Posted on 08/27/2008 9:40:15 AM PDT by RWB Patriot
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. soldiers killed four handcuffed and blindfolded Iraqi prisoners with pistol shots on the bank of a Baghdad canal last year, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Sergeant First Class Joseph P. Mayo, the platoon sergeant, and Sergeant Michael P. Leahy Jr., Company D's senior medic and an acting squad leader, made sworn statements in January to Army investigators in Schweinfurt, Germany probing the incident, the newspaper reported on its website.
The men each described killing one of the Iraqi detainees, as directed by First Sergeant John E. Hatley, according to the statements. Hatley shot two other detainees with a pistol in the back of the head, Mayo and Leahy told investigators, according to the NYT.
U.S. soldiers cannot harm enemy combatants once they are disarmed and in custody, the NYT said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Anybody besides me finding the timing of this a little too convenient?
THe NYT reports, case closed.
Reuters copying NYT.
If it’s true, they should be tried promptly.
I’m with you on the timing. damn shame this type of thing happens. Unfortunately, emotions over rode judgement.
That said, the court of public opinion should not try them.
If it happened, it should not have, but they should balance the report by talking about what has happened to our guys when captured by the other side.
“If it’s true, they should be tried promptly.”
I agree, but this will have to be confirmed by a reliable source before I buy into it. Anything from Reuters or the NYT is just an unconfirmed rumor as far as I’m concerned.
The echo chamber of the left.
I don’t think that’s necessary in the same story. What the media should do is give an equal amount of time to document all cases on both sides of prisoner abuse/execution/torture. Undoubtedly there would be more coverage of what the enemy does, but it wouldn’t give a pass to the people in our military that go astray. Certain people aren’t fit to wear the uniform and unfortunately there are always a few who do.
How do you know it happened? NYTs says it and you think it's true? Didn't learn anything from Murtha and the Marines. They supposedly confessed also but now all but one have had charges dropped and the last one probably will. I would bet the odds are even this didn't happen exactly the way it is being told and that it is an attempt to bring Barry's numbers up. Could be true but I doubt it.
When a story like this breaks, everyone seems to think it’s the military’s fault. Never mind that three ‘men’ made individual decisions, against orders, to break the law.
Execution for them, swift and sure, seems appropriate if they stick to their story. This incident should not reflect at all on the hundreds of thousands of other service members who’re doing a great job!
This is one is simple. If they have these sworn statements, it’s pretty clear.
I don’t trust any media for correct info so I’ll await the DOD to state if the soldiers have sworn written statements.
Absolutely. The media is not the place to try people. Honestly I think they should wait until after the trial, or report on the allegations and follow up when the trial is over with an article stating the innocence (or not) of those being tried.
Allowable under the Geneva Convention for Non-Uniformed enemy combatants.
Well said. We don’t try groups of people in this country; we try individuals.
Although I guess in practice that’s not always the case.
>>If it happened, it should not have, but they should balance the report by talking about what has happened to our guys when captured by the other side.<<
That doesn’t make it right. That said, who of us could form a “jury of peers” if we have not been in combat. I would not even presume to know what was on their minds at that instant.
I do know that this part of an on-going attack on our military. It is truly an upside down world when terrorists in Gitmo have more rights than American citizens.
May God protect our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and my Marines from the enemies they face on all sides.
Semper fi
I don’t trust muslim terrorists or Media terrorists. And even if true, I won’t lose any sleep that they killed some cockroaches. But the timing of this report sure is suspect.
I think it’s premature to accept, as fact, that the incident did happen.
I am surprised it took this long for such a story to come out. The Abu Ghraib stuff came out what, 7 months before the 2004 election?
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.