Posted on 03/31/2005 5:38:45 AM PST by Former Military Chick
WIESBADEN, Germany -- A military court on Thursday found a U.S. Army tank company commander guilty of charges related to the shooting death of a wounded Iraqi last year.
Capt. Rogelio "Roger" Maynulet, a 30-year-old from Chicago, stood at attention as the verdict was read.
Maynulet told a military court in Germany he killed the unarmed man "to put him out of his misery," adding that it was "honorable." He maintained throughout his trial that he shot the man to end his suffering.
But the military court in Germany found him guilty of assault with intent to commit voluntary manslaughter. The panel will reconvene later Thursday to consider Maynulet's sentence. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Maynulet's patrol wounded the man when it fired on a car during a search for militiamen south of Baghdad last May. Maynulet maintains the man was too badly injured to survive. He fired two more times.
Prosecutors said he violated rules of engagement. But Maynulet said he had more important priorities on the mission than saving the Iraqi man.
Military surveillance video apparently shows the U.S. soldier shooting a wounded Iraqi.
The shaky footage from a spy drone shows military Humvees chasing a car in a city south of Baghdad. After the car crashes, the camera zooms in on a man lying on the ground, waving one arm. The outline of a soldier in battle gear can then be seen aiming a weapon at the man, followed by a flash.
Fellow officers said at an earlier hearing that the tank company commander shot the man out of compassion, to ease his suffering.
While your description is accurate for LBJ/McNamara, the fact is that many severely wounded GI's were finished off by other GI's during Vn.....by pre-arranged pacts among individual GI's.....also at times to prevent still-living but about-to-be-captured wounded GI's, to preclude torture by the VC. Many VC/NVA were also dispatched as in the story above.
War is hell....it has exigencies, imperatives, expediencies, and its own reality. This Captain got screwed.
He got on camera. That's one of the new things in this particular period of combat. It's only going to get worse too!
How does your comment involve CPT Maynulet?
Frankly I have a feeling that has now been discussed. No one would admit to it but I think you are right, do not stop to look, do not stop for any reason, DO make sure you fellow soldiers are safe.
I am just well a gal should not use the words I am thinking of typing. Oh wait I am chick. Nevertheless your comment is well taken.
Does anybody know what the specifics of the
Iraqi's wounds? What made it obvious that the
guy was terminal?
I have a good deal of words about this that I can not post as well.
IIRC, half of the guy's head was already gone.
Stupid move by the CPT. I say this not because of any love of the enemy, but because this could only come out one way (as it did). I hope the sentence is light.
"He had time to think about it and perhaps remember the rules of engagement in a less heated environment. That pause seems to have moved his action from that of a continuous hot engagement to voluntary manslaughter."
Captain Rhino's scenario sounds possible.
Guess it's not as simple as trying to survive and take out the enemy....
Hmmmm. Kill the enemy, go to jail? What kind of Army do we have today? You can shoot the enemy, until some unspecified time when we say you can't, and we won't tell you when that time is until you violate it?
The Captain dropped the hammer on a man who was mortally wounded, just waiting to bleed out. His fellow officers just let him down. Pitiful.
Isn't this exactly the same thing that John Kerry did to an injured VC in VN and received a silver star award?
Look, I have no desire to start a flame war (but will flame back if pushed sufficiently).
Some of us were struck by the irony of this case, vs. the Terri Schiavo case.
An innocent, noncombative, disabled woman is starved and dehydrated to death, a most painful death, and those perps not only get a walk, but it's done under "the rule of law."
A soldier--in the course of his duty--kills an enemy combatant rather than let him die from painful and doubtless fatal wounds (in any event, he most likely intended to kill CPT Maynulet in the first place), and he's court-martialed. I'm sorry if you cannot see how non-plussed some of us are.
And yes, I'm also outraged.
At both cases.
I knew sooner or later, the military legal eagles would toss a bone to the left wing media to knaw on. Too bad it was this guy.
It would really be nice if all of you Terri supporters, of which I am one, who feel the need to talk about her would go to a thread that is actually about Terri. There are plenty of them around and you would be able to get your feelings out there about Greer and all the other evil doers without irritating the rest of us who would like to read comments about this posting which, I think, has nothing to do with Terri.
If the left was consistent, they'd be saying "this could have been avoided if only the Iraqi had a living will."
For one thing part of his head was missing and a medic said that he was done for. He was bleeding heavily and thrashing about in great pain. If you would read the reports that came out on this you wouldn't have to ask.
No, you are simply throwing in comments on Terri because you think that nothing else matters or is as important as Terri.
If you wish to comment about Terri go to Terri threads and comment away.
The truth is that you and the others making remarks about greer, felos or MS on this thread are simply hung up on the Terri situation and don't give a da** about anything else at this point in time.
Thanks for the ping FMC. I don't know what it's like to be in battle, but I can imagine the strain, the fear, and the uncertainty. I don't think you can put this type of case in the same category as Terri Schiavo's. Keep me in the loop on this case, if you don't mind...
I was struck by the irony. If you say otherwise, you're not only lying, but ignorant.
If you cannot read minds, don't pretend to.
There is a legal defense fund set up to help this soldier defrey his legal expenses. I dont know how to create a link, but maybe somebody can.
www.freeroger.com/
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