US Marine: Some comrades became 'psychopaths' who enjoyed killing civilians

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/343/world/Former_U_S_Marine_in_Iraq_tell:.shtml

TORONTO (AP) A former U.S. Marine in Iraq, testifying Wednesday at a hearing for an American military deserter seeking asylum in Canada, said several men in his unit were ''psychopaths'' who enjoyed killing unarmed Iraqi civilians who posed no threat.

Jimmy Massey, a staff sergeant who was in the Marines for 12 years and served three months in Iraq before being honorably discharged with post-traumatic stress syndrome, made the allegations before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board on the final day of an asylum hearing for Army Pfc. Jeremy Hinzman, 26.

Hinzman fled Fort Bragg, N.C., to Canada weeks before his 82nd Airborne Division was due to be deployed to Iraq. He had served three years in the Army but applied for conscientious objector status before his unit was sent to Afghanistan in 2002.

He is asking for refugee status for himself, his wife and 2-year-old son, claiming he would face persecution if forced to return to the United States. Hinzman's lawyer, Jeffry House, said he would be the first American soldier granted political asylum in Canada if his petition succeeds.

Massey, who did not know Hinzman before the hearing, said Hinzman likely would have been forced to commit atrocities that violated the Geneva Conventions if he went to Iraq.

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[ClintonTyree]

1. It's very sad, but...............

those are the inevitable consequences of war. There are always a few who relish the ability to play god during a war where killing is glorified and encouraged. This in no way reflects the vast majority of our fighting men and women who aren't the recipients of reports detailing their humanitarian deeds during times like this.
I knew a man who was affected like this during the Viet Nam War. He'd show us pictures of the "gooks" he'd killed, posing the bodies in many hideous and degrading positions. To him, the war was a chance to legally kill people, and he relished the chance.
There are always a few sick individuals that slip by the military screens (not that they'd discourage this type of behavior anyway) who thoroughly enjoy killing people just for the "fun" of it. These same people will be the ones that have a very hard time upon returning to the States, adjusting to civilization again. These are the people who become snipers and serial killers later in life when they can't get their "death fix" anymore.
It's a sad consequence of war. Especially a war that wasn't necessary and is illegal.

[leftchick]

2. they are trained to think of the Iraqis as sub-human....

It is nice to know it does not work on all of them...

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. And when those psychpaths come back to America and hear our

right-wing religious nutcases telling them that the rest of us are the enemy, what do you think they're going to do to us?

[Branjor]

4. Exactly....n/t

[RC]

5. With the atrocities against the Iraqis

the US military is committing with nothing but lip service as objection from our administration, one could get the idea this is what our administration wants. Bring these psychpaths back and use them here to quell dissent.

[teryang]

6. Blood, guts, gore, Marine Corps, Marine Corps

Ok, listen up, this is your brief on the law of war, you have this thing here called the Geneva Conventions, well, this ain't Geneva.