Witness: Marines Hit Iraq Inmate Who Died

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Aug. 26, 2004

Witness: Marines Hit Iraq Inmate Who Died

ROBERT JABLON
Associated Press


CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - An Iraqi inmate who died at a U.S. detention camp was an "ornery prisoner" who was beaten by several Marines, including one on trial for allegedly kicking him in the chest, one of the camp's jailers testified.

Pfc. William Roy testified Wednesday that he and defendant Sgt. Gary Pittman believed the 52-year-old inmate, Nagem Hatab, had sold a rifle taken during the ambush of a U.S. Army convoy that left 11 soldiers dead and led to the capture of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and five others.

Hatab was a "pretty ornery prisoner," Roy testified, adding he believed reasonable and necessary force was used to subdue him after he resisted commands and at one point got out of his flexible handcuffs.

Hatab is among 37 Iraqi and Afghan prisoners whose deaths are under investigation. He died two days after his June 3, 2003, arrival at the U.S.-run Camp Whitehorse in Iraq. An autopsy found he had seven broken ribs and apparently suffocated after his windpipe was crushed.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/9495828.htm
(Free registration required)

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Same story from the Atlanta Constitution, for DU'ers who have registered there:

(snip)
Roy testified Wednesday that Pittman struck Hatab in the chest a day after the inmate arrived at Camp Whitehorse. Hatab fell to the ground, asked in English ``Why? Why? Why?'' and told the guards he had 11 children.

Roy said he replied: ``What about those people who were in the ambush you got this rifle from? What about their children?''

Pittman, he said, then delivered a strong kick to the man's chest, sending him to the ground. Roy said he then suggested they both leave before further harming Hatab.

Pressed by the defense about exactly how Pittman delivered the kick, Roy said he saw the Marine hit Hatab with the side of his foot, but didn't see the stance Pittman had taken before delivering the blow.

``He had a boot on that made contact with the man's chest and he went backwards,'' he said. Roy also testified that he saw other Marines strike Hatab, including a corpsman who hit him in the arms, ribs, lower belly and chest. He said he was angered at Hatab for his possible role in the ambush on the Army convoy.
(snip/...)

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V0576.AP-US-Iraq-Prisone.html

[bagnana]

1. kill first, investigate "defense" for killing later.

Discover mistakes.
Find scapegoat.

This is the lesson of the Bush Administration.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Finally the story is available from a non-registration site.

Same AP story, in the Boston Globe.

Marine says he saw Iraqi prisoner assaulted before his death
By Robert Jablon, Associated Press, 8/26/2004 03:43

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/239/nation/Marine_says_he_saw_Iraqi_priso:.shtml