Prosecutor recommends death penalty for U.S. soldiers

[Freedom_from_Chains]

When the military has to resort to executing its on, that is usually a bad sign.


PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- An Army investigator has recommended that four soldiers accused of murder in a raid in Iraq should face the death penalty if convicted, according to a report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press.

Lt. Col. James P. Daniel Jr. concluded that the slayings were premeditated and warranted the death sentence based on evidence he heard at an August hearing. The case will now be forwarded to Army officials, who will decide whether Daniel's recommendation should be followed.

The soldiers, all from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based 101st Airborne Division's 187th Infantry Regiment, are accused of killing three Iraqi men taken from a house May 9 on a marshy island outside Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

Staff Sgt. Raymond L. Girouard, Spc. William B. Hunsaker, Pfc. Corey R. Clagett and Spc. Juston R. Graber have claimed they were ordered to "kill all military age males" during the raid on the island. According to statements from some of the soldiers, they were told the target was an al Qaeda training camp.

(con't)http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/09/02/soldiers.charged.ap/index.html

[cyclezealot]

1. It has been since the Korean war, that The US put a soldier to death.

Should I meet these soldiers, I probably might think them animals. But, I take no glee in this and hope it not so. The reason, for such generosity, Bush has put them in impossible situations. IT is too much for any human to endure. They have to endure intolerable stress.
I also have doubts about the kind of training they receive as Marines. I suspect the training gets them so revved, they know not when to stop. ? Should they be put to death, I will blame it on Bush and his own form of barbarism.
Shock and awe is every bit a Bush violation as what these soldiers did. Bush should be put on trial as a war criminal , for he is as guilty as these soldiers very well could be.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. And that is kind of the take I have on it, these, in many instances,

are just kids who are being subjected to horrible conditions, which will scar many of them for life, which I could justify if it was really about protecting our homeland. But it isn't, it's about establishing our dominance throughout the world for the next century. My main point however is that when the military goes to executing its soldiers for crimes weather real or fabricated, it is usually a response to a moral problem. The last one I am aware was Eddie Slovic in WWII for desertion, and that clearly was done to keep our men on the front lines.

On Edit: Are you a bicycler?

[cyclezealot]

6. Freedom.

that's me. My goal long distance cycling. So far, I have only crossed a couple of states. ( those state being out in the west, where states are not like Rhode Island) Great thing to do. Helps on to forget, for awhile, the likes of George Bush. Clears out the head.

[patrice]

3. Re: Too much . . .

I recently saw on "Fog of War" on PBS that the average number of combat days for average military during WWII was 40 days a year, during Viet Nam that increased to 240 days a year. I imagine it is eve higher in Iraq.

Each and every person, military and otherwise, should be responsible for their own actions. That said, I do not support Capital Punishment for the same reasons that I do not support Pre-emptive War.

[cyclezealot]

8. Too much, 2

Not saying they should get off scott free. I just say a part of their defense, is that they have been asked, way too much of them. Mental stress has it's breaking point. Plus, I agree; don't believe in capital punishment. And does not the military shoot their guilty. Can you imagine a troop of Itaqi vets being assigned to that duty.

[Monk06]

4. The DP recommendation is based on three factors derived from

witness accounts; premeditation, lookouts were
posted during the incident and the soldiers
lied about the circumstances of the deaths.

I don't think in this situation under military
law the prosecutor had any choice but to recommend
the DP.

The recommendation can be overruled by JAG before
trial.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The rules of the Nuremberg Trials

shoudd enter here

1.- Who, if inded this is the case, gave those orders? If they were given I can bet it was verbal... to cover them asses... but still

2.- The Sergeant should face the music... the order was fully ilegal

3.- Nuremberg did establish that you should do this starting with an E-4, who should know better, but no army can count on privates going NO Sir, that is an ilegal order, now officers, from the most junior of oficers they have an obligation to know what is, and what is not, an ilegal order

Of course this also begs the other critical question (and we all know the anwer), why exactly are we having these problems? (Mind you all wars have them at some level).. the answer is the extrmely bad leadership from the top... so once again, who gave the order? I doubt, quite brutally honest, that the sergeant did.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. The death penalty will solve absolutely nothing

This is true in civillian cases and it is true in military cases as well. Recruiters would have a hell of a time trying to get people to enlist in our already over-extended military if they decide to execute one of their own.