Saturday, August 07, 2004

And justice for all - Part III

"There will be investigations. People will be brought to justice," Bush said in a television interview that was aired in Cairo late Wednesday afternoon. -- May 5, 2004


A Schofield Barracks soldiers was sentenced today to three years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge for shooting to death an unarmed Iraqi cowherder who was handcuffed.

A panel of five officers and five enlisted soldiers in Tikrit, Iraq, found Pfc. Edward Richmond, 20, guilty of voluntary manslaughter for shooting Muhamad Husain Kadir in the back of his head on Feb. 28 near Taal Al Jai, the Army said in a statement.

...Kadir did nothing suspicious and showed no signs of having a weapon.

Waruch and Richmond were ordered via radio to detain all Iraqi males in the village.

Waruch said that when they tried pull Kadir’s hands behind his back he initially resisted.

After Waruch flex cuffed Kadir with a “zip tie” he led the cowherder away.

The Army statement said that Kadir stumbled after taking one or two steps and Richmond shot him in the back of the head when he was about 6 feet away.

...A third witness, also unnamed by the Army, testified that he had previously heard Richmond talking about wanting to shoot an Iraqi.

In his defense Richmond testified that he did not realize that the Iraqi he shot had his hands flex cuffed behind his back and that he feared the Iraqi would kill Waruch. [Ed: That is very difficult to tell from six feet behind a person.]

However, the Army statement said, Richmond admitted that he never saw the Iraqi with any weapon, Richmond also admitted that he had requested to shoot the cowherder less than an hour before the shooting.

...Richmond had been charged with unpremeditated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life, but after 90 minutes of deliberation today the Army court martial panel reduced the verdict to voluntary manslaughter. Two hours later it returned a sentence of three years, dishonorable discharge, total forfeitures of all pay and allowances and reduction to the grade of private.
Information Clearinghouse article

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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