Army Sniper Convicted of Killing Iraqi Civilian

MSNBC ^ | 2/10 | NA

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

BAGHDAD - A U.S. Army sniper accused of killing an unarmed Iraqi civilian and planting evidence on his body was found guilty on all charges Sunday.

Jurors deliberated for three hours before finding Sgt. Evan Vela guilty of murder without premeditation. He had previously been charged with premeditated murder, but that charge was changed during his court-martial this week in Baghdad.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Here a U.S. soldier could get life in prison for doing his job. The army continues to unfairly prosecute the US military for doing their jobs as they try to make war politically correct.

Welcome to America, fight abroad for your country and get sentenced to life in prison by it.

Life of an Iraqi civilian is more important than the life of an enlisted soldier apparently to our country here. This cannot be. This is not right.

[antiRepublicrat]

I think the problem was trying to cover it up.

[MizSterious]

These days, anyone fight for his or her country should not enter the battlefield without at least one attorney and possibly a judge to assure the legality of any fighting they do.

[Non-Sequitur]

Here a U.S. soldier could get life in prison for doing his job. The army continues to unfairly prosecute the US military for doing their jobs as they try to make war politically correct.

Where is planting evidence on the body part of his job description. I have absolutely no problem supporting our soldiers and marines to the max when they're doing their job. But if he was planting evidence then even he knew he'd screwed up. And he paid the penalty.

[Digital Sniper]

And to think...McCain favors the International Criminal Court...which would love nothing more than to see our troops rot in a U.N.-run prisons.

[SolidWood]

Life of an Iraqi civilian is more important than the life of an enlisted soldier apparently to our country here.

It's called a war crime. Killing civilians and planting false evidence is criminal. Period. It's a different matter when civilians get caught in fire during a battle. It's also a different matter when civilians are complicit with terrorists or are abused as human shields. The court did it's work and found him guilty.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

I agree that planting evidence wasn't right. However I feel a court martial and conviction for murder and life in prison combined is not a fair penalty.

[RepublitarianRoger2]

He killed an unarmed human being and then tried to cover it up by planting evidence. That’s “doing his job”? I don’t think so.

[Iron Munro]

THIS IS WAR - For crying out loud!

His sergeant ORDERED HIM TO KILL THE MAN!

Read the article:

"Hensley, who was a staff sergeant at the time of the killing but was later demoted to sergeant, testified Friday that he ordered the man to lie on the ground and was searching him when he saw "military-aged men" who he thought were carrying weapons about 100 yards away.

Al-Janabi began yelling, Hensley said, and he ordered Vela to kill the man. That was the only way to ensure the safety of his men in hostile territory, Hensley testified."

He tried to cover it up?

I wonder why.

Maybe he had the idea that he would be railroaded into prison by a corrupt system more dedicated to political correctness than to justice.

Where would he get that idea?

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

His commanding officer ordered him to shoot and he shot. Give him a medal, not life in prison!

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

On your side on this I believe. I believe Vela should get a medal. Your reply was directed at someone else.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

I agree that planting evidence wasn't right. However I feel a court martial and conviction for murder and life in prison combined is not a fair penalty.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

I agree that planting evidence wasn't right. However I feel a court martial and conviction for murder and life in prison combined is not a fair penalty.

[RedRover]

Actually, I think the problem is that the trial was rigged for the benefit of the Iraqi government. As TIME reported...

Iraq's Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, however, does not see the case as either a justified kill or a horrific accident by an exhaustion-impaired soldier. She was attending today's proceedings, she told TIME, because, "I want to be sure that any American soldier who wrongs an Iraqi will go on trial. [Vela] killed an Iraqi man, an unarmed man. He must be punished."

There's more on the case at the link.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Thank you for highlighting that.

[RepublitarianRoger2]

I’m with you on that.

[mad_as_he$$]

They do that by radio. Trust me lawyers are in loop. many returning service members have expressed disgust to me about how heavily involved the lawyers are in combat operations.

[A.A. Cunningham]

There’s a lot more to the story than your interpretation presents. I’ll defer to the jury of his peers who heard the evidence and voted to convict.

[SubMareener]

Right! Give him a medal like the FBI did for Lon Horiuchi when he killed Vicki Weaver when she was standing behind a door, unarmed and holding her 10-month-old baby Elishiba in her arms. See this thread.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

We need a campaign to get Vela a pardon!