Posted on 11/06/2006 2:43:34 PM PST by SmithL
CAMP PENDLETON -- A Marine pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case of an Iraqi civilian who other servicemen said was kidnapped and killed by members of the squad.
Lance Cpl. Tyler A. Jackson, 23, entered those pleas and others through his attorney Thomas Watt at a military court hearing. Jackson pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping, larceny, housebreaking and another charge of conspiracy.
Jackson was the third serviceman to plead guilty to reduced charges in return for his testimony in the case, in which seven Camp Pendleton-based Marines and a Navy corpsman were charged with murdering 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad.
Jackson, who has been in military prison since May, spoke only to confirm his identity and attorneys' names and say he understood his rights.
The sentencing guidelines for the counts Jackson pleaded guilty to were not immediately clear.
Last month, Pfc. John Jodka III pleaded guilty to assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice in the incident.
The first to make a deal was Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, a Navy corpsman on patrol with the Marines. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy.
Members of the squad abducted Awad after their plot to kidnap and kill a known insurgent failed, according to testimony from Bacos and Jodka. The victim was a former policeman and father of 11.
Awad was shot after being dragged to a hole several hundred yards from his house, Bacos and Jodka said. A shovel and AK-47 were placed near the body to make it appear Awad was an insurgent planting a roadside bomb, both defendants said.
Both Jodka and Bacos singled out their squad leader, Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins, as hatching a plan to kidnap an insurgent.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I wish I could make a comment, but things are not as they seem.
I wish you could too. It's hard waiting, knowing that there must be much more to this story.
It must be hard for you to hold back on what you feel you cannot devulge. Surely in due time all will be put on the table. Sure looks like these admitions thus far are indicative of flea bargains going on, perhaps in the end to attempt to make it look like the US military tried the accused, and provided some sentence to appease the Iraqi.
These lesser charges are indicative there is not going to be grievous sentences handed down by all indications. At least that is the way it appears to me at this point, where I am not following things to closely.
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