Posted on 08/05/2008 6:53:24 PM PDT by RedRover
BRAGGS — Family members of one of two Oklahoma soldiers who are accused of killing an Iraqi detainee have rallied to his support and believe that he will be vindicated.
The military announced Saturday that Staff Sgt. Hal M. Warner, 34, of Braggs and 1st. Lt. Michael C. Behenna, 25, of Edmond have been charged with premeditated murder in the fatal shooting of Ali Monsour Mohammed.
In addition to the murder charges, both are accused of assault, making a false official statement and obstruction of justice. Warner also is charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Warner was charged July 13; Behenna was charged Thursday.
The two are accused of killing Mohammed at or near their operating base at Beiji, about 155 miles north of Baghdad.
Saturday's announcement of the charges did not come as a surprise to Warner's relatives, who have lived in the Braggs community for more than 25 years.
"We've been receiving e-mails from my brother, so we knew it was coming," Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Warner, 32, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, said by telephone.
Ryan Warner would not discuss the case against his brother but said he believes that he eventually will be cleared.
He said the family has hired attorney James Phillips of Clarksville, Tenn., to represent his brother.
Phillips could not be reached for comment.
Ryan Warner said he and his brother are "military brats" and were inspired to join the Army by some family members, in particular their father, retired Army Master Sgt. Hal Lee Warner.
Ryan Warner, who has served one tour of duty in Iraq, said his brother is serving his third tour there.
He said Hal Warner is a member of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
Ryan Warner said his brother joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard right out of high school and then enlisted with the active-duty Army.
The family had moved to this Muskogee County community south of Camp Gruber in the early 1980s after traveling around the country with their father.
Ryan Warner said the family opted for Braggs because their mother, Gail Warner, has family there.
Warner said he was on his way back to Fort Bragg, N.C., where the 82nd Airborne is based, when the news broke about his brother, so he decided to return home to be with his family.
According to Warner, his brother was acquainted with Behenna, although he doesn't think they were close friends. He said Behenna is also part of the 101st Airborne Division.
Behenna's family in Edmond could not be reached for comment.
Warner faces an Aug. 15 "Article 32" hearing at a U.S. base near Tikrit, Iraq, on the charges. An Article 32 hearing, comparable to a preliminary hearing in civilian courts, is held to determine whether a full trial is warranted.
Only one other Oklahoman has been accused of killing civilians while on duty in Iraq.
Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, also of Edmond, is one of eight Marines who were accused of killing 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005.
However, the government dropped its charges and gave full immunity to Tatum in March.
Tatum, 26, was set for court-martial on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count each of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.
He had been scheduled to go to trial at Camp Pendleton, Calif., when the government, on the day of his trial, decided to drop the charges.
Originally, Tatum had been charged with two unpremeditated murders, four negligent homicides and one assault on two Iraqis.
Last August, however, after a case review, an investigating officer recommended that those charges against Tatum be dropped.
Instead, the government opted for lesser charges against him.
I've set up a page HERE to follow the story. There's not much there yet but I hope that'll change.
I pray his brother is correct!!
Do you know the game 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon? It’s a big, bad Marine world out there, yet many stories are connected to the Haditha heroes.
You and me both.
Thanks for the sting, Red.
I sure hope this works out.
Hasn’t anybody told these yayhoos.
THE WAR IS OVER.
Makes me think some prosecutorial types are like what happens sometimes when you do a course of antibiotics. You just can’t seem to get the sh!+ out of your system.
But I shouldn’t down the lawyers cause there are good bacteria as well as bad.
Sounds like it may be another PC persecution. Holding these Art. 32’s in Iraq make it very difficult and expensive for the accused civilian defense attorneys to properly defend them. I’m sure this fact hasn’t escaped the prosecution.
Again, it appears that they will conduct this trial overseas. That will make SSG Warner & 1LT Behenna nearly impossible to contact by their family.
Apparently they shot someone who was supposed to be a detainee. The government must be claiming there was no provocation or reason whatsoever for this other than a desire to murder. I find that very suspicious with a SSG & 1LT who have multiple tours in Iraq. Why now and out of the blue?
As far as I’m concerned these troops are innocent.
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.