GI Found Guilty In Slaying Of 4 Iraqis

[inquisitive]

I know this is such an inhumane thing to say, but part of me feels sorry for these Soldiers. Maybe it's b/c the strory lacks graphic detail and we don't know of everything that went down, but he does have a point. They see soo many things over there that most of us couldn't imagine, let alone on a daily basis. The human mind can only take so much. That is not an excuse, b/c there's thousands of others who didn't resort to killing for sport, but dang, you gotta wonder.

U.S. Army medic was convicted of murder Friday for his involvement in the execution-style slayings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqi detainees shot in the back of the head in the spring of 2007.

Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. was found guilty on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder by the nine-person jury who had heard testimony about the killings at the court-martial at the Army's Rose Barracks Courthouse since Wednesday.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled later Friday, and Leahy could receive a life sentence and a dishonorable discharge, pending the judge's decision.

Leahy, 28, was acquitted of murder in a separate incident involving the death of another Iraqi in January 2007. Wearing his dress uniform, he sat impassively as the verdicts were handed down by the foreman of the jury made up of officers and enlisted personnel.

Leahy pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and obstruction of justice in the deaths of a total of four Iraqi prisoners who were dumped in a Baghdad canal in 2007 after they were killed.

He had faced charges, including murder, for the separate incident in January 2007.

Leahy, of Lockport, Illinois, confessed to military investigators that he shot one of the prisoners point-blank in the back of the head with a 9mm pistol.

In closing arguments earlier, Leahy's civilian lawyer, Frank Spinner, argued that Leahy went along with the killings because he was dazed from a lack of sleep and numb from being in a war zone for months. It was a sentiment bolstered on Thursday in testimony from Col. Charles Hoge, a doctor and director of psychology and neuroscience at the Army's Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

He testified that Leahy was unable to reason properly because of the constant danger of living and operating in a war zone and getting little sleep for months on end.

"The tragedy resulted not so much by design but rather the working of fear, danger and madness attendant on many combat operations," Spinner said in his closing arguments.

The Iraqi prisoners were taken to the U.S. unit's operating base in Baghdad for questioning and processing, although there wasn't enough evidence to hold them for attacking the unit. Later that night patrol members took the Iraqis to a remote area and shot them in retribution for the attacks against the unit, according to testimony.

Leahy, Master Sgt. John Hatley, 40, and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo, 27, are accused of pulling the trigger, the jury of seven men and two women was told.

But prosecutors contended that Leahy knew what he was doing after the four Iraqis had been taken into custody following a shootout with a patrol that included five other accused soldiers.

"The defense can't just stand there and throw their arms up and say: 'We were protecting ourselves from future harm,"' Army Capt. Derrick Grace, the lead prosecutor, said, adding that the killings were the result of a breakdown of discipline and moral responsibility.

All of the accused were with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, which is now part of the Germany-based 172nd Infantry Brigade.

Three soldiers are scheduled for later courts-martial. Sgt. Charles Quigley, 28, of Providence, Rhode Island, faces one charge of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder. Mayo and Hatley are charged with premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, and obstruction of justice

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6919478

 

[WillowTree]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

 

[strollingbones]

roe..read

"lone survivor"

it will more than open your eyes about the stress service men/women are under....

does that allow one to committ murder...no....there is no way to justify what he did...
shooting men in the back of the head....it was murder plain and simple..would have been murder if he had done that here...does that change in iraq?

willow i hope you are wrong...i look to the day..the men who beheaded americans are captured and justice is done

 

[Sinatra]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

You are right on that, but take some comfort in the fact that this trial, which I have been following since its inception, is more proof that we as Americans are different than so many other countries of the world.

Our military follows a code, and that code is to be upheld even under the most difficult of circumstances. That is why we are blessed with the most amazing fighting force in the world.

A crime was committed, and justice is handed down.

Even when confronting its own faults, our American military is an example to others.

 

[WillowTree]

roe..read

"lone survivor"

it will more than open your eyes about the stress service men/women are under....

does that allow one to committ murder...no....there is no way to justify what he did...
shooting men in the back of the head....it was murder plain and simple..would have been murder if he had done that here...does that change in iraq?

willow i hope you are wrong...i look to the day..the men who beheaded americans are captured and justice is done

will never happen strollingbones, never, there is no justice for Americans, ever.. that said,, all this conviction will do is make young men think twice before they sign up to serve.. and yep,, I read Lone Survivor. they are supposed to make a movie out of it,, heres hoping that asshole john fucking murtha read it,, but i doubt it

 

[WillowTree]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

You are right on that, but take some comfort in the fact that this trial, which I have been following since its inception, is more proof that we as Americans are different than so many other countries of the world.

Our military follows a code, and that code is to be upheld even under the most difficult of circumstances. That is why we are blessed with the most amazing fighting force in the world.

A crime was committed, and justice is handed down.

Even when confronting its own faults, our American military is an example to others.

Yep! I'm pretty damn proud of us,,

 

[pete]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

Its war ... DOH! If the soldiers are to fear imprisonment you are going to find less wanting to serve.

 

[DiamondDave]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

You are right on that, but take some comfort in the fact that this trial, which I have been following since its inception, is more proof that we as Americans are different than so many other countries of the world.

Our military follows a code, and that code is to be upheld even under the most difficult of circumstances. That is why we are blessed with the most amazing fighting force in the world.

A crime was committed, and justice is handed down.

Even when confronting its own faults, our American military is an example to others.

You know.. .I think this whole 'thanks' thing on here is ridiculous and redundant... but I had to give it to you on this post

 

[Diuretic]

I'll just lay money down that not a single Iraqi is ever found guilty of killing an American soldier..

Its war ... DOH! If the soldiers are to fear imprisonment you are going to find less wanting to serve.

You obviously don't have a very high opinion of the US military. Thankfully, as you can read here, that isn't shared by others.

 

[auditor0007]

The entire circumstances with this case can only make us feel sad. Most all of us understand that those that serve are under tremendous pressure. But it does not give them the right to commit murder in this fashion, plain and simple.

What does bother me is that due to low enlistment, the military was forced to drop some of its standards for recruiting. When it comes to cases such as this, I wonder if the individuals involved would have qualified to join, or if they were some of the forced entries.

 

[garyd]

It's still way better than it was when I was in. We had five guys in my basic training company who had joined solely because their other choice was 5 years in the slammer for a variety of offenses none of which were drug related.

 

[Mr. President]

If the soldier was a combat medic he was more than qualified to join! The part people are missing is earlier THEY ATTACKED THE UNIT AND TRIED TO KILL AMERICAN SOLDIERS. But because they dropped their weapons and ran we did not have enough "evidence" to convict them.

 

[Diuretic]

If the soldier was a combat medic he was more than qualified to join! The part people are missing is earlier THEY ATTACKED THE UNIT AND TRIED TO KILL AMERICAN SOLDIERS. But because they dropped their weapons and ran we did not have enough "evidence" to convict them.

What are you advocating? A Lidice event?

Didn't you get the memo?

The US Military does not murder people.

 

[Truthmatters]

They are guilty and will now pay.

Military service should be honorable.

Accepting murder is not honorable to any service.

 

[Mr. President]

If the soldier was a combat medic he was more than qualified to join! The part people are missing is earlier THEY ATTACKED THE UNIT AND TRIED TO KILL AMERICAN SOLDIERS. But because they dropped their weapons and ran we did not have enough "evidence" to convict them.

What are you advocating? A Lidice event?

Didn't you get the memo?

The US Military does not murder people.

I am not advocating it I am saying it is more understandable than people want to realize. We are responsible for bringing each other home alive to our families. Those people tried to kill our soldiers and because they dropped their weapons they were going to be released to attack soldiers again.

Didn't you get the memo War is HELL

Maybe they decided they would rather live in jail than live knowing they could have saved the lives of young American Soldiers. Unless you have had to make that call dont I dont think you can judge.

 

[Gunnen4u]

No, we have alot of lower quality people in the military today. It's a reflection of society really. Tell me, where are you going to find the people to meet the global military commitment when only around 3 in 10 people are qualified in the US? I know, lower standards across the board, change time-tested and honored training concepts, and then, promote them despite the fact he/she is a shitbag.

I'm all about respect for the military, as it is, when the proper people serve, one of the last truely honorable and decent institutions, but I'm seeing things that have soiled my concept of what it should represent, and what it was, rather than what it is now.

This poor guy probably was overstressed, perhaps he was shooting four-Iraqis whom were guilty of some crime, but unable to be touched. Who knows, it's just the same as the guy who shot that terrorist asshole in the mosque, or the Marines in Haditha, or any number of cases, where the human pieces of shit in what is known as the Third World, somehow are given by us to lay these charges and attack the military. Not to say that the military should be immune, there is UCMJ, and ROE, Laws of Armed Conflict, etc.

 

[Diuretic]

I am not advocating it I am saying it is more understandable than people want to realize. We are responsible for bringing each other home alive to our families. Those people tried to kill our soldiers and because they dropped their weapons they were going to be released to attack soldiers again.

Didn't you get the memo War is HELL

Maybe they decided they would rather live in jail than live knowing they could have saved the lives of young American Soldiers. Unless you have had to make that call dont I dont think you can judge.

If people can't handle it they shouldn't join. Perhaps they didn't get that memo either. You join the military in the full expectation that you may be required to go to war. Going to war means, apart from other things, obeying the USMCJ. The USMCJ prohibits certain actions such as murder. You might be relaxed about members of the military committing murder but the system and many other people are not relaxed about it.

 

[Gunnen4u]

If people can't handle it they shouldn't join. Perhaps they didn't get that memo either. You join the military in the full expectation that you may be required to go to war. Going to war means, apart from other things, obeying the USMCJ. The USMCJ prohibits certain actions such as murder. You might be relaxed about members of the military committing murder but the system and many other people are not relaxed about it.

Agreed. Which is why I think deserters should have hellfire and brimstone rained down upon them.

At the same, finding people to serve who are of moral and mental strength to observe the UCMJ is becoming a problem as I mentioned earlier with lower standards.

 

[Mr. President]

I am not advocating it I am saying it is more understandable than people want to realize. We are responsible for bringing each other home alive to our families. Those people tried to kill our soldiers and because they dropped their weapons they were going to be released to attack soldiers again.

Didn't you get the memo War is HELL

Maybe they decided they would rather live in jail than live knowing they could have saved the lives of young American Soldiers. Unless you have had to make that call dont I dont think you can judge.

If people can't handle it they shouldn't join. Perhaps they didn't get that memo either. You join the military in the full expectation that you may be required to go to war. Going to war means, apart from other things, obeying the USMCJ. The USMCJ prohibits certain actions such as murder. You might be relaxed about members of the military committing murder but the system and many other people are not relaxed about it.

Its not about being able to handle it. it's knowing that if you release them they will shoot at you and other soldiers again and place ied's. So do you allow them to do that and hope they don't repeat which they do far more often than not. Or do you protect the soldiers that serve with you and kill the enemy?

The problem is we do not prosecute because it takes too much time and resources and we have to prove to the world not ourselves that they are guilty.

 

[Diuretic]

Its not about being able to handle it. it's knowing that if you release them they will shoot at you and other soldiers again and place ied's. So do you allow them to do that and hope they don't repeat which they do far more often than not. Or do you protect the soldiers that serve with you and kill the enemy?

The problem is we do not prosecute because it takes too much time and resources and we have to prove to the world not ourselves that they are guilty.

My point was that if someone thinks they can't handle military life and especially military life in combat then don't sign up. If someone thinks they can't handle the way war is conducted then they shouldn't submit themselves for selection.