Iraq war crimes case: marine freed

Source: uk press

A marine sergeant convicted of murder in one of the biggest war crimes cases to emerge from the Iraq war was allowed to walk free by a US military judge, nearly two months after a military appeals court ruled he had an unfair trial.

The surprise decision to release Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins deals another blow to Washington's prosecution of US troops accused of killing unarmed Iraqis.

Attorneys for the government have said Hutchins led a squad of seven troops who killed a 52-year-old man in the Iraqi village of Hamdania in 2006, and then planted a shovel and AK-47 to make it appear he was an insurgent.

"I'm going to be the best marine I can be today," an elated Hutchins said after being released from his cell at Camp Pendleton. "Today is really a surreal experience. I think we had a good judge. It's hard to describe exactly what I'm feeling. I'm happy."

...

The US Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington ruled in April that Hutchins was not given a fair trial because his lead defence lawyer left the case shortly before his 2007 trial. The Navy is appealing against the ruling.

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> a squad of seven troops who killed a 52-year-old man in the Iraqi village
> of Hamdania in 2006, and then planted a shovel and AK-47 to make it appear
> he was an insurgent.

> Hutchins had been serving an 11-year sentence. The others in his squad
> served less than 18 months.

> Hutchins' defence attorney, Captain Babu Kaza ... said he and Hutchins,
> both Roman Catholics, prayed with a rosary at Monday's hearing before
> the judge announced his decision.

> "I think we had a good judge."

Yet some people will still say "Why Do They Hate Us?"