- Reaction score
- 10,116
- Points
- 1,160
(American soldiers throw Iraq men over a bridge, one dies. "Just following orders")
U.S. SOLDIER CHARGED IN DROWNING OF IRAQI BLAMES SUPERIORS
Fort Carson, Colo (AP)
One of four U.S. soldiers charged with pushing two Iraqis into a river, where on of them drowned, said he was ordered to do so and told what to say to officials looking into the death, an army investigator testified Wednesday.
Spc. Terry Bowman said he "was told by his chain of command what version to give" investigators, Sgt. Irene Cintron of the army's Criminal Investigation Command said during a teleconference from Iraq as the military convened a hearing to determine whether the soldiers will be court-martialled.
Bowman said he had been ordered to push the men into the Tigris River, Cintron said.
It was not disclosed who gave the order. Three of the soldier's commanders have received non-judicial punishments for their roles in the incident. None of those punishments include jail time.
Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins, 33, 1st Lieut. Jack Saville, 23, and Sgt. Reggie Martinez, 24, are charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Jan 3 drowning death of a man identified by family members in Iraq as Zaidoun Fadel Hassoun 19.
Bowman, 21, is charged with assault for allegedly pushing the second man into the river at the same time. That man, a cousin of Hassoun named Marwan Fadel Hassoun, 23, survived the incident and described the events to The Associated Press.
Marwan Hassoun said he tried to help his cousin swim to safety, only to lose his grip as the soldiers watched and laughed. "They were behaving like they were watching a comedy on stage," he told the AP several weeks ago.
Perkins, Martinez and Bowman appeared at Wednesday's Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a civilian grand jury hearing. Saville's hearing is tentatively scheduled for Sept 9. The four soldiers face between 5 1/2 years and 26 1/2 years in prison if they are tried and convicted.
Cintron said investigators learned of the death in an e-mail from the victims family. She said she met with Marwan Hassoun on Jan 16; he told her how they were stopped after obtaining supplies in Baghdad and then driver to the bridge several kilometres north of Samarra.
Marwan Hassoun said he watched the soldiers push his cousin into the water and then he was pushed in, Cintron testified. He said he could hear his cousin screaming. "He said it was eight metres deep and at no point did he feel the bottom of the river". she said
She described the drop from the bridge as being about three metres.
After he got out on the bank, Hassoun said he could hear the soldiers above laughing as they drove away. He said he went back to a checkpoint "soaking wet from the river" and reported what happened, Cintron said.
His cousin's body was found about five kilometres downriver.
Martinez initially told investigators neither he nor anyone in his platoon pushed anyone in the river, Cintron said. A week later, on Jan 23, Martinez said he had gone to the river's edge with the men, "kicked one in the butt" but the man jumped in on his own.
U.S. SOLDIER CHARGED IN DROWNING OF IRAQI BLAMES SUPERIORS
Fort Carson, Colo (AP)
One of four U.S. soldiers charged with pushing two Iraqis into a river, where on of them drowned, said he was ordered to do so and told what to say to officials looking into the death, an army investigator testified Wednesday.
Spc. Terry Bowman said he "was told by his chain of command what version to give" investigators, Sgt. Irene Cintron of the army's Criminal Investigation Command said during a teleconference from Iraq as the military convened a hearing to determine whether the soldiers will be court-martialled.
Bowman said he had been ordered to push the men into the Tigris River, Cintron said.
It was not disclosed who gave the order. Three of the soldier's commanders have received non-judicial punishments for their roles in the incident. None of those punishments include jail time.
Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins, 33, 1st Lieut. Jack Saville, 23, and Sgt. Reggie Martinez, 24, are charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Jan 3 drowning death of a man identified by family members in Iraq as Zaidoun Fadel Hassoun 19.
Bowman, 21, is charged with assault for allegedly pushing the second man into the river at the same time. That man, a cousin of Hassoun named Marwan Fadel Hassoun, 23, survived the incident and described the events to The Associated Press.
Marwan Hassoun said he tried to help his cousin swim to safety, only to lose his grip as the soldiers watched and laughed. "They were behaving like they were watching a comedy on stage," he told the AP several weeks ago.
Perkins, Martinez and Bowman appeared at Wednesday's Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a civilian grand jury hearing. Saville's hearing is tentatively scheduled for Sept 9. The four soldiers face between 5 1/2 years and 26 1/2 years in prison if they are tried and convicted.
Cintron said investigators learned of the death in an e-mail from the victims family. She said she met with Marwan Hassoun on Jan 16; he told her how they were stopped after obtaining supplies in Baghdad and then driver to the bridge several kilometres north of Samarra.
Marwan Hassoun said he watched the soldiers push his cousin into the water and then he was pushed in, Cintron testified. He said he could hear his cousin screaming. "He said it was eight metres deep and at no point did he feel the bottom of the river". she said
She described the drop from the bridge as being about three metres.
After he got out on the bank, Hassoun said he could hear the soldiers above laughing as they drove away. He said he went back to a checkpoint "soaking wet from the river" and reported what happened, Cintron said.
His cousin's body was found about five kilometres downriver.
Martinez initially told investigators neither he nor anyone in his platoon pushed anyone in the river, Cintron said. A week later, on Jan 23, Martinez said he had gone to the river's edge with the men, "kicked one in the butt" but the man jumped in on his own.
