He thought THAT was funny? Maybe some of the Rangers at Fort Benning can take him out and recreate a few of the other scenes from the movie and we can all see how funny that is!
Posted on 04/18/2005 3:52:15 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - Weeks before launching a deadly grenade attack on his comrades, Sgt. Hasan Akbar attended a camp showing of the movie ``Apocalypse Now'' and laughed at a scene of U.S. troops being hit by a grenade, a soldier testified Monday.
The testimony came as Akbar's lawyers opened their defense at his court-martial. Akbar is accused of allegedly ambushing fellow soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division in their tents at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait in March 2003, during the opening days of the Iraq war. An Army captain and an Air Force major were killed.
Akbar's lawyers do not dispute the fact he carried out the attack, but hope to spare him a possible death penalty by showing he was mentally incapable of premeditating it.
Spc. Joshua Rice testified that soldiers were watching the 1979 Vietnam War movie at their camp while they awaited their orders to move into Iraq.
During a scene in which a woman tosses a grenade into a helicopter loaded with wounded American soldiers, Akbar, who was seated at the back of the room, burst out laughing, Rice said. Akbar then got up and walked out, he said.
Prosecutors have said Akbar planned his attack on his fellow soldiers. Last week, they introduced diary entries in which he wrote that he might have to kill his ``battle buddies.''
Earlier Monday, a psychologist who examined the defendant as a teenager testified that Akbar appeared incapable of relating to others.
Dr. Fred Tuton of Baton Rouge, La., said he first interviewed Akbar in 1986, when Akbar was 14. Local child-protection officials had sent Akbar for evaluation after his 4-year-old sister was found to have been molested by his stepfather.
``He never smiled at any time during my evaluation. That was very significant ... not showing any emotion,'' Tuton testified.
Tuton also said Akbar's greatest worry was ``becoming a nothing'' and that he felt guilty because he was the eldest of five children and didn't protect his sister from the abuse.
Several other soldiers testified Monday that Akbar was a loner. One sergeant said he relieved Akbar of his job as a team leader because of poor performance.
Akbar's parents - Quran Bilal of Baton Rouge and John Akbar of Seattle - are attending the trial, but neither has made a public comment. Both are possible defense witnesses.
Akbar, 33, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder. He allegedly rolled grenades into tents in the middle of the night and then fired on soldiers in the ensuing chaos.
Killed in the attack were Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, 27, who was shot in the back, and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40, who suffered 83 shrapnel wounds. Another 14 soldiers were injured.
The court-martial is the first time since the Vietnam era that an American has been prosecuted on charges of murdering a fellow soldier during wartime.
I was PINGed by 68skylark, and I urge you to take a look at his thread, it is very interesting and adds much to the events of the case.
While the Leif Chronicle does not want us posting their articles they are picking up the AP and as someone who formally called the Home of the Screaming Eagles Home, I value that paper, I will keep abreast of their updates should they offer something not in the other papers. I hope that meets with your OK, and if you choose to not want to be PINGed please let me know. I try and pull the names from previous threads and not a real formal PING list.
I thank you for all your wonderful comment's and insight. I know your comments have calmed me when I have been frustrated and frankly in the end we all want the same, justice for those who lives were taken, their survivor's knowing that justice was done, and to all those who wear the uniform who felt that day put a black mark on the military.
Many thanks to all my esteemed Freepers.
68skylarks threat here Army restricts trial reporters - Permission to cover [SGT Hasan] Akbar case means playing by rules.
UPDATE PING
I did a spell check on comment one, instead of noticing that the word was thread, I posted threat, I am sorry, you did not post a THREAT just an excellent THREAD!!!
Please add me to any PING list for this trial.
tahanks for info.
I care about this trial, too, FMC so please add me to your PING list on this topic. We waited more than two years for this... what hell for the families.
Thank you for tracking this and keeping us up to date.
ping from me if you're not already on FMC's list...
the noose awaits
" Momma's , don't let your babies grow up to be Muslims..."
One thing that I didn't hear reported by the prosecution is that Akbar wasn't going forward with the rest of the unit. His attack on American's was done shortly before his unit went forward. I would assume that he originally planned to kill his fellow soldiers when they moved forward. It shows another example of premeditation.
Are you starting to feel a sense of optimism, yet?
Happy to include new folks as the trial goes forward. We have had wonderful discussions and know they will continue as the trial continues.
For any of those who have not had the chance fo read the wonderful threads posted by my esteemed Freepers here are some links to help if you have any questions.
The 2 first threads are taken out of order, but, I thought they were very powerful artiicles and remind us of how we got where we are today.
6/19/03 - VIDEO TESTIMONY VS. 'FRAGGING' SARGE Posted by kattracks
6.17.03 - Officers Describe Kuwait Grenade Attack (Akbar on trial) Posted by mhking
April 18, 2005 Army restricts trial reporters - Permission to cover [SGT Hasan] Akbar case means playing by rules. Posted by 68skylark
04/15/2005 - Government Wraps Up Case In Akbar Trial - Defense Testimony Expected To Begin Monday Posted by Former Military Chick
04/14/2005 - Diary: Soldier Wrote About Killing Buddies Posted by AppyPappy
4/14/2005 - Akbar diary entries talk about killing `battle buddies' -Hasan Akbar fragged fellow soldiers Posted by Former Military Chick
04/12/2005 Witnesses Describe Kuwait Grenade Attack (Day Two of Trial) Posted by 68skylark
04/12/2005 - Army sergeant goes on trial in grenade attack Posted by Dubya
April 12, 2005 - Lawyers: Army Attacker Mentally Ill Posted by stm
04/11/2005 - Trial Begins for G.I. Blamed for Killing Officers [SGT Hasan Akbar -- new details about his defense] Posted by 68skylark
March 30, 2005 Accused fragger [Sgt. Hasan Akbar] scuffles with MP escort Posted by 68skylark
3/30/05 - Soldier accused in deadly Kuwait attack tried to overpower guards, authorities say Posted by TexKat
Dec. 03, 2004 - POST-ATTACK CONFESSION OK'D IN COURT-MARTIAL (MUSLIM SERGEANT KILLS OUR TROOPS AND IS STILL ALIVE!) Posted by JesseHousman
August 25, 2004 - Court-Martial Of Sgt. Hasan Akbar Delayed Posted by Former Military Chick
August 24, 2004 - Muslim fragger's trial near: Political hearing promised for Hasan Akbar Posted by JohnHuang2
March 1, 2004 - Wheels of justice are delayed by war (Accused soldier, families wait for decision on court-martial) Posted by SLB
BULL EFFING SHAT!!!
The military THOROUGHLY trains the guys on EXACTLY WHAT the rifles/arsenal are CAPABLE OF/ARE USED FOR. If this puke was 'mentally incapable', he would have found boot camp having a whole NEW meaning.
Put this sob in a padded with pig parts cell, and roll a grenade in on him. BUT, do NOT let him the know the day and hour.
Justice served.
It's amazing that it is taking so long and that he even seems to have a chance at avoiding the death penalty.
I agree. How could someone be insane yet deal with the rigors and discipline required of military life? They're grasping at straws here.
Welcome to the Brave New World of Political Correctness. It has invaded the military.
He thought THAT was funny? Maybe some of the Rangers at Fort Benning can take him out and recreate a few of the other scenes from the movie and we can all see how funny that is!
And straws are logical/sensical to those who have ABSOLUTELY no concept of ' the rigors and discipline required of military life'...
This afternoon, I drove up to the Castle warmly called by inmates who were sent to Ft Leavenworth to fulfill their sentences. It is now slowly an empty shell. They have been demolishing it for about a year and frankly it was a building to be seen. I stopped to take some photo's and was greeted by the contractor tasked to bring down the old prison. He said I could so I will return tomorrow and get as many interesting shot's as I can most has been demolished but there are still the guard pillars and the front.
The gentleman said it was a building with a lot of history but a bit dangerous in recent years, sheet rock falling on the prisoners. Awwwwwe damn. That prison was built rock (and I mean ROCK by ROCK) by rock by the inmates when it was still considered vogue to sentence someone to harsh labor while incarcerated.
The new prison, well it looks like a huge college campus. Nice facility from the outside. Excellent out door equipment and I believe their hard labor is now making license plates and the shadow boxes for the boxes we put our loved one's flag in.
I will try and get photo's of that new prison. Then of course the big house where actually some of the most violent military prisoner's are housed. If anyone would be interested in the photo's or that I should post them let me know?
One of the more memorable men serving LIFE,Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald . He was accused of killing his entire family at Bragg. He has always claimed his innocence. He finally remarried and asked the prison system to be moved closer to his new wife, they obliged. Go figure. He evidently has considered parole, that would mean admitting to the crime, but would let him out .. tick tock wonder what he will do.
This was an initial reply to SmithL but I added a few other names who I thought might be interested in this comment.
Dedicated to Providing History and Updates on Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald and the MacDonald Case
History of the USP 1896 - 2002 -
Significant Milestones at Ft. Leavenworth/USP
1827 - Colonel Henry Leavenworth chose site for new fort.
1875 - Fort chosen as the site for a military prison. Within a year, Ft. Leavenworth housed more than 300 prisoners in a remodeled supply depot building.
1894 - Secretary of War conceded to the House Appropriations Committee that War Department could do without the military prison.
1895 - Congress transferred the military prison from the War Department to the Department of Justice. (July 1)
1895 - July 1 - the Department of Justice took over the plant and inaugurated the United States Penitentiary. Commandant of the military prison, James V. Pope. Warden of the USP, James W. French.
1896 - House Judiciary Committee recommended that the facility be replaced.
1896 - June 10 - the Congress authorized a new federal penitentiary.
1897 - Spring (March) - Warden French marched prisoners every morning two and one-half miles from Ft. Leavenworth to the new site of the federal penitentiary. (Work went on for two and one-half decades).
1899 - July 1 - Robert W. McClaughry was appointed Leavenworth's 2nd Warden.
1901 - November 10 - Joseph Waldrupe was the first correctional officer to be killed (records dating back to 1901) in the line of duty at Leavenworth.
1903 - Enough space was under roof to permit the first 418 prisoners to move into the new federal penitentiary.
1904 - First Cell house completed
1906 - February 1, all prisoners had been transferred to the new facility, and the War Department appreciatively accepted the return of its prison.
1910 - May, the Attorney General approved construction of a separate cellblock for females on the penitentiary grounds - plan was later abandoned.
1913 - June, T. W. Morgan, editor of a newspaper in the small Kansas town of Ottawa, was appointed Leavenworth's 3rd Warden.
1919 - Construction of the cellblocks completed.
1926 - Construction of the shoe shops completed.
1928 - Construction of the brush and broom factory completed.
1930 - May - the Bureau of Prison's became a federal agency within the Department of Justice.
1930 - September 5 - Carl Panzram becomes the first to be executed (records dating back to 1927) by hanging at Leavenworth.
1934 - December 11 - President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the first federal prison industries as a public corporation.
1938 - August 12 - Robert Suhay and Glenn Applegate the first double execution (records dating back to 1927) by hanging at Leavenworth.
Stop and think about that for a minute.
They trusted him and he took that trust and used his weapons against him.
Shooting is too noble for a pig such as this. Give him the needle "hot shot".
Too bad we can't hang him like the pig-dog that he is.
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