldiers and police often wear ski masks to hide their identity in case insurgents retaliate against their families. But the practice is unnerving to the Americans because insurgents also wear such masks.
The language barrier between the two sides often adds to tensions. The Iraqi, identified as Pvt. Munther Jaswern Muhammed Hassin, spoke no English and Holmes no Arabic, according to a military document.
Sounds like a perfect situation for two stubborn people to misunderstand each other:
Cpl. Holmes (angry, in English): "I'm telling you for the last time! Get off the cell phone and put out that cigarette!"
Pvt Hassin (into cellphone in Arabic): "One moment, Jasmine. The stupid American is yelling at me again."
Pvt Hassin (yelling back, in Arabic) "Pig! Infidel! I don't have to listen to you. This is Iraq! I am an ... What, what are you doing? No, no! Put the knife!" (muffled screams).
God bless Marine Lance Cpl. Delano Holmes. I hope other Marines I know similary decide that it is “better to be judged by twelve than carried by six”. (Or the military version of that saying, anyway.... “Better to be judged by six than bagged by two”?)
By the way, who is the genius who thought these two guys would make a good team?
Just when I thought I was at the end of being with you and your ping list.
I believe this Marine.
This is what makes me so mad, our guys are in the old testament world and this young marine acts in self defense, and the lawyers come into play. The insurgents best friends, the Democrats are their willing allies. It is a screwed up world over there. We should never have sent our guys there and placed them in these conditions to pussyfoot around and act like policemen. They are soldiers.
The Marine need only perceive a threat on a battlefield, and he is justified in a killing.
The Iraqi was violating standing orders with the cigarette lit at night, which can be seen up to a mile, more with NVGs, and with enough illum for a sniper with nightscope to pick off individuals.
Therefore, he didn’t need the phone conversation to be justified in his concerns. His concern was already valid.
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