U.S. Soldier Faces Court-Martial (mercy killing?)

[maddezmom]

BERLIN - A U.S. Army tank company commander accused of killing a critically injured driver for radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq (news - web sites) will be court-martialed, an Army spokesman said Tuesday. The American told a fellow officer he killed the Iraqi out of compassion, according to testimony.



Capt. Rogelio Maynulet, 29, of Chicago, was ordered court-martialed following an Article 32 hearing, the military's equivalent of a civilian grand jury investigation, division spokesman Maj. Michael Indovina said.


The order to court-martial Maynulet came Monday from 1st Armored Division commander Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey.


It was not clear when the court-martial would start, but in the meantime, Maynulet will continue to serve on the division's planning staff, where he was assigned after his command was suspended May 25, Indovina said.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041207/ap_on_re_eu/germany_us_soldier&cid=518&ncid=1480