U.S. Marine Charged with Murdering Two Iraqis

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=7600036

MIAMI (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine has been charged with premeditated murder and could face the death penalty for shooting two Iraqi men during a vehicle search near a weapons cache in Iraq last year, the Marine's attorney said on Thursday.

The Marine Corps released a statement saying 2nd Lt. Ilario G. Pantano was charged on Feb. 1 for his involvement in the shooting deaths of two Iraqi men on April 15, 2004, during combat operations in Iraq.

The release said the commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division, Maj. Gen. Richard Huck, had convened an investigation to determine if Pantano should stand trial, and details of the charges would not be released. A spokesman at Camp Lejuene, the North Carolina base where Pantano is stationed, did not return calls seeking comment,

Pantano's civilian attorney, Charles Gittens, said the 33-year-old Marine was charged with premeditated murder and "he's made it pretty firmly clear that he is not guilty." The crime carries the death penalty but the Marines have not said whether they will seek that punishment if he is convicted, Gittens said.

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[Liberal Veteran]

1. "It's fun to shoot some people." or so I've been told by respected..

....generals.

[bluestateguy]

2. Why isn't he being turned over to Iraq for trial under their laws?

Isn't Iraq supposed to be a sovereign nation? He wans't on a US military base when he allegedly committed the crime.

[Catch22Dem]

3. It doesn't work that way

Usually, Americans are in another country under a Status of Forces Agreement. Obviously I don't know what the fuck kind of "agreement" we have with Iraq, but I can guarantee he won't be tried in Iraqi courts. Besides, Iraq wasn't a government in 2004. They were BEFORE we went in and fucked everything up, but that's a whole 'nother thing.

Hopefully the USMC hangs this fucker out to dry.

[daleo]

4. Willard, Apocalypse Now

“charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500.”