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US soldier found guilty of murdering unarmed Iraqi garbageman

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NNN0LHI

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:16 PM
Original message

US soldier found guilty of murdering unarmed Iraqi garbageman

Edited on Fri Dec-10-04 03:17 PM by NNN0LHI

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041210/pl_afp/iraqusjustice&cid=1521&ncid=1473

CAMP TAHREER, Iraq (AFP) - A US soldier who said he shot dead an unarmed and wounded Iraqi civilian to "put him out of his misery" was found guilty of murder at a court-martial in Baghdad.

Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne was convicted of the unpremeditated murder of a severely wounded Iraqi civilian in Baghdad's deprived Sadr City district on August 18.

A pre-trial agreement after Horne pleaded guilty will limit the maximum sentence to 10 years. Without the deal, he would have faced a maximum life sentence.

The murder of Kassim Hassan took place when US soldiers spotted a garbage truck apparently dropping homemade bombs in Sadr City, the capital's most populous Shiite Muslim neighbourhood.

more

Hmmm. A US soldier who said he shot dead an unarmed and wounded Iraqi civilian to "put him out of his misery". This fuckers defense was he was just putting this Iraqi to sleep like you take your sick dog to the vet and have it put out of it misery. He acts like it was perfectly natural. And he killed the garbageman! Hope this prick is making little ones out of big ones for a long goddamn time. This motherfucker and his comrades that did this are worse than fucking Nazis. Congratulations America. You are in the process of outdoing Hitler. Sleep well.

Don

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gaia_gardener

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:25 PM
Response to Original message

1. I heard it was a 16 year old

My first thought was "you thought he was beyond help? Are you a medic, how did you know?", then I thought "wait, what is he, an animal? You put him out of his 'misery' by shooting him?". Okay, so maybe the military needs to be given painkillers to carry around with them to help with wounded civilians that are this hurt.

Of course, the reality is that our troops are beginning to dehumanize the Iraqis. We saw it in Abu Ghraib and we're seeing it here. I would think that to a certain extent service men and women do have to distance themselves from what they're doing - killing people. Dehumanizing them is just the natural extension of distancing yourself from what you're doing.

THIS is why I'm against war, all war. This is why I'm a pacifist.

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Name removed

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:36 PM
Response to Reply #1

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

melnjones

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:41 PM
Response to Reply #10

15. you're not supposed to be here,

ARE you?

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Sideways

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:45 PM
Response to Reply #15

22. Please Alert On Poster

EOM

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Solon

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:44 PM
Response to Reply #10

19. OK, this post takes the cake...

even if the Isolationanists(Republicans) won and we never entered WW2, or never fought it, neither of your situations would have occured. How the hell could either country have actually invaded us? Please enlighten me about that.

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VegasWolf

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:45 PM
Response to Reply #10

21. Then why don't you go fight for bush's oil? n/t

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Crunchy Frog

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:18 PM
Response to Reply #10

31. I thank this young soldier too.

After all, he's the only reason I'm not wearing a burqua and speaking Iraquese by now.:crazy:

By the way, classy way to begin contributing on these threads. I expect you'll be with us for a long time.:hi:

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NickB79

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:18 PM
Response to Reply #10

32. If you read your history books

Edited on Fri Dec-10-04 04:20 PM by NickB79

You'd notice the difference is that THE AXIS FORCES ATTACKED US FIRST!!! When, when did Iraq attack us? We were attacked by Al Queda, not Iraq; there wasn't even ONE Iraqi citizen onboard the flights that crashed on 9/11.

By your logic, this is how we would have responded in WWII: Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, so we declare war on Brazil. Huh? Yes, sometimes war is inevitable and must be carried out to protect our nation. WWII was one of those times; this is NOT one of those times.

Ugh, I just read his profile, and he's from St. Paul, just up the road from me. What a disappointment.

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0007

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Fri Dec-10-04 08:48 PM
Response to Reply #32

49. Most Minnesotans are smarter than that! But then again who

voted for Norm Coleman? You know, the Senator with a mouth full of smegma

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eauclaireliberal

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Fri Dec-10-04 07:34 PM
Response to Reply #10

43. Better yet!

Edited on Fri Dec-10-04 07:41 PM by eauclaireliberal

DU could have what another of my favorite forums (libertyforum.org)does-a forum called "Trollistan"

Any asswipe who decides to act like a troll has his posts moved to the particular forum to be flamed. Just a thought.

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eauclaireliberal

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Fri Dec-10-04 07:42 PM
Response to Reply #43

44. Repeat post, please delete

Edited on Fri Dec-10-04 07:43 PM by eauclaireliberal

sorry.

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melnjones

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:47 PM
Response to Reply #1

23. well stated...

I think sometimes it's too easy to demonetize the men and women in our armed forces when we have no freaking idea what they have been put through in this process. Normal human beings are capable of incredible evil given extreme circumstances. While their actions can't be excused, be need to put the real blame where it should be- those who CREATED the circumstances.

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Just Me

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Fri Dec-10-04 07:55 PM
Response to Reply #23

45. Personal responsibility must be meted,...top to bottom.

Justice requires consistent enforcement of the rule of law without regard to class, status, race, religion, sex, etc. Yes?

Unfortunately, personal responsibility is being meted,...by those avoiding personal responsibility for the impact not only their criminal activity has, but also their influence (for the "love of money and success") is having upon humanity. Common human decency or noble principle are set aside and excused 'cause "it's just a means to make a living".

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saigon68

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Fri Dec-10-04 08:17 PM
Response to Reply #23

46. That's crap

The same shit these nice young 17 year old SS people used to excuse their gassing and burning of Jews

Naked women (some are holding their infants) waiting in line to be shot near the ravine at Babi Yar.

Soldiers in the act of shooting Jewish civilians into a pit

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NNN0LHI

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Fri Dec-10-04 06:54 PM
Response to Reply #1

40. The 16 year old girl was another "mercy killing". Here is the link

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=3&u=/ap/20041210/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

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gaia_gardener

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Fri Dec-10-04 08:27 PM
Response to Reply #40

48. We both had a mixup

Staff Sgt. Horne killed the 16yo (Horne is the name in the original post). There was a separate killing of a garbage man (that was Capt Maynulet).

Damn, this is out of hand over there.

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flordehinojos

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:25 PM
Response to Original message

2. 10 years?!!!!! and with GOOD BEHAVIOR (more murders?) he will get off in

six months...after all, Bush requests, he delivers!

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Judi Lynn

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:27 PM
Response to Original message

3. Very, very sad one, Don. It's an illegal, immoral, and frankly bogus war.

The soldiers started shooting at the truck, which caught fire, and Horne said he pulled a severely wounded Hassan out of the burning truck.

"About seven or eight minutes later, he fell to the ground," said Horne.

"When I found him, I came to the conclusion that he needed to be put out of his misery," Horne said. "I fired a shot into his head and his attempts to breathe ceased."
(snip)

A forensic psychiatrist who interviewed Horne said that he had "lost his sense of professional distance from victims ... he showed signs of being emotionally overwhelmed ... there is no indication he is prone to violence".
(snip)

Rate the story, if you're inclined, and "pray" for _Bush's gawd to wake _Bush the hell up.

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nothingshocksmeanymore

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:28 PM
Response to Original message

4. So in ten years..likely much less..this crazy bastard..sorry war hero..

will be walking OUR streets....SWEEEEEET

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Name removed

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:30 PM
Response to Original message

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

peacebird

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:33 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. i smell a troll

who here stated they supported killing mentally ill children? anyone? funny - i must've missed that.... all i saw was people being horrified that this soldier shot a wounded man in the head.

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Flagg

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:39 PM
Response to Reply #7

13. So we hateamerica because we don't condone the murder of Iraqi civilians ?

You logic doesn't resemble our earth logic freepers.
:crazy:

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peacebird

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:44 PM
Response to Reply #13

20. hopefully you are referring to the texas boys comments and not mine?

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Sideways

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:47 PM
Response to Reply #7

24. Please Hit Alert On The Poster

EOM

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Judi Lynn

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:49 PM
Response to Reply #7

26. I've never seen it, either. I'm sure it's never been written anywhere

outside the "Psychopath News." That just didn't happen at D.U. Not once.

Do you smell something on this thread? It's a little rank!

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NNN0LHI

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:34 PM
Response to Reply #5

8. Its called murder. This scum was found guilty of murder

And you defend him? Bet you just adore Timmy McVeigh.

Don

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melnjones

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:36 PM
Response to Reply #5

9. Um...

did he SAY he wasn't against putting terminally ill kids to sleep? You are making assumptions. Besides, war doesn't excuse wrong actions. It may make them understandable given the circumstance and human fallibility, but it doesn't excuse anything.

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gaia_gardener

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:36 PM
Response to Reply #5

11. Show me where they're putting mentally

deficient kids "to sleep". They are looking into practicing euthanasia on terminally ill kids - kids that are in so much pain that in order to help them to not have pain they must be given a lethal dose of painkiller.

If this soldier were medically trained, I would not have as big a problem. He used his layman's judgment, period. He has no way of knowing whether the medics could have helped this man or not.

Now, I do believe soldiers should be allowed to carry around painkillers (such as morphine) to give to wounded civilians to "take the edge off" until they get to the medical professionals. Only the medical professionals can judge whether someone could be helped or not.

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Crunchy Frog

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:33 PM
Response to Reply #11

36. When it becomes acceptable to blow out the brains

of wounded American soldiers to "put them out of their misery", it will be acceptable to do the same thing to wounded Iraqis.

Of course, for all we know, that's going to be Rummy's next bright idea for military cost-cutting.

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TahitiNut

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:41 PM
Response to Reply #5

14. No, it's called a "war crime"

... and the Busholini Regime are a cabal of war criminals and accessories.

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tabasco

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:41 PM
Response to Reply #5

16. If not wanting our troops to murder civilians is hating America ...

then I must hate America too. I am a two-time combat vet and I never murdered anybody and would have punished any soldier who did. Let me know how much combat experience you have, Mr. America Lover.

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w4rma

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:43 PM
Response to Reply #5

17. It's a WAR that should have never started.

Edited on Fri Dec-10-04 03:44 PM by w4rma

If it had never started, we wouldn't be talking about a dead Iraqi garbageman and a previously untainted soldier who could have risen to the rank of general, perhaps.

These lives were destroyed by the folks who lied about WMDs to trick Americans into this war.

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Blue_Tires

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:44 PM
Response to Reply #5

18. "It is called a WAR"

and why isn't your tough-guy-behind-the-keyboard ass picking up a rifle and FIGHTING IT???

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nolabels

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:52 PM
Response to Reply #18

27. We are, It's called .........................

You've been indoctrinated into a Psychological Civil War
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=606496

We all know the media sucks, but who believes they engage in covert...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=729470

DU MKULTRA thread-let's talk about mind control, factually now.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1414094

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Blue_Tires

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:02 PM
Response to Reply #27

29. great links!!

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nolabels

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:32 PM
Response to Reply #29

35. They can't steal your heart unless they can find a way to make......

you to think about it differently.

They stole his nation from him but his #1 issue is.........

Dalai Lama's millennium message

by Dalai Lama

Many people seem to be excited about the new millennium, but the new millennium in itself will be nothing special. As we enter into the new millennium things will be the same; there will be nothing unusual. However, if we really want the next millennium to be happier, more peaceful and more harmonious for humankind we will have to make the effort to make it so. This is in our hands, but especially in the hands of the younger generation.

We have had many experiences during this century - constructive as well as extremely destructive ones. We must learn from these experiences. We need to approach the next millennium more holistically, with more openness and farsightedness. If we are going to make the right kind of efforts to make the future of the world better, I believe the following matters are of great importance.

1. While engaging in material progress and taking care of physical well-being we need to pay equal attention to developing peace of mind and thus taking care of the internal aspect of our being.

(snip)
http://www.spiritual-endeavors.org/basic/dali-new-mil.htm

I am not a very religious person, but I do know there are some people out there that do come up with some original notions that one might like to look into

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democracyindanger

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:49 PM
Response to Reply #5

25. So why aren't you in Iraq?

I smell big mouth, no guts hypocrisy.

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NickB79

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:22 PM
Response to Reply #25

33. 122nd Playstation 2 Battalion, stationed out of his parent's basement

Reporting for duty, sir!

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Tyler Durden

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:12 PM
Response to Reply #5

30. As a veteran, I would just like to say....

Blow me.

And your profile says MN not TX.

You and others like you make me ashamed to have served in the military.

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Crunchy Frog

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Fri Dec-10-04 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #5

34. I smell a little something else.

Can't say what it is though.

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melnjones

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:31 PM
Response to Original message

6. as awful as this is,

I can't help but wonder how much his judgment has been impaired by the trauma of seeing everything he's seen in Iraq. Not that that would excuse what he did, but it frustrates me when our men and women are in this situation to begin with, as the stress and trauma of it really messes a person up.

However, to say that this soldier is worse than the Nazis? That, my friend, is out of line. This man, out of what he (at that time and in his frame of mind) considered "compassion" killed a man who he described as--- "Everywhere from his ribs to his hip was a hole ... you could see his intestines and spinal cord ... it looked like his skin had just melted off ... everything pretty much fell out of his stomach." --- On top of that, he consulted his superior prior to killing him. Wrong? In my opinion, it was still wrong, but to compare him to Hitler is absolutely outrageous IMO.

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Name removed

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Fri Dec-10-04 05:31 PM
Response to Reply #6

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

luaneryder

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:38 PM
Response to Original message

12. The next story I want to see

is "* Sentenced to Multiple Life Sentences for War Crimes." SSG Horne is most likely one of many.

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vpigrad

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Fri Dec-10-04 03:53 PM
Response to Original message

28. As we see again...

the perfect example of the type of person that will swear to kill for bush.

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Disturbed

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Fri Dec-10-04 05:13 PM
Response to Reply #28

37. Mercy killing or murder?

?

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rodeodance

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Fri Dec-10-04 05:26 PM
Response to Reply #37

38. it is an immoral situation that the invasion has these troops in!!

U.S. Soldier's Plea Hurts Efforts in Iraq

"http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=2&u=/ap/20041210/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
Dec 10, 2004

By PAUL GARWOOD, Associated Press Writer

......Garlasco, speaking from New York, said there were 1,000 "questionable deaths" of Iraqi civilians at the hands of military forces between the start of the war in March 2003 until the fall of Baghdad three weeks later. The deteriorating security situation has made it impossible to count such deaths since then, he said.

"There are a lot of 19-year-old troops out there with weapons who are very scared and are facing a concealed enemy who is attacking them while not following any international standards of warfare," Garlasco said. "This doesn't excuse them, but it shows there is a level of understanding."

Another human rights group, London-based Amnesty International, said killings like the one in Fallujah must be treated as war crimes and the perpetrators brought to justice.

"A wounded person who doesn't pose a threat to the other side should not be killed, they are no longer a combatant," said Amnesty's Middle East program director, Abdul Salam Sid Ahmed......

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NNN0LHI

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Fri Dec-10-04 06:57 PM
Response to Reply #38

41. Well as long as they keep joining up Chimpy will gladly keep sending them

Thats the way it works.

Don

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vpigrad

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Fri Dec-10-04 08:18 PM
Response to Reply #41

47. And that's why...

those idiots that swear to kill for him are ultimately responsible, because without them, Bushie's reign of terror could not exist.

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essarhaddon

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Fri Dec-10-04 07:29 PM
Response to Original message

42. I wonder

How many guys like this will return home and will miss "putting people out of their misery". Scary.

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struggle4progress

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Sun Dec-12-04 12:41 AM
Response to Original message

50. kick

:kick:

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