IMPORTANT UPDATE: Commander: 101st Attack Altered Iraq Plans (convicted murderer Hasan Akbar)

Associated Press ^ | April 25, 2005 | ESTES THOMPSON

[Former Military Chick]

While I had thought this might have been the case, this is the first time that I am aware of that this publicly was stated. If someone heard this earlier in the prep of the trial, I would most appreciative to hear about it.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Akbar's father, John Akbar of Seattle, said outside the court building that he went to church over the weekend and prayed that his son's life would be spared.

Huh? Wouldn't that be a mosque? Who is being deceptive here?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Akbar secreted a weapon in an office and stabbed the MP in the neck while in the restroom, but the judge said that ``opportunistic stabbing'' didn't show a pattern of violence.

I wonder what would?

[Former Military Chick]

I have to tell you this writer, is doing an excellent job, she/he is updating as fast as she/he can, like having a seat in the trial. All though sometimes his/her articles hit the oversas market first, she/he still gives and excellent accounting of events in the trial and her knowlege of events as the case came to trial.

Will keep an eye on his/her updates.

Who knows maybe there will be a sentence handed down today.

[Former Military Chick]

While it is a major point of the trial, Akbar was not born muslim. He decided to be a part of the Muslim faith. I am not certain, but, I do not think he brought his family to the Muslim thinking, so I think when he says church he means just that.

Excellent observation though.

[jtminton]

I wonder what would?

More than one "opportunistic stabbing".

[Rummyfan]

Hasan the Great (aka Akhbar) better have his affairs in order. Barring some outside entity granting clemency he's headed for the death penalty. Then he can jaw with Allah all he wants!

[Obadiah]

Stop and reflect on this for a moment. This guy absolutely must, and likely will, get the death penalty. And, the sooner he is executed the better. The ACLU notwithstanding.

[armymarinemom]

Hodges blamed Akbar's attack for taking out of action key personnel responsible for planning troop movements. He said that resulted in the brigade being slow to isolate the city of Najaf, allowing some Iraqi fighters to escape.

Wow! That's gonna leave a mark. This low life caused untold damage and I hope it is taken into consideration. The actual number of lives that Akbar took is an unknown variable.

[Dubya]

Well we gave him a trial now we should hang em.

[Rummyfan]

But the father has also taken the surname of Akhbar???? Interesting.

[Former Military Chick]

Hey, perhaps I missed something. The prosecution had brought up that he found religion with the Muslims but said nothing of the family joinging when he took the new name.

Perhaps I will websearch and see what is out there.

Thanks for the comment.

[DTogo]

Yep, for every action there is a reaction. Just like the supply unit who refused to go on a mission because of safety/armor concerns - what was the result of their inaction? Akbar may be responsible for countless casualties form terrorists/insurgents who got away because the 101st lost troopers before the war even started.

All the more reason to hang 'im high!

[aculeus]

Death to him.

[newvista]

Does anyone know how capital sentences are carried out in the military? Are they lethal injection like civilian ones? Also, what is the usual time on death row before sentences are carried out? Are there seemingly endless appeal opportunities as in the civilian world?
Just curious as I've not seen much written about this part of the military justice system.
Thanks in advance for answers.

[SMARTY]

Bet on it. Seems like the only people who convert to Islam from other faiths are real disaffected losers. Like the bunch of bust-outs who became Communists during the cold war. These are people who are social/emotional/psychological cripples in their own respective cultures and find a home in Islam.

[tiamat]

Depends on if Dad converted, too.

Akbar is a Black Muslim and came late to the "faith".

[Former Military Chick]

Recently 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.

[68skylark]

Thanks for the update -- this article has a lot of information that's new to me.

[stm]

The ACLU is waaaaay out of their league here. Trying to sue the US Military or interfere with this trial in any way will get them no where.