Military: Iraqi Detainee Was Strangled

Associated Press via Yahoo News ^ | 10/22/03 | MICHELLE MORGANTE, Associated Press Writer

[TexKat]

SAN DIEGO - A Baath Party official who died in a detention camp in southern Iraq suffocated after a U.S. Marine reservist grabbed him by the neck and snapped a bone in his throat, according to a military investigation.

An autopsy found that Nagem Sadoon Hatab's death on June 6 was caused by "strangulation/asphyxiation," Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Dan Rawson said Wednesday. Hatab suffered a broken hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone that supports the tongue.

Lance Cpl. Christian Hernandez and his superior officer, Maj. Clark A. Paulus, are charged with negligent homicide in the death. They have been assigned to Camp Pendleton north of San Diego for the investigation.

Rawson said Hernandez grabbed Hatab by the neck to move him, but it wasn't clear why he did it or how much time elapsed between the incident and Hatab's death. Investigators, however, believe the death was unintentional.

"The evidence does not indicate that these Marines deliberately set out to kill this detainee," Rawson said.

A hearing will be held in November to determine whether Hernandez and Paulus should be court-martialed, Rawson said.

The Marines have not said why Hatab was in detention or how long he had been at the facility prior to his death.

Paulus' parents, reached by phone in Furlong, Pa., declined to comment. No current phone number could immediately be found for relatives of Hernandez.

Hernandez and Paulus are among eight Marine reservists accused of mistreating detainees at the Whitehorse camp near the city of Nasiriyah. The others face lesser charges.

The Marines are part of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, based in Worcester, Mass. For the investigation they have been assigned to Camp Pendleton, headquarters for the 1st Marine Division, which oversaw the Whitehorse camp.

Three of the reservists have been ordered to face special courts-martial for alleged abuse of detainees at the camp. Three others face hearings to determine whether they also will be court-martialed.

[TexKat]

Just a different method of debaathatizing if you ask me.

[TexKat]

Ping.

[Jeff Chandler]

Oopsy!

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Probably another Iraqi weakling. Had a weak neck.

They must be handled like women.

[concerned about politics]

Rawson said Hernandez grabbed Hatab by the neck to move him,

Hatab might have been fighting and Hernandez may have been just holding on tight. No one knows. I give the soldier the benifit of the doubt. It must be hell trying to deal with terrorists who'll die for fictious virgins.

Hernandez and Paulus are among eight Marine reservists accused of mistreating detainees at the Whitehorse camp near the city of Nasiriyah. The others face lesser charges.

Poltical correctness will never win a war. What did they do? Forget to hug them good morning?

Excuse my sceptisism, but I've seen these islamofacist preach killing on tv way too many times. They're like animals. I have no sympathy.

[MEG33]

It happens in law enforcement.I hate it for all concerned.

[DCBryan1]

I hear you are looking for work with the Baath Party.

ACK!

Its an American message: It says that Luka Bathist sleeps with the hogs.

[wizardoz]

"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."
"I will not snap detainees' necks."

[Will_Zurmacht]

Now this story is starting to make sense.
Having known several Marines, the whole "Evil marines deliberately wacked some innocent slob" didn't jibe.

Not saying it couldn't or doesn't happen, just that most of the Marines I knew were extremely decent folk. Not the sort who get their jollies shooting some poor farmer in the desert.

A hostile captive, the use of force, probably gets a lil over the top, then something get wierd...then someone realizes it got a lil F'd up. this sort of story makes sense to me.

This sort of thing probably happens in war zones.The reason I find it believable, and if not excusable at least understandable is that we are actually hearing about it.
We are one of the few nations that actually looks into these sorts of things....not all the time, but much more than others.
How much press would this get if it were a Russian unit in Chechnya, or Chinese in Tibet, etc etc

[resistmuch]

S**t happens, Hatab.

[Jeff Chandler]

Saddam: "Goats, they must be handled like women."

[PLMerite]

Yeah, I'm really crying.

[PLMerite]

"Lance Cpl. Christian Hernandez..."

We should start the rumor over there that it was CHRISTINE Hernandez who broke his neck. With one hand even.

That'll give 'em something to think about.

[dagoofyfoot]

Oh, bummer Dude!


that's just freakin' breakin' my heart...


;^)

[APFel]

Iraqis have bones in their throats, AND they rely on them to breathe?

Someone call a scientist, I think we have discovered a new species of human.

APf

[APFel]

Y'know, I really should learn to read the article to completion before I post. Yikes.

APf

[CapandBall]

"shot while trying to escape" works so much better...

[Valin]

Poltical correctness will never win a war. What did they do?

(Assuming they actually did this)
What did they do? Kill a prisoner. We don't do that. for any number of good and valid reasons. Lets leave that kind of thing to the enemy.