U.S. Soldier Jailed for Murder of Iraqi Teenager

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7331120

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An American soldier was sentenced on Friday to a year in jail for the murder of a severely wounded Iraqi teenager in a Baghdad slum district during a Shi'ite uprising last year, the U.S. military said.

"Staff Sergeant Cardenas Alban was convicted on one count of murder and one count of conspiracy to murder at a court martial at the 1st Cavalry Division courthouse at Camp Liberty today," a military spokesman said.

Besides his jail term, Alban was sentenced to a reduction in rank to private and a bad-conduct discharge.

Alban is the second American soldier to be sentenced over the incident.

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[Mikimouse]

1. Oh My God! A whole year? That is excessive!

sarcasm off.

[pocket]

2. i think this is the one

where they shot the guy who was disemboweled and on fire.

I'm not sure what to think about that.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Disembowled and on fire???? And the guy was shot??? WHY??

Miricles Happen. The Iraqi coulda been saved by a miricle.

(sarcasm off)

[NNN0LHI]

4. If your son had been disemboweled and on fire, what would you want for him?

Medical care? Or a bullet behind the ear? Be honest now.

Don

[Desertrose]

6. Do we know who disemboweled him & set him on fire?

I mean if the US soldiers just came upon him like that....I'd call it a mercy killing...if they are the ones who did it or had something to do with it and then they shot him.....:scared:

I can't ( OK don't want to) imagine what that war must be like......making decisions based on a whole other kinda world...being in survivial mode 24/7......its all so sad and cruel and pointless......

[NNN0LHI]

10. Makes no difference who did it or how it happened

If you were to get in an automobile accident and get messed up real bad, what would you want the responding cop do. Shoot you in the head or call the ambulance? I don't see no cops doing any mercy killings while responding to bad car accidents around here. So why would mercy killing become acceptable behavior in Iraq? For the sake of argument it is not. A little common sense is called for here. This ain't stuff for rocket scientists or nothing. I wouldn't be real happy about seeing some Iraqi walking around shooting our wounded US soldiers in the head either. Thats the whole idea here. Besides that, this soldier was convicted of murder, so regardless of the penalty he got he must have dome something wrong. Don't you think?

Don

[Desertrose]

11. yo........ hey, Don

I didn't say mercy killing was OK here....I was just trying to figure out what was going on. (when I think of "disemboweled I think of it as being pretty much fatal)

Hell, of COURSE I would want someone to call for help. If it were my son I would want them to do anything & everything to save his life...or if it were any other human being too.

Perhaps I was trying to justify in my mind if there was any reason this guy could have thought killing this man was justified. In my mind only in case of extreme suffering could I even (for myself) consider the possiblity- and then I can't imagine actually "doing" the act.

I just have a feeling that the "rules" of human behavior that most civilized people follow just may not exist over there -on edit to add - because of our (US) actions.

Of course he did something wrong...he acted like the man was less than human- like an anmal to put out of his suffering, not a living breathing suffering human being....I wonder if it was his brother, would he have done the same thing?? This whole scenario really really sucks.....it is just so sad and wasteful.

DR

[HamdenRice]

7. If I was from Alabama ...

I'd be happy cuz either way mah booi wood be gettin ready to go home to JESUS!

[HamdenRice]

5. No you FOOL He was being liberated to enjoy FREedoM

(sarcasm)

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/2004/12/11/news/nation/10391980.htm

The Aug. 18 killing occurred after Horne’s unit fired on a dump truck believed to be filled with insurgents planting roadside bombs. In fact, the truck carried young men and teenagers who had been hired to collect trash, witnesses and military investigators said.

At least seven Iraqis were killed and eight wounded.

<snip>

In an unsworn statement made during his sentencing hearing Friday, Horne said he felt terrible about the attack, particularly after approaching the scene and seeing dead and wounded children.

Horne said he came upon the badly burned body of a male whose internal organs had been blown away. Despite massive injuries, the victim was struggling to breathe, Horne said in his unsworn statement.

Horne said he turned for help to Alban and Anderson, his superior officer.

“My god, he’s just a kid,” Alban replied, according to Horne’s account of the conversation.

“What do you want to do?” Anderson asked Horne.

“I don’t want to leave him like that,” Horne said he replied.

“Do it,” Anderson said.

Horne said the three men had a “mutual understanding” that Horne would shoot the victim. Alban fired first, unloading a burst of bullets from his rifle. Despite the volley of shots, Horne said Hassan was still breathing so he fired another shot.

Soldiers on the scene argued about Horne’s actions, a debate that continues to divide the unit, soldiers said.

Some called the shooting a “mercy” killing and noted that Horne rushed to rescue the victims in the burning truck.

Others testified they watched in horror at the shooting.

“I was in disbelief,” said Spc. William Davis, a member of the unit. “I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

[louis-t]

8. “I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

Welcome to Bushworld.

[0007]

9. Bring the troops home!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NNN0LHI]

13. A year for murdering a kid. Where is the outrage? n/t