Soldiers defense for murder :: Sleep-deprived and dehydrated

The leadership of the US troops in Iraq continue putting our soldiers in danger. First by not planning, then by not not supplying needed equipment and now by abusing them as pawns without consideration that they are humans.

Exhausted soldiers try to get rest while on patrol in Iraq, May 2007.
Michael Kamber / New York Times / Redux

This is from a Time Magazine article about the trial of Sgt. Evan Vela

As the first day of testimony in what is expected to be a four day trial kicked off on Friday before an eight-person jury of both officers and enlisted soldiers.

Part of an elite parachute infantry sniper-scout platoon, Sgt. Evan Vela is accused of murdering an unarmed Iraqi that his five-man squad had taken captive after the man breached their hideout.

Vela's civilian defense attorney James Culp argued that his client was not guilty of murdering Genei Nesir Khudair Al-Janabi because, at the time Vela pulled the trigger, he was so sleep-deprived and dehydrated after four days of non-stop battlefield action that he was neither in control of his actions nor fully aware of what he was doing. "It was a terrible accident," Culp said outside the courtroom during a recess, "but Evan didn't intentionally shoot anyone."

On the witness stand, Sgt. Robert Redfern, another soldier on that patrol, described a combat schedule leading up to the shooting that tested the limits of human endurance. In great detail, he chronicled two back-to-back two-day missions that included nighttime hikes while carrying 150 lb. packs in what may be the most dangerous area of the country. During the day, the soldiers had no choice but to bake in the open sun in 120 degree heat as they tried to conserve the three or four liters of water per man they had carried in. And, since they were either traveling or conducting surveillance around the clock, no one was allowed to sleep more than 15 minutes at a time. "By the second day, I could barely stand," said Redfern. Some soldiers began administering hydrating IVs to each other just to stay mobile and fend off headaches. By sunup of the fourth day, the ailing group holed up in a hideout to try to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Each soldier took a one hour guard roation while the others slept.

That's when Al-Janabi startled the group. There is conflicting testimony over who was supposed to be on guard at the time, but Sgt. Michael Hensley, the group's commanding officer, pinned the man down and searched him. Some time after that, Vela shot him in the head with a nine mm. pistol.

In his testimony today, Hensley, one of the soldiers already acquitted for his role in the death (but guilty of planting the AK-47), endeavored to justify the killing, saying that Al-Janabi would not stop yelling, crying and "flopping around like a fish" despite repeated efforts to silence him. It was then that Hensley says he decided, for the safety of his men, that Al-Janabi had to die. "I thought that he was trying alert insurgents," Hensley said. "I felt like I had no choice or we would be further compromised." He says he asked Vela, who had a pistol trained on the man, if he was ready, and then he told him to shoot. Vela pulled the trigger and the man died of that single bullet to the head. When asked why he didn't shoot Al-Janabi himself, Hensley said, "Vela happened to be the one with the pistol. I would have gladly shot him myself."

Iraq's Minister of Human Rights, Wijdan Mikhail Salim, however, does not see the case as either a justified kill or a horrific accident by an exhaustion-impaired soldier. She was attending today's proceedings, she told TIME, because, "I want to be sure that any American soldier who wrongs an Iraqi will go on trial. [Vela] killed an Iraqi man, an unarmed man. He must be punished."

A video tribute to soldiers from (just) Connecticut who have died in Iraq

Imagine a video with every soldier-

US Marines Kill civilians trying to surrender - and urinate on them

The US forces in Iraq continue with their bad behavior - and some believe these criminal soldiers are victims themselves of their circumstances. Following the new strategy in American law- some criminals are granted immunity from prosecution if they nark on someone else. Couldn't they just be given a reduced sentence - do they deserve complete immunity?



Marine admits urinating on dead Iraqi at Haditha

A US marine has admitted he urinated on the head of one of 24 Iraqi civilians killed by his unit in Haditha, saying he was motivated by anger over the death of one of his squad members.

Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz, who has immunity from prosecution after murder charges against him were dismissed, also said he watched his squad leader shoot down five Iraqi civilians who were trying to surrender.

In dramatic testimony in a pretrial hearing for one of the seven marines charged in the November 2005 killings and reported cover-up, Sgt Dela Cruz described his bitterness after a roadside bomb ripped Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas, known as 'TJ', into two bloody pieces.

"I know it was a bad thing what I've done, but I done it because I was angry TJ was dead and I pissed on one Iraqi's head," said an unemotional Sgt Dela Cruz in a military courtroom in Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, California.

Sgt Dela Cruz said he had earlier watched squad leader Sergeant Frank Wuterich shoot five men whose hands were up near a car, then admitted to shooting them as they lay on the ground.

Sgt Wuterich "walked to me and told me that if anybody asked, they were running away and the Iraqi Army shot them," testified Sgt Dela Cruz.

Three marines have been charged with murder, and four officers have been charged with dereliction of duty and obstructing the investigation.

Prosecutors contend the killings were revenge for L Cpl Terrazas' death while the marines charged say it was a clearing operation, conducted under lawful orders that had disastrous results.

The Marine Corps initially reported the deaths as a result of the bombing and a firefight with insurgents.

Reporting by Time magazine in January 2006 finally prompted the Marine Corps to investigate the killings.

Sgt Dela Cruz said he was asked four times to lie about what happened in Haditha, although no one asked him about the killings for a time.

Another marine, Sergenant Albert Espinosa, testified that he pressed for an investigation of the killings almost immediately after they occurred in November 2005.

He testified that he was frustrated by the apparent indifference of his commanding officers.

The Cost of Four Years of Fighting in Iraq

WASHINGTON — From the outset, when the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in March 2003, President Bush cautioned that the conflict "could be longer and more difficult than some predict."

Whether the war was necessary and how it has been managed, it is — without a doubt — costly.

American taxpayers are on track by the fall of next year to spend $532 billion on the war, which so far has cost the lives of nearly 3,200 U.S. troops and wounded another 24,000.
A look at the costs:

American casualties

As of March 18, the Pentagon reports that 3,197 American troops have died in Iraq. Of those, some 2,580 were killed in action; others died from accidents, disease or other causes. Another 13,357 troops were wounded and returned to duty within 72 hours, while 10,685 received wounds too serious to be returned to duty in that time.

Iraqi casualties

There are no official numbers on the number of Iraqis killed, but the London-based group, Iraq Body Count, tallies an unofficial count. The group records civilian deaths corroborated by at least two independent news reports. The group estimates that between 58,862 and 64,682 Iraqi civilians have been killed — largely in sectarian and insurgent conflict — since the war began.

The Bill so far

Four years of fighting have cost U.S. taxpayers $351 billion. Bush has requested an additional $68 billion to continue operations through Oct. 1 of this year. That includes $5.6 billion to fund the 21,500-troop increase he announced in January, when there were some 132,000 troops in Iraq. Bush has asked for $113 billion to fund Iraq operations for the 2008 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 — for a total of $532 billion.

Military readiness

Neither the Pentagon nor Central Command — the U.S. military operations responsible for the Middle East — provided figures on the total number of U.S. troops who have participated in the Iraq war since 2003, but 1.5 million have served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Pentagon reports.

That figure includes 631,000 combat troops who have served in Iraq. Many have served two or three tours of duty. The workload has taken its toll on training and preparedness.

"I have seen the classified-only readiness reports," Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, D-Texas, chairman of the readiness subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, said last Wednesday. "We as a nation are at risk of major failure, should our Army be called to deploy to an emerging threat."

Replacement costs

Tanks and other vehicles, aircraft, weapons and other equipment have been worn out, destroyed, lost or turned over to Iraqi units over the course of the war.
Replacing that equipment will cost taxpayers an estimated $60 billion over the coming five years.

"Some of our C-130Es (large cargo planes) can no longer deploy to combat because we have literally flown the wings off of them," Gen. John Corley, the Air Force's vice chief of staff, testified before Ortiz's committee.

The costs down the road

About one in five of U.S. troops injured in Iraq have suffered serious wounds such as loss of a limb or an eye, massive burns, spinal or head damage or other potentially debilitating injury.

The cost of providing medical and other support for these wounded veterans over the course of their lifetimes is projected to run into the hundreds of billions of dollars. These costs have not been factored into U.S. budget projections, but there are early indicators.

In 2000, veterans of all eras posted 578,000 disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last year that figure was 806,000, an increase of 228,000 claims, or 38 percent.

Mental health

Separately, veterans seeking specific VA assistance for mental health issues are expected to rise, from 155,000 requests last year to a projected 209,000 this year and 263,000 in 2008.

The VA is requesting $2.96 billion for mental health spending in fiscal 2008 — up $545 million, or 23 percent, over fiscal 2006 levels.
The spending reflects widespread problems that returning Iraq war veterans face with mental health issues ranging from substance abuse and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The VA's Michael Kussman, acting undersecretary for health, told a House panel on March 8 that nearly 40,000 Iraq war veterans have symptoms of PTSD, the results of which can range from suicide to difficulty in sustaining jobs and relationships.
The number of PTSD cases is certain to rise, as the condition often manifests itself years after a soldier returns from combat.

"We've seen it in Vietnam veterans and every era, including World War II veterans," said Al Batres, the chief officer for readjustment counseling services.
View a biography and photo of each of the coalition forces who lost their lives in Iraq and listen to AP correspondents as they discuss the state of Iraq four years after the start of the war at azstarnet.com/multimedia

American Values - American Interest

"When freedom takes hold, men and women turn to the peaceful pursuit of a better life. American values, and American interests, lead in the same direction" -President G.W. Bush