"the sergeant ordered him to suffocate the Iraqi and then killed the man himself."

[Breeze54]

Court martial witness describes shooting of unarmed Iraqi

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOLDIER_CHARGED?SITE=MAFAL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press Writer

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- An Army medic testified at a court-martial Tuesday that after he told his sergeant a wounded insurgent was going to die, the sergeant ordered him to suffocate the Iraqi and then killed the man himself.

Sgt. Leonardo Trevino faces murder and other charges in the death of the man at Muqdadiyah, Iraq, in June 2007.



The medic, Spc. John Torres, said Trevino first asked him what could be done to speed up the Iraqi's death following a gun battle.

Torres said he suggested suffocating the wounded man but said he was only kidding. He said that when Trevino ordered him to carry out the act he only pretended to do so by lightly holding his hand over the man's mouth.

Under cross-examination, he denied defense attorney Richard Stevens' assertion that he felt bad because the Iraqi was dead when he removed his hand from his mouth.

"He wasn't dead," Torres testified. "He was still ... breathing."

Trevino, of San Antonio, has pleaded innocent. If convicted, he faces up to life in a military prison and a discharge. Authorities say he shot the insurgent in the abdomen, a nonfatal wound, then ordered Torres to suffocate him and finally shot the Iraqi in the head and tried to cover up the crime.

In two separate military trials in March, Trevino's two co-defendants were acquitted, including Torres.

Earlier Tuesday, Sgt. Tristan Miller testified that Trevino bragged about killing the Iraqi.

"He said 'The man wouldn't die. I shot him and he wouldn't die. Torres suffocated him and he wouldn't die. Then I shot him in the head,'" Miller testified.

The insurgent was killed after U.S. soldiers engaged in a street gun battle, then followed a blood trail and found the man with about two dozen bullet wounds.

More....

[BOSSHOG]

1. Slightly off topic - a question for Army Vets

Are those shades authorized to be worn with the Army Uniform? None of my Sailors would have them on for long if I were anywhere near them.

Sounds like murder to me, but I do appreciate the idea that the Soldier is getting a trial. A novel idea in the era of bush.

[DS1]

3. Not Army, but while on duty I would have probably been called out for wearing those

but, times change and rules get loose

[BOSSHOG]

6. I did a tour as

Chief Master at Arms on a shore station. I honed my one way communication skills with knuckleheads who attempted to add their personal accoutrement to a Uniform I truly loved.

[Breeze54]

11. These are allowed now... they're shatter and bullet proof... to a point

see my reply below.

There's also a company in MA that makes them for the military as well.

Randolph Engineering http://www.randolphusa.com/

[Breeze54]

8. They're official military shades ... standard issue item now -- see link

Military Sunglasses / Goggles

http://www.heavyglare.com/military-sunglasses.php

Heavyglare carries Wiley X and other top brands in Military sunglasses, tactical goggles & ballistic goggles for all types of enforcement. Impact resistant, selenite, polycarbonate lenses define the ballistic qualities of our many styles. Some models have been tested to withstand a 12 gauge shotgun blast from 10 yards away helping us to gain not only national, but international recognition.

Because we’ve produced such a reliable, trust worthy product over the years, our products are currently a standard issue item with the FBI, D.E.A., Army Rangers, Navy Seal Teams and Military Special Forces.

Government Procurement

http://www.combat-eyewear.com/

We are an active CCR registered and Certified supplier to Federal and State Government agencies and institutions. We accept purchase and contract orders directly or through the CCR system. Payments can be made with government issued charge cards, ACH deposits and checks. We have participated in bids and sold to the following United States Government, Federal and State agencies and institutions: US Air Force, US Army, US Marines Corps, US Navy, Dept of Defense, Dept of Energy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US National Park Service, US Marshals Service, Army National Guard, US Coast Guard, Law Enforcement Agencies and Tactical Teams, Federal and State Correctional Facilities, Fire Departments, Search and Rescue Units, Dept of Transportation, US Border Patrol, INS, DEA, State Police as well as many state and private Universities such as UCLA, UC Davis, UC Berkley, UCSF, John Hopkins University, Harvard, Texas A&M and many other organizations. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or for additional information regarding the Federal or State purchasing.

DOD ACTIVE Vendor—Cage Code: 3D1S5...

--

These look like the one's he's wearing in the picture.

http://www.heavyglare.com/196/383/3112/ESS/High_Adrenaline/Recon.html

[AndyA]

2. So this is what America stands for now?

This is a disgrace. This is absolutely inhumane.

We torture. Kill. Not in defense, but for the sheer sport of it all.

Bush has really f*cked up this country. It's a national disgrace. :(

[atreides1]

4. Not Only Bush's Fault

As much as I would like to pin all of this on Bush, the fact is that it was always under the surface. The sadists, the murderers, they were always there, bush just allowed them to come out of the darkness and into the light.

And the American public along with the media share in the responsibility, by not raising their voices when hostages were taken in Iraq or when the atrocities being committed at Abu Ghraib first came to light.

So, it's not all Bush's fault, he just opened Pandora's Box, and we still haven't closed it!

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Read Hedges, it is NOT only the American People

unfortunate reality

[Breeze54]

9. No, THAT guy is a murderer.

Don't blame all for what that guy did.

[KansDem]

5. Sorry, Japan...

Sorry about our movie industry making you guys out to be such blood-thirsty murderers whenever I saw a WWII pic that showed your soldiers killing unarmed people.

Sorry I grew up thinking "the Japs" had no honor or integrity after watching this propaganda.

But I hope you'll understand I was a "patriotic American."

Sorry...

[malaise]

10. Murder

Murder, murder!!

[Solly Mack]

12. That's not just murder - it's also a war crime

Not that America commits war crimes ...because if America ever committed a war crime, I'm sure my government would...oh wait...never mind