Posted on 04/12/2005 1:05:44 PM PDT by 68skylark
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) -- An Army witness to a deadly grenade attack in the Kuwait desert carried out by one of their own testified Tuesday that he saw one of the victims get shot in the back, and urged the man to stay alive for his family.
1st Sgt. Rodlon Stevenson, who had been awakened by explosions in the officers' tents, said he tried to help Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, who was cold with shock, stay awake.
``I said, sir, you've got to fight this,'' Stevenson said. ``You've got a young kid at home. You've got to fight for your family.''
Seifert, 27, was killed in the attack along with Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40.
Sgt. Hasan Akbar, 33, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. He faces a possible death penalty.
Stevenson said he later recognized Akbar as the assailant.
Akbar's lawyers said that their client could not have planned the attack, and hope to spare him a possible death penalty for premeditated murder by alleging a history of mental illness that was apparent to the military.
``The enemy was in Sgt. Akbar's mind, and had been there 15 years,'' defense lawyer Maj. Dan Brookhart said in his opening statement Monday.
The court-martial marks the first time since the Vietnam War that a soldier has been prosecuted for the murder of another soldier during wartime.
In addition to the two people killed, 14 soldiers were wounded in the March 2003 attack at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait, either by the grenades or when Akbar opened fire with a rifle in the ensuing chaos.
Akbar, a combat engineer from the 101st Airborne Division, confessed several times and allegedly told investigators he carried out the attack in the opening days of the Iraq war because he was worried that U.S. forces would harm fellow Muslims.
Military prosecutors built their case victim by victim -- with 15 witnesses testifying Monday, some only a few minutes.
``It was like getting hit by a car,'' said Capt. Terry Bacon, who had shrapnel wounds to his back, legs and buttocks, but didn't realize it until he tried to run out of the tent and his legs failed him.
Brookhart said Akbar's mental illness stemmed from the sexual abuse of his sister by his stepfather, and as a teenager he was diagnosed with depression and an adjustment disorder. He later developed a sleep disorder. In the Army, his problems led to Akbar being demoted from a squad leader's position and being given menial duties.
``He was basically a failure as a soldier,'' Brookhart said.
Military prosecutor Capt. John Benson argued the attack was premeditated, adding that evidence indicates Akbar did extensive planning. In diary entries and actions -- which included stealing grenades and turning off a generator that lit the camp -- Akbar laid the groundwork for his fatal attack.
The brigade was on alert for an enemy attack, Benson said, but ``their enemy was already inside the wire.''
Thanks for posting this.....I hope they hang this POS.....
A soldier that strikes down his own has to be lowest form of life.
Yeah. Whatever method they use is fine with me.
I agree. And it's even worse when a soldier attacks up his chain of command -- and it's even worse still to do it on the eve of battle.
hangings too good for him...
I don't care how they do it, as long as the end result is he's dead.
*************
There-fixed it.
I'd be willing to bet these same godless lawyers (probably ACLU trained) would insist that If I (or anyone) did the
same to that Mohammedan client of theirs their legal defense would turn to insist it had to have been a planned
attack.PRoblem is there was innocent blood shed in Kuwait by an Infidel and we ought not suffer a murderer to live.
Yeah, whatever... blah, blah, blah.
I have faith that the jury will find him guilty and that he'll receive the death penalty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.