Marine sergeant convicted of murdering Iraqi man

[superconnected]

Source: Associated Press

"CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - A Marine Corps squad leader was convicted Thursday of murdering an Iraqi man during a frustrated search for an insurgent.

Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III, 23, also was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, making a false official statement and larceny. He was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking."

"Prosecutors said that during a nighttime patrol in Hamdania, Iraq, in April 2006, Hutchins' squad hatched a plan to kidnap and kill a suspected insurgent from his house. When they couldn't find him, they instead kidnapped a man from a neighboring house, dragged him to a hole and shot him.

Prosecutors said squad members tried to cover up the killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad by planting a shovel and AK-47 by his body to make it look like he was an insurgent planting a bomb."


Read more: http://www.komotv.com/news/national/8879162.html

[rabies1]

1. Well, this is far from NEW.

Of course it's not right at all but this stuff happens 50 times a day over there. Any Iraq veteran will tell you the rules of engagement are impossible to follow. You have like 2 seconds to decide 'could this person kill me or what?' If you guess wrong - you're dead. Your judgment too would be a little off if on top of things you only had 3 hours of sleep a night and were redeployed a few times. The only people you know are your buddies. Your only link to the familiar, to home. You protect each other. It's a radically different set of circumstances walking in their boots. Your job is just to survive another day. You do whatever it takes. Sometimes the quick fix to the problem is sticking a shovel in the victims hand (as if he were setting IEDs} or stick a gun in his hand rather than go through the admission of guilt, embarrassment to family and platoon buddies.
I'm reminded of Lindy Englund and others who took the photos posing with prisoners of war. Never does the top brass get called on the carpet for any of this. Where else did they get their orders? How can it not mess up your mind a little after a while? It seems it's the average soldier who gets punished and punished hard. I think sometimes we forget who's fault this is to begin with?
To me this is all just another reason to end this occupation (or War) NOW.
It was insane from the beginning and we, through our vets coming home, in the eyes of Iraqis & others will pay dearly.

[MasonJar]

2. How unbelievable! So crass! It is your desk, W, where the buck lands.