Is this a joke? Soldier being charged with death of Iraqi civilian?

[kuozzman]

What about the other 99,999+?

http://www.kwtx.com/news/headlines/1198307.html

An Article 32 hearing will be held Friday at Fort Hood for 4th Infantry Division Staff Sgt. Shane A. Werst, who is charged with murder and obstruction of justice in the death of an Iraqi civilian in January 2004.

The Article 32 hearing is the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury hearing and will determine whether Werst should face court-martial in the death.

Werst, who is now assigned to Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, is charged in the death of Naser Ismail, who died after he was taken into custody during a “cordon-and-search” operation in Balad.

[wtmusic]

1. If they hang one out to dry, it looks better n/t

[TheFarseer]

2. Huh?

How did he force them to jump off the bridge? This sounds pretty ridiculous to me. I have a very hard time questioning the actions of our soldiers who are under enemy fire except in extreme cases. The real war criminals and the real cause of death for so many Iraqi civilians are bush and his minions not the grunts in the trenches so to speak.

[jayfish]

5. Well It's Goes Something Like This;

jump off the bridge or get a .223 round in the head. Which would you choose? BTW, that was a different case than this one. In that case, whether or not the victim was forced to jump off the bridge was not in dispute. They were disputing the fact that the victim died as a result.

"Prosecutors allege that 19-year-old Zaidoun Hassoun drowned after he and another Iraqi were forced to jump into the Tigris River, but Perkins’ and Saville’s attorneys claim Hassoun survived."

Jay

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. This was not under fire

"Werst, who is now assigned to Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, is charged in the death of Naser Ismail, who died after he was taken into custody during a “cordon-and-search” operation in Balad."

after he was taken into custody. Think of it as a death in police custody. Of course the actions should be questioned.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. IIRC, the embedded reported screwed up and actually reported

it. Kinda left the army with no choice.

[I_equals_PRT]

4. he forced them at gunpoint to jump off the bridge, that much

was made clear. i have no problem questioning their actions, nobody made him do this, he should go to jail but of course, Rummy should go with him.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi I_equals_PRT!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[I_equals_PRT]

8. Hi newy, I am not really a newbie, I really have a couple thousand posts

but I also have john asscraft working hard everyday to fuck up my computer, and as a result, I can't get into my real DU handle, but Hi anyway, you are a sweetie to be so welcoming.