American soldiers accused for killing Afghan civils!

[Asja]

Andrew Holmes, Michael Wagnon, Jeremy Morlock and Adam Winfield are four of the five Stryker soldiers who face murder charges. Photograph: Public Domain

One of five US soldiers accused of being part of a "kill team" that murdered unarmed Afghan civilians for sport and collected body parts as trophies appeared before a military tribunal today.

Jeremy Morlock has already confessed to involvement in killings in which he and other members of a Stryker infantry brigade based in Kandahar province are alleged to have blown up and shot three Afghan civilians in separate attacks this year. They are also accused of collecting body parts, including fingers from their victims and a skull and leg bones of other Afghans killed in the war.

Morlock, 22, is accused of hatching the plan to create the kill team in league with a staff sergeant, Calvin Gibbs, 25, who had boasted of similar activity while serving in Iraq. A total of 12 soldiers face charges over the killings; five with carrying them out and seven with attempting to cover them up as well as other crimes such as taking drugs.

Members of the kill team are also accused of posing next to the bodies of their victims as if they are hunting trophies.

Today's hearing was called to decide whether Morlock should face a full court martial for the three murders and related charges, including assaulting a fellow soldier to prevent him from informing his superiors about various crimes and "wrongfully photographing and possessing visual images of human casualties".

In a video of Morlock's interrogation released by military prosecutors, the soldier described how one of the victims, an Afghan man, was selected to die, brought out of his home and stood next to a wall.

"We identified the guy and Gibbs said: 'You want to wax this guy or what?'", said Morlock. "He set it up. He grabbed the dude and set the whole scenario up ... He was next to a wall – where Gibbs could get behind to cover after a grenade went off."

Morlock said other soldiers were cleared out of the way before Gibbs killed the man.

"He pulled out one of his grenades and popped it, threw the grenade and then he tells me that we have waxed this guy; killed the guy," said Morlock.

The soldier told the interrogators that the victim was unarmed, co-operative and not a threat.

According to military investigators, Morlock was also directly responsible for killing an Afghan with a grenade handed to him by Gibbs.

Gibbs is also accused of all three murders including one of an unarmed man who he shot and then placed a Kalashnikov rifle next to the body to justify the killing.

Morlock's lawyer, Michael Waddington, said the statements made in the video are unreliable because his client was in a haze of prescription drugs, including anti-depressants and painkillers, to cope with combat wounds. Waddington said Morlock's memory was "foggy".

The five soldiers accused of murder face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

 

[queenislam]

May Allah swt protect all muslim~Amin!


:salam2:

A sad and tragic news!

quote:
The five soldiers accused of murder face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

But
Alhamdulillah!
Justice will be serve to the wrong doers!


:tti_sister:~May Allah swt protect all muslim~Amin!

Thank you for sharing this post sister
~May Allah swt reward you~Amin!

Take Care!
~Wassalam

 

[Asja]

Assalamu allaicum wa raamatullah wa baarkatuhu dear sister.

Ameen for your kind duas for our Ummah.

It is indeed, more than sad what is happening to our Muslim brothers and sisters in suffer,and acts of American soldiers is a monstroum act.More from that they were killing innconect people,how it was reported that they were doing that out of fun, Astagfirullah.

May Allahs punishment rich them on both worlds, and may Allah protect our Ummah. ameen summa ameen

Wa allaicumu salam wa raahmatullah wa baarakatuhu

 

[Abdul25]

Need to write also who is supporting the Americans.. All so called Muslim countries are the supporters and allies of america. why people always blame america when we ourselves are providing them with every possible help in return of some dollars. the hands of all so called Muslim countries are red with the blood of Muslims, and also need to write when Muslims are killed by Muslim armies then who is responsible for whom. didn't they all believe in Allah SWT and last prophet.. need to read our (Muslim history) full of blood shed . well i see it is very easy to blame some one and then sit and watch TV. The real culprits are the so called Muslim countries who allowed such things and are allowing such things .

 

[Asja]

Need to write also who is supporting the Americans.. All so called Muslim countries are the supporters and allies of america. why people always blame america when we ourselves are providing them with every possible help in return of some dollars. the hands of all so called Muslim countries are red with the blood of Muslims, and also need to write when Muslims are killed by Muslim armies then who is responsible for whom. didn't they all believe in Allah SWT and last prophet.. need to read our (Muslim history) full of blood shed . well i see it is very easy to blame some one and then sit and watch TV. The real culprits are the so called Muslim countries who allowed such things and are allowing such things .

Assalamu allaicum wa raahmatullah wa baarakatuhu

Jazzak Allah khair dear brother for your reply.

I agree with you brother, that for many things it is responsability of us Muslims as well, because we are not giving enough effort to help our Muslim sisters and brothers who are in need, which is not only fault of our Goverment but of Muslim citizens as well. Muslims are not united us they should be, they are leaving thier own Muslim countries to live in Kaffirs countries and working for good of thier countries, which many of they are not even giving Muslims pronicple rights, to live Islam as thier way of life,and forbiding them to practise thier religion. Wa la hawla wa la kuwata illabillah. Muslims should try to no leave thier own countries, but to live for thier country, for thier people,and give efforts in establishing Shariah as Allahs law. But SubhanAllah, as we all know that is very hard to make it possible.

As you have said dear brother, Muslims are on some way working for non Muslim countries, and more from that, its Goverment is helping America with reaching thier goals,and taking life of Muslims in every sense of that word.

But we should not forget to blame Americans and other as well, for all horrible crimes that they than upon all Muslims for years.

Allah subahan wa teala sais: Truly, Allah does not change the condition of one people until they change what is in themselves.” (Surah Al Rad,ayah 11)

May Allah help us to first start from ourselves and changing our behaviour,and guide us to help our Muslim sisters and brothers, not only with our words but with our deeds too. ameen summa ameen

May Allah protect our Ummah.:tti_sister:

 

[JenGiove]

Sister,
Thank you for posting this. How aweful! I'm glad these men are getting what they deserve! It is unfortunate that this kind of behaviour from small sections of the American military do this. It happened during Vet.Nam and its happening now. There was no cause and there is no excuse.

I hope they burn for a VERY long time!

 

[JenGiove]

UPDATE: Army Court halts case in Afgan 'fun' killings of civilians

:salam2:

I found this in the Sunday edition of the Frederick News-Post and since it involves this case, I thought I'd type it up for you.

HEADLINE: Army court halts case in Afghan 'fun' killings of civilians

Seattle (AP)- An Army appeals court has halted the prosecution of one of five soldiers charged with killing Afghan civiliansfor fun earlier this year, taking the unusual step after his lawyer argued that the Army's refusal to make gruesome photographs public violated his client's right to an open trial.

Pfc. Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, faced a preliminary hearing earlier this month to determine whether there's enough evidence to send his case to a court martial. His lawyer, Dan Conway, objected because the Army barred him from showing photographs that he says help prove his client did not kill one of the civilians. Conway said 10 or so pictures of the victim do not appear to show any bullet wounds that could have come from the heavy machine gun Holmes was carrying.

Conway asked the Army Court of Criminal Appeals to step in and halt the proceedings or order the Army to let him present the photos. The court ordered a stay Friday and told the Army to respond to Conway's arguments within 20 days.

"We're very pleased the Army Court of Criminal Appeals will consider this," Conway said. "It's a very serious issue when an American soldier is denied his constitutional rights to a public trial and to present exculpatory evidence."

The Army has kept a tight lid on dozens of photos seized from soldiers in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord infantry platoon because it fears their publication could provoke violent anti-American backlash.

 

[alf2]

FINALLY! Some justice!

Of course, the death of the innocent Afghans is tragic. Insha'Allah they were right with their deen and will see Jannah. As for the soldiers, I hope they're convicted and the legal system hasnt gone to the dogs.

 

[JenGiove]

UPDATE: Stryker Soldier pleads GUILTY!!

:salam2:

I need to warn you, some of the detailed contained in this article are stomach turning..

http://www.military.com/news/articl...-in-thrill-killing.html?ESRC=sm_todayinmil.nlStryker Soldier Pleads Guilty in Thrill Killing

September 23, 2011
Associated Press|by Gene Johnson



JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. -- An Idaho Soldier among five charged in the thrill-killings of Afghan civilians last year pleaded guilty to a murder charge Thursday, confessing in court that he fired a heavy machine gun at a startled, unarmed man from 15 feet away after a co-defendant tossed a grenade at him.


"I knew I should have taken cover, but instead I pulled the trigger," Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, told the judge.


The Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Seattle were arrested in Afghanistan last year, after prosecutors said they killed three civilians for sport during patrols in January, February and May.


Holmes, 21, was accused of directly participating in the first killing, and he was initially charged with conspiracy, premeditated murder and other charges. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to murder by an inherently dangerous act, possessing a finger bone from his victim, and smoking hashish.


Holmes told the judge, Lt. Col. Kwasi Hawks, that one of the ringleaders of the plot, then-Cpl. Jeremy Morlock, had frequently talked about killing civilians and suggested ways they could do it. As they left on patrol on Jan. 15, 2010, Morlock told Holmes to grab an illicitly obtained grenade out of his tent because "something might happen" -- and Holmes complied: "I didn't know what was going to happen, but I had a terrible feeling that Corporal Morlock was up to no good."


Later, as they patrolled a village in Kandahar Province, Morlock stood by a low wall along a field and called for Holmes. It was a cold day, Holmes said, and he was sweating and out of breath when he took a knee beside Morlock. He said he saw Morlock fiddling with something out of the corner of his eye -- "I suspected it was the grenade, but I was hoping it was his radio."


The grenade it was. Morlock tossed it at a young man standing near the other side of the wall -- even though the man was obviously unarmed and posed no threat, Holmes said. Then, he ordered Holmes to shoot.


"I looked at the young man. He was standing there like a deer in the headlights," Holmes told the judge in a clear, steady voice. "I fired six to eight rounds at the man, and I've regretted it ever since."


Holmes and Morlock then posed for a photographs holding up the head of the victim. Holmes' lawyer, Dan Conway, has insisted he was ordered to pose.


Holmes was expected to be sentenced Friday. No sentencing recommendations by prosecutors or the defense under the terms of the plea deal were immediately disclosed. Under military law, a person can be convicted of murder even if the act is not premeditated -- if, for example, the actions of the defendant were taken in disregard of human life.


The charges against the five Soldiers from what was formerly known as the 5th Stryker Brigade -- since renamed the 2nd Stryker Brigade -- are among the most serious war crimes charges to emerge from the Afghan war.


Prosecutors say that in addition to killing three men, some of the defendants kept body parts severed from the corpses as well as photographs kept as war trophies. Drug use was rampant in the unit, and one Soldier who blew the whistle on hash-smoking by his comrades was beaten up and threatened in retaliation.


Morlock has admitted taking part in the three killings and agreed to testify against his co-defendants in exchange for a 24-year sentence. Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs of Billings, Mont., is the highest ranking Soldier charged in the killings, and Morlock and others said he was the mastermind. Gibbs denies wrongdoing.


Spc. Adam Winfield of Cape Coral, Fla., told his parents about the plot in Facebook messages after the first killing, and his father immediately reported it to Lewis-McChord. But the alert was not reported up the chain of command, and the plot did not come to light until months later, when two more victims had been killed.


Winfield admitted participating in the last killing, saying he thought Gibbs might kill him if he didn't, and he pleaded guilty this summer to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years.


Holmes also pleaded guilty to drug use and keeping a finger bone severed from a corpse. He told the judge Gibbs gave him the finger, and he took it only because Gibbs insisted.


Conway said it was a "tough pill to swallow" for Holmes to plead guilty to murder, but prosecutors would not agree to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.


He blamed Holmes' troubles on the unluckiness of being assigned to a unit with Morlock.


"Andy Holmes joined the Army as a healthy, good-natured, 18-year-old kid who liked to play golf and go fishing," Conway said after court Thursday. "He may be leaving the Army as a felon."

© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[Aapa]

Assalaam walaikum,

Thank you for having the courage to post this.

I read about it yesterday. It is not the first case nor is it the last. It is not limited to the US. When men fight and they are leaderless they do not know what they are fighting. They are not focused. And the base elements take over.

And in Afghanistan we have a group of Muslims who fight to right wrong. They know why they fight.