Posted on 04/25/2005 10:04:52 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - A sergeant's attack on his own colleagues in the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait made key planners unavailable just before the invasion of Iraq, a commander testified Monday.
``Everybody knew this would be a big fight,'' Col. Ben Hodges testified Monday at a sentencing hearing for Sgt. Hasan Akbar, convicted in a grenade and rifle attack that killed two soldiers and wounded 14. ``I never dreamed my first casualties would occur inside Camp Pennsylvania and they would be caused by one of my own soldiers.''
Hodges commanded the 101st's 1st Brigade Combat Team and was among those wounded in Akbar's attack. He testified for the prosecution, which is seeking a death sentence for Akbar, 34.
Hodges, who sustained a minor shrapnel wound, was the first witness called by prosecutors, who opted not to make an opening statement in the sentencing phase.
``I took it personal that I'd lost - I don't want to be overdramatic about it - two of my guys,'' he said.
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.
``I lost three or four positions that were the worst possible ones we could have lost,'' Hodges said.
Akbar was convicted last week by the unanimous vote of a 15-person jury, which deliberated 2 hours before finding him guilty of two counts of premeditated murder and three counts of attempted murder.
After jurors hear from prosecution witnesses, the defense is likely to call witnesses and then the jury will retire to its deliberation room a second time to ponder Akbar's sentence. He could face either life in prison or death.
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. The father is expected to testify for the defense.
Before the start of testimony Monday, the military judge overseeing the case said he would not allow prosecutors to introduce evidence of a fight Akbar had with a military police officer in the court building last month. 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.
The defense has said Akbar carried out the attack but was too mentally ill to have premeditated it - a necessary condition for a death sentence. Now, the defense has the task of convincing the jury members - all of whom said they could vote for a death sentence - to spare Akbar's life.
On the prosecution side, soldiers wounded in the late-night ambush were expected to describe in more detail how they felt emotionally and physically during the attack the night of March 22-23, 2003, at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait.
Relatives of the two soldiers killed in the grenade attack - Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, 27, and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40 - also could be called to the stand.
If sentenced to death, Akbar would be the sixth person on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Huh? Wouldn't that be a mosque? Who is being deceptive here?
I wonder what would?
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.
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.
More than one "opportunistic stabbing".
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!
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.
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.
Well we gave him a trial now we should hang em.
But the father has also taken the surname of Akhbar???? Interesting.
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.
All the more reason to hang 'im high!
Death to him.
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.
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.
Depends on if Dad converted, too.
Akbar is a Black Muslim and came late to the "faith".
| 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
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Thanks for the update -- this article has a lot of information that's new to me.
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.
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