Posted on 04/28/2005 10:28:17 AM PDT by SmithL
Fort Bragg -- An Army sergeant convicted of murdering two officers in a grenade attack on his comrades in Kuwait quietly said he was sorry Thursday before a military prosecutor urged the jury to sentence the soldier to death because he was an idealogically driven killer.
"I apologize for my actions. ... When I did that, I felt my life was in jeopardy, and I had other problems," Sgt. Hasan Akbar told the 15-person military jury.
Akbar spoke for less than a minute, making an unsworn statement that could not be cross-examined. He testified in such a low voice that even prosecutors sitting nearby had trouble hearing, with one lawyer even cupping his ear.
The defense rested its case after Akbar addressed the same jury that last week convicted him of two counts of premeditated murder and three counts of attempted premeditated murder. The 34-year-old Akbar faces three possible sentences — death, life with parole or life without parole.
Prosecutors have said Akbar launched the attack on members of the 101st Airborne Division in March 2003 at Camp Pennsylvania because he was concerned about U.S. troops killing fellow Muslims in the Iraq war.
The 101st was waiting to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq that had begun two days earlier.
In closing arguments of the sentencing phase, chief prosecutor Lt. Col. Michael Mulligan urged jurors to sentence Akbar to death and reject claims that the soldier's background caused his actions.
Mulligan described Akbar as a nearly lifelong religious ideologue. "He is a hate-filled, ideologically driven murderer," the prosecutor said, adding that Akbar wrote in his diary in 1997, "My life will not be complete unless America is destroyed."
Defense attorney Maj. David Coombs told jurors that Akbar should get a life sentence without parole so that he can get treatment
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Death is too good for this traitor!
He'll get the "good" stuff AFTER his execution.
You'll noticed that they haven't bothered asking me for any sympathy. Shunning is fine by me.
You do not want to know what I am thinking right now!
I have my suspicions about what you're thinking. But, as I remarked during the original trial, this isn't some LA jury they're dealing with. These are professional military people trying this case, and I'm exceedingly optimistic that they'll do the right thing. The "I'm sorry" stuff makes headlines, (and stirs up conversation) but it won't sway this Court.
If the sentence is the Death Penalty, an appeal is automatic, so there will be a delay. But justice won't take nearly as long as it does in the civilian court system. My prediction is that this wannabe-terrorist is not going to get old at taxpayer expense.
I'm not a barbarian, but I did play one at the Renaissance Festival.
And I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
I thought that was you next door. Try to keep the volume down next time. People will start talking.
Rope would be fine.
Sorry about that . . . I was sure you were up too. (That babe you had with you is HOT.)
Well, I guess that makes it all right.
/sarcasm
And worth every penny too, I might add....;-)
It's a good thing for you that you included the "/sarcasm" tag. The flamethrowers are out in force today.
So what's different about today?
Today, it's me with the toasty buns.
It's a shame we can only execute this piece of garbage once. Send him to Hell.
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.