enhanced_deficit
07-16-2015, 07:17 PM
Rules sometimes don't apply to war in Iraq, Marine jury told
It took a Marine jury less than two hours to decide that after 2,627 days behind bars, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins had been punished enough for killing an unarmed Iraqi man in 2006.
The jury’s sentence Thursday: a bad-conduct discharge and time-served. Prosecutors had asked the jury to impose a dishonorable discharge and additional time in prison, possibly close to four years.
During a daylong penalty phase hearing, jurors heard blunt testimony from a staff sergeant and a major suggesting that, in Iraq, following the official rules of engagement is not always a strategy for coming home alive.
By custom, Marine juries do not discuss their verdicts publicly so it is unknown what influence certain testimony might have had. The jurors – three officers and three senior enlisted personnel – are all veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, or both.
The two witnesses were Staff Sgt. Saul Lopez and Maj. Zaher Bouza, both veterans of multiple combat deployments.
Lopez served with Hutchins in Hamandiya, Iraq, but was not part of the squad that later was charged with murder. Bouza was born in the Middle East and has made 10 deployments as a Marine to the region, including one to Iraq that concluded only weeks ago.
..
“The reality is you have to adapt to the enemy to survive,” he said.
After the killing, attacks against Marines declined, Lopez said. “Everything was really quiet,” Lopez said.
Marines credited Hutchins, the squad leader, he said.
One of the prosecutors, Maj. Samson Newsome, protested that Lopez was suggesting an “ends justify the means” rationale.
“Do you know that every Marine who participated is now a convicted felon?” he asked forcefully.
“They’re alive, sir,” Lopez answered.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-iraqi-killing-20150619-story.html
Related
Marines at Al Taqaddum advise Iraqis behind Ramadi takeback effort (http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/07/16/marines-transform-iraq-base-into-center-operations/30243521/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=)
July 16, 2015
U.S. Marine from Iraq deploys in support of Operation Inherent Resolve
13 July, 2015
http://www.marines.mil/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/3258/Article/608105/us-marine-from-iraq-deploys-in-support-of-operation-inherent-resolve.aspx
It took a Marine jury less than two hours to decide that after 2,627 days behind bars, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins had been punished enough for killing an unarmed Iraqi man in 2006.
The jury’s sentence Thursday: a bad-conduct discharge and time-served. Prosecutors had asked the jury to impose a dishonorable discharge and additional time in prison, possibly close to four years.
During a daylong penalty phase hearing, jurors heard blunt testimony from a staff sergeant and a major suggesting that, in Iraq, following the official rules of engagement is not always a strategy for coming home alive.
By custom, Marine juries do not discuss their verdicts publicly so it is unknown what influence certain testimony might have had. The jurors – three officers and three senior enlisted personnel – are all veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, or both.
The two witnesses were Staff Sgt. Saul Lopez and Maj. Zaher Bouza, both veterans of multiple combat deployments.
Lopez served with Hutchins in Hamandiya, Iraq, but was not part of the squad that later was charged with murder. Bouza was born in the Middle East and has made 10 deployments as a Marine to the region, including one to Iraq that concluded only weeks ago.
..
“The reality is you have to adapt to the enemy to survive,” he said.
After the killing, attacks against Marines declined, Lopez said. “Everything was really quiet,” Lopez said.
Marines credited Hutchins, the squad leader, he said.
One of the prosecutors, Maj. Samson Newsome, protested that Lopez was suggesting an “ends justify the means” rationale.
“Do you know that every Marine who participated is now a convicted felon?” he asked forcefully.
“They’re alive, sir,” Lopez answered.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-iraqi-killing-20150619-story.html
Related
Marines at Al Taqaddum advise Iraqis behind Ramadi takeback effort (http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/07/16/marines-transform-iraq-base-into-center-operations/30243521/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=)
July 16, 2015
U.S. Marine from Iraq deploys in support of Operation Inherent Resolve
13 July, 2015
http://www.marines.mil/News/NewsDisplay/tabid/3258/Article/608105/us-marine-from-iraq-deploys-in-support-of-operation-inherent-resolve.aspx