Soldier accused in deadly Kuwait attack tried to overpower guards, authorities say

AP ^ | 3/30/05

[TexKat]

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A soldier charged in a fatal grenade attack on two officers in Kuwait tried to overpower one of his military guards Wednesday, causing the postponement of a planned pretrial hearing.

Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar turned against one of his military police escorts at Fort Bragg's courts building around 7 a.m., two hours before the scheduled start of the hearing, the Army said in a statement.

"The MPs quickly regained control of Akbar," the statement said. "During the incident both Akbar and one of the MPs suffered injuries and received medical attention."

Further details on the incident were not immediately available.

Akbar, 33, is accused of stealing grenades from a Humvee and using them and a firearm in a March 2003 attack on fellow members of the 101st Airborne Division at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait, days after the start of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, 27, and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, were killed; 14 other soldiers were injured.

If convicted of two counts of premeditated murder and three counts of attempted premeditated murder, Akbar could get the death penalty.

Akbar's lawyers plan to use an insanity or diminished capacity defense in his trial. They also have said Akbar has sleep apnea and has had problems staying awake at previous pretrial hearings.

The case marks the first time since the Vietnam War that a soldier has been prosecuted for the murder or attempted murder of another soldier during wartime.

The hearing scheduled for Wednesday has been rescheduled for Friday, post officials said. Jury selection will go on as scheduled April 6. Testimony in the court-martial, which is expected to last four weeks, is due to start April 11.

[Hatteras]

"Let's hope that they SLAMMED HIS FACE INTO THE CONCRETE!!!!!!"

A curb bite?