Canadian sniper cleared of desecrating al-Qaeda body

National Post ^ | February 8, 2003 | Stewart Bell

[Clive]

A Canadian sniper up for the Bronze Star medal for his combat role in Afghanistan has been cleared of allegations he desecrated the body of a dead al-Qaeda fighter, the Defence Department said yesterday.

Military investigators lacked evidence for charges against Master Corporal Arron Perry and another Canadian, following allegations soldiers cut the finger off an enemy combatant and staged a "trophy" photo of the body.

The investigation also examined claims a soldier defecated on a second body. Master Cpl. Perry had been suspended pending the outcome of the probe, but was returned to duty yesterday in Edmonton.

"After a thorough investigation by the National Investigation Service, the evidence wasn't sufficient to support charges in that case," said Captain Mark Giles, a Department of National Defence public affairs officer.

Master Cpl. Perry, a member of Edmonton's 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, said he was relieved the investigation had concluded.

"I'm glad finally it's done," he said.

The sniper was part of a small group of Canadian soldiers who directly engaged the Taliban and al-Qaeda during a tour in Afghanistan. He has been credited with helping save soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division pinned down by enemy fire in Shah-i-Kot Valley.

The Canadians' sharp-shooting on al-Qaeda machine-gun nests and mortar positions were chronicled in Soldier of Fortune magazine. U.S. commanders have since recommended the snipers for Bronze Stars recognizing heroic or meritorious service.

But a few weeks after that triumph, Master Cpl. Perry was sent home under a cloud of suspicion. Allegations surfaced in mid-March that he had interfered with a body and there were reports of a photograph showing a dead enemy fighter with a cigarette in his mouth and a small sign on his chest reading "f--k terrorism."

But the investigation centred on claims a soldier had taken a finger from the body.

"The photos, while being perhaps inappropriate, that was not the main focus of the investigation. The main focus was the allegations of interfering with the dead body," Cpt. Giles said. "It's as much moral as it is legal. We always want dead bodies, whether they be enemy or friendly, to be treated with dignity."

Military investigators dug up the corpse and searched tents at the Canadian military base, seizing a knife. DNA tests were conducted to see if the knife could be tied to the body, but no link was established.

[Luis Gonzalez]

No one has behaved like the Islamicists other than the people on this thread.

There waren't any smoke and mirrors here, it was a news story. It presented the case, and the outcome. Everything else has been bluster and speculation from the posters.

As far as the P.O.W.'s in Gitmo, they should be treated in accordance to all applicable laws. We are a nation of laws, not barbarians.

BTW, this is the second time on this thread that you have engaged in fortune telling by guessing what I was going to say next, you've been wrong both times.

You should quit while you're behind.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Thanks for standing up for the honor of the US armed forces, amigo."

Thanks for standing up for what's right.

G'day mate.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...the Australian SAS warrant officers I trained with near Saigon surely weren't delicate individuals....

If you're trying say to Australian officers would sign up for this behaviour then you are dead wrong. I know a Vietnam-era officer or two and they are proud of their real military accomplishment. Like the fact that after they'd done their job you could drive around Phuoc Tuy province at night in a Land Rover. Aussies don't need to interfere with enemy dead to show what tough guys they are.

[swarthyguy]

So now you accuse posters here of behaving like islamists.

Thanks.

What second time are you talking about. All i've done is responded to you.

The guy was acquitted and you slam the allied militaries.

Explain how gitmo is violating intl law. We aren't. It's just propaganda.

Well, being behind you....someone's got to use the pooper scooper....

[merak]

Yup,executing them would be perfectly legal under the rules of land warfare,but torturing them would NOT be legal. It would be a war crime.

I would agree in the case of low-level soldiers captured in a place like Afghanistan. In the case of a senior terrorist or a member of a terrorist organization captured on American soil, I'd say hand them over to the School of the Americas with orders to get any information they could out of them and then kill them.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

....stalker alert....

(:^D)

Shaking in your boots, 'Marine'?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"As a former Marine."

I saw a great bumper sticker a few days ago.

To err is human, to forgive is Divine. Neither is YSMC policy."

Thanks for your years of service.

I always think of our Armed Forces when I come across that fourth, and seldom-heard verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

[Byron_the_Aussie]

Thinking about the Canadian military's honour for a moment, do you think Colonel Merritt would have interfered with enemy corpses, Just?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"What second time are you talking about."

• "You may throw out an asinine statement such as we have a lot in common with them. And you know, so what, who cares......your statement is wrong."

• "Next you tell me we're mistreating the Gitmo scum."

That's twice you've been wrong. You should really ait for me to actually make a statement before responding about my being wrong, it helps the flow of the debate.

BTW, I said people in here have a lot in common with Islamicists, not that they are behaving like them.

"Explain how gitmo is violating intl law."

Where did I say that Gitmo was violating the law?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Of course, that should have read "USMC policy".

[swarthyguy]

>>As far as the P.O.W.'s in Gitmo, they should be treated in accordance to all applicable laws.

As if they aren't right now. OK, my inference was misguided but this slamming of this Canadian soldier is really low. He was acquitted.

And, BTW, have to congratulate him and his mates on switching the knife.

[Luis Gonzalez]

So, you celebrate the fact that a guilty man got away with breaking the law.

"And, BTW, have to congratulate him and his mates on switching the knife."

I bet you're a big fan of this guy.

[swarthyguy]

Nope. I just think this case against the sniper was a waste of time and money and misguided.

He should've been given a medal.

Guilty of what? taking a crap on a dead jihadi, cutting off a finger, Big Deal!

[VaBthang4]

Yeah that's what it is.

LOL!!

You and creepypete have VaB extremely bor...err...scared.

~Wink~

[pyx]

Or have people forgotten our 3000 innocent civilians, murdered by Al Qaeda, who are plotting to kill many more thousands, even millions of us right now.

How dare you object to being trussed and slaughtered like livestock !

America is gonna have to learn to just shutup and take it up the @$$ like a man !< /sarcasmtag>

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..you and creepypete have VaB extremely bor...err...scared...

Talking about yourself in the third person, now?

That's......an interesting, but not unexpected development. :)

[pyx]

Remove your Mothers of America/Strip Mall morality from the battlefield.

Hey, you !
If we don't make nice nice to our enemies, they ...they might even call us names !

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...and, BTW, have to congratulate him and his mates on switching the knife....

Another post, which says more about its author than it does about the topic.

Switched any knives yourself, Swarthy?

[swarthyguy]

>>Switched any knives yourself, Swarthy?


Only for OJ.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...America is gonna have to learn to just shutup and take it up the @$$ like a man !.....

So you've seen Vab's FR page, then?