Posted on 08/17/2007 6:15:06 PM PDT by freema
NORTH COUNTY ---- Jury decisions and a powerful general's grants of clemency have signaled that Marines may be reluctant to jail service members accused of war crimes in Iraq.
Few saw it coming when the military justice system granted freedom to most of the eight Camp Pendleton troops who admitted to kidnapping and killing an Iraqi man in Hamdania last year. Former Marine prosecutor Thad Coakley was among those caught off guard.
"The sentences were well below what is expected for the guilty findings for a group that decide to kidnap and execute a guy," said Coakley, who has extensive experience in the military's rules of engagement.
Thanks to jury findings, plea deals and Lt. Gen. James Mattis' willingness to grant clemency less than two weeks ago, seven of the accused squad mates served less than 15 months in jail. Only the squad leader who crafted the plan remains behind bars.
BUMP. This is not a catch and release fishing party.
I’m reserving my opinion, but this is a start.
He’s still got a few things on his ‘to do list’ that need to be complete, before I will render judgment.
Civilians don’t just turn to, they run to the Marines, smooth.
And then hide behind them.
BUMP
Illegal aliens vs the Marine Corps and the Illegals win.
How about we trade the responsibilities of NCIS and INS?
The fence could be made of Marines, and the illegals will be incarcerated.
(BTW, it looks like we might be able to build that fence real soon. Hurricane Dean might do all the site prep.)
He’s still got a way to go to win the Balls of Steel award from me ; )
I dunno, I probably should hang on to what little I have left, stylin’. bob, on the other hand, is giving his away freely : )
BUMP
Yeah. I just heard the governor of utah describing the heroes who died trying to rescue those trapped in the mine disaster. Silly me, I could have sworn he was describing our Marines.
And now a priest. “I think people should know the danger these men face every day so we can have heat, light.”
I must have missed the report about our Marines. /sarc
you know who Alert
http://www.omnitechpartners.com/about.htm
http://www.omnitechpartners.com/news.htm
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_522886.html
I find it deeply disturbing that we're now seeing the possibility of servicemen being tried in civilian courts for alleged crimes arising out of combat service.
Especially when the trial could take place in Los Angeles, my fear is that the Iraq war itself will be on trial. I do not trust a civilian jury to decide the fate of men who had been under fire.
uh oh, Freema is talking like a contractor.
;)
Many jag officers would disagree—I have heard them—but I think that this is because they have all been brain-washed in law schools to equate justice with justice deferred indefinitely. In other words, the longer the process, the more billing hours.
I don’t understand your replys to me . The quote’s you use are not from my post .
It is geting to where I can’t read the news anymore. I get so upset .Thanks .
I’m sorry, I was mindlessly going forth on a rant about the MSM, this morning, heralding the bravery of the three mine rescuers, while ever ignoring the bravery of our military.
LOL! Gimme a sledgehammer!
Time for folks to put up...
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This is not new. Once you are completely out of military service, including the IRR, allegations of criminal acts not directly against the military are no longer in military jurisdiction.
Though this will be extraordinarily difficult to prosecute, it will be treated as if an American citizen was overseas, committed an internationally recognized crime, then returned to the US.
The US also prosecutes foreigners (such as secret policemen, Nazis and the like) who committed crimes against other foreigners then traveled to the US and gained US citizenship.
Unfortunately, given the information in the article, I suspect that this Marine Captain may have committed an all together too common “foul” in wartime. He either had disdain for a vicious, non-uniformed captured enemy, which is very easy to have; or he gave unclear orders, which were misinterpreted to mean that some captured enemy could be executed.
It does happen, though. And in this case, international law and the Geneva Conventions provide that non-uniformed combatants can be executed with little consideration, but it is a violation of US military policy, and US federal law.
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