U.S. Soldier Found Guilty of Murder in Iraq Killings
Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. was convicted of murder Friday for his part in the shooting deaths of four Iraqis in 2007. The 28-year-old Army medic, one of a group of soldiers to face charges in the case, admitted that he shot one of the victims in the back of the head, but Leahy's lawyer argued that combat stress had destroyed his client's capacity to reason properly.Sgt. Michael Leahy Jr. was convicted of murder Friday for his part in the shooting deaths of four Iraqis in 2007. The 28-year-old Army medic, one of a group of soldiers to face charges in the case, admitted that he shot one of the victims in the back of the head, but Leahy’s lawyer argued that combat stress had destroyed his client’s capacity to reason properly.
Dig, Root, GrowBBC:
The victims were a group of Iraqis who were detained briefly and questioned over an attack on a Baghdad military base.
Leahy was one of a group of soldiers who took detainees away after it was decided there was not enough evidence to charge them.
Blindfolded and gagged, the four were then shot and dumped in a canal.
During interrogation in January 2008, Leahy told military investigators he had shot an Iraqi in the back of the head with a pistol.
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The president may not want war with Iran, but he does want to push the regime into submission and tout U.S. military dominance to his base.
Meanwhile, thousands of Iraqi anti-government protesters call on both Iran and America to leave the country.
There's no justification for Qassem Soleimani's assassination, and if we avoid another war in the Middle East, we'll have Tehran to thank.
As a candidate in 2016, he praised war crimes and expressed a desire to commit some of his own. No one can claim surprise or betrayal now.
However Iran chooses to respond to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, America's influence in the region is guaranteed to deteriorate.
Rocket falls near U.S. Embassy in Iraq hours after funeral for Qassem Soleimani at which crowd chants "Death to America, death to Israel."
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