Soldiers face Iraq murder charges

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Marines face Iraq murder charges
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5103558.stm?ls

The US marine corps has charged seven marines and a navy sailor with murder over the death of an Iraqi civilian.

All eight would also face kidnapping and conspiracy charges, a spokesman told reporters at the Californian camp where the defendants were being held.

They are accused of shooting a disabled man in Hamandiya in April, and covering up the circumstances of his death.

It is one in a series of inquiries into the alleged abuse or killing of Iraqis by coalition forces.

Another Pentagon inquiry is looking into an alleged massacre at Haditha last November, in which 24 civilians are thought to have been killed.

Roadside bomb

The Hamandiya investigation has been examining claims a man was deliberately killed on 26 April in the town in central Iraq.

The accused are alleged to have taken the 52-year-old victim from his house, shot him and then left a rifle and shovel by his body to make it appear as if he were an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.

Local Iraqis are said to have told marine leaders about the alleged shooting, which prompted an inquiry.

The accused were taken out of Iraq and held at Camp Pendleton in California.

A military spokesman said all were presumed innocent and it would be up to the authorities to decide if the men would face the death penalty in any future courts martial.

They have been identified as Sgt Lawrence Hutchins, Cpl Trent Thomas, Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Melson Bacos, Lance Cpl Tyler Jackson, Pfc John Jackson, Lance Cpl Jerry Shumate, Lance Cpl Robert Pennington and Cpl Marshall Magincalda.

"The marine corps takes allegations of wrongdoing by its members very seriously and is committed to thoroughly investigating such allegations," spokesman Col Stewart Navarre told reporters.

"The marine corps also prides itself on holding its members accountable for their actions."

More charges

Correspondents say the Hamandiya and Haditha cases have generated a huge amount of unfavourable publicity for the marines and concern within the corps about the conduct of some in Iraq.

Separately, the US military in Iraq announced that murder charges had been filed against a fourth soldier following the shooting of three male Iraqi prisoners near Tikrit in northern Iraq on 9 May.

The announcement came after three soldiers were charged on Monday with premeditated murder in connection with the incident.

Another US inquiry has cleared marines of blame for the deaths of civilians in Ishaqi in March.

Earlier this month the US military announced that US-led troops in Iraq were to undergo 30 days of ethical training in the wake of the alleged massacre in Haditha.

U.S. Charges Soldiers with Murder in Iraq Case
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Three U.S. soldiers have been charged with premeditated murder after being accused of shooting three detainees north of Baghdad on May 9 and then threatening to kill a fellow soldier if he told the truth about the incident.

The three Iraqi prisoners were killed last month near the volatile town of Balad. The Pentagon said the soldiers face charges including "murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice."

The names of those charged have not been released, but they are said to include a sergeant and two soldiers, members of the 101st Airborne Division. A defense official said the three are alleged to have shot and killed three Iraqi detainees on May 9. The soldiers said the detainees were running away and were shot, but investigators say their version is false. Other soldiers have come forward and spoken to the investigators.

The case comes as the U.S. military reviews two other incidents of civilian deaths in Iraq. One took place in Haditha, a city northwest of Baghdad, in which 24 civilians were killed by Marine gunfire. While that investigation is continuing, defense lawyers say they've been told by government officials that murder charges are likely.

The other case involves an Iraqi man killed by a Marine squad in Hamdiniyah, just west of the capital. The suspects in that incident include seven Marines and a Navy medic -- some of whom have confessed. They are all now in pre-trial confinement and charges are expected this week or next.