Reuters: Marine accused of shooting older Iraqi pleads guilty

Marine accused of shooting older Iraqi pleads guilty

1 hour, 58 minutes ago

CAMP PENDLETON, California (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine who shot as many as 10 bullets
into an Iraqi grandfather dragged from his house in the middle of the night pleaded
guilty on Thursday to murder and other criminal charges.

Cpl. Trent Thomas was charged with murder, kidnapping and other charges in the April
2006 death of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in Hamdania, Iraq. According to earlier testimony
in the case, Thomas shot up to 10 bullets into the man, who was a neighbor of a man
Marines had sought to kidnap and kill.

The case in which seven Marines and a Navy medic have been charged is one of a series
from the Iraq war in which U.S. military personnel is accused of crimes or abuses
of Iraqi civilians.

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He made his plea at a hearing at Camp Pendleton north of San Diego. Court proceedings
were to continue in the matter on Thursday afternoon.