3 years for murder

Frenzal · Post by **Frenzal** » 11 Dec 2004 23:09

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041211/325/f8d7g.html

Saturday December 11, 07:21 PM
U.S. soldier jailed for Iraqi teen's murder
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier has been sentenced to three years in prison for murdering a severely wounded Iraqi teenager earlier this year, the U.S. military says.

Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne, 30, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had pleaded guilty to charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder at a court martial in Baghdad on Friday. He was sentenced by a panel of seven senior soldiers after four hours of deliberation.

As well as the prison term, Horne was reduced in rank to private, will forfeit all pay and has been dishonourably discharged from the military, the military said in a statement on Saturday.

The convictions stem from an incident on August 18 when Horne's unit came across a suspicious vehicle late at night in the poor Sadr City district of Baghdad.

U.S. military officials have described the incident as a "mercy killing" after U.S. soldiers opened fire on a garbage truck they suspected of being used by guerrilla bombers.

U.S. forces clashed repeatedly in August with militiamen loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The sprawling Shi'ite slum of Sadr City was a focal point of an uprising by Sadr followers.

The Los Angeles Times quoted local witnesses last month identifying the victim as 16-year-old Qassim Hassan, who was working with relatives collecting garbage overnight. It quoted U.S. officials saying six other Iraqis were also killed.

Earlier this week, U.S. Army Captain Rogelio Maynulet was ordered to face a full court martial for the murder in May of a man wounded as troops pursued Sadr's militiamen near Najaf.

His was the first case of murder to be investigated by the U.S. military in Iraq, where many people accuse U.S. troops of killing civilians through negligence or misunderstandings, notably while pursuing militants or manning checkpoints.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 12 Dec 2004 01:56

This sends such a good message to the Iraqi people that there US are there to protect them and that they have nothing to fear. I am sure that the sentence will stop the anti US feeling in Iraq as many people will see that it demonstrates that the US show fair justice for all. Iraqis get locked up, tortured and beaten to death for "acting suspiciously" - American's get sent to a humane jail for 3 years for murder. If that's not justice then it doesn't exist.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 12 Dec 2004 09:41

Wait... Wasn't it a mercy killing?

crazydwarf · Post by **crazydwarf** » 12 Dec 2004 19:20

Even if it was, a US soldier does not have the right to decide weather or not a 16 year old kid lives or dies...

Frenzal · Post by **Frenzal** » 12 Dec 2004 21:54

Is it a mercy killing when your squad sprays a "suspicious" vehicle with bullets, you discover it's a civilian and then shoot him rather than call medi-vac?

If the Iraqi was a US Soldier would Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne have called medi-vac or put him out of his misery?

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 13 Dec 2004 20:57

Look, sure politically it was a dumb move, but I'm not going to judge automatically when he niether you nor me know shit about what was happening.

Frenzal · Post by **Frenzal** » 13 Dec 2004 21:44

I know he shot a 16 year old boy. Possibly twice.
I know he pleaded guilty to murder and got three years.
I'm disturbed at how the soldier acted, but i'm more deeply troubled by the sentance.

delakong · Post by **delakong** » 24 Mar 2005 13:08

This doesn't have to do with the soldier but it does have to do with three for murder.

A guy I knew, Jason Bradley, was killed in an auto accident a couple months ago by a drunk driver. He (Albert Toon) hit a sign on the right side of the road, swerved across two lanes (he was in the grass after hitting the sign of course) hit the median and went airborn. His truck landed on top of of Jason's much loved Eagle Talon crushing Jason on the driver's side and minorly injuring his passenger (trapped in car). Mr. Toon got out of his truck and casually started to walk away before being stopped by another motorist. Jason's passenger sat pinned in the car watching as he died of severe injuries. A friend of Jason that was one of the first EMTs on the scene also watched him pass. Mr. Toon is being detained by the police the whole time. How many injuries do you think he had? None. Jason Bradley died before he could be taken out of his mangled pride and joy.

Albert Toon goes to court and gets three years in jail. Death by a Motor Vehicle. His negligence cost the life of a kid that had just completed real estate school. Jason's certificate came either the day after or two days later. He was just about to start his life before some stupid mother fucker killed him. I just don't understand how you can be drunk, kill someone "on accident" and only get three years. What kinda bullshit is this? He should've gone to jail for life.
[/i]