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Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 08:45:59 AM EST
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by TChris

Incidents like this one explain why the Bush administration's battle to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis has been lost:

Saying he was unable to stop the bloodshed, a Navy corpsman testified that Marines in his patrol seized an Iraqi civilian from his home, threw him into a hole and shot him at least 10 times after growing frustrated in their search for an insurgent. Slight and soft-spoken, Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos said Friday he saw a Marine put fingerprints from the victim onto a rifle and a shovel to implicate him as an insurgent. ...

Bacos said he asked the Marines to let Awad go, but Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda told him in crude terms that he was being weak and should stop protesting.

According to this story, some of the Marines involved are trying to negotiate plea agreements now that Bacos has rolled over on them. Others argue that Bacos invented the story to save himself. Bacos received an extraordinarily favorable deal in exchange for his cooperation in the prosecution of the Marines.

Military judge Col. Steven Folsom sentenced Bacos to 10 years in prison but reduced the term to one year because of the plea agreement. That will be further reduced by time served.

A reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge also were suspended. In exchange for Bacos' testimony, other counts of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy were dropped.

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    Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 09:43:41 AM EST
    The Marines didn't kill that man. George Bush did.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Oct 07, 2006 at 09:44:40 AM EST
    He just used the Marines to do it.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#4)
    by mpower1952 on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    Can you imagine if Bush was in the national guard now and sent to Iraq? Can you imagine the sadism he would inflict on the Iraqis considering his penchant for blowing up frogs and laughing at executions. Che- you're right. This is Bush's way of playing war without the danger to him.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#5)
    by jarober on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    Wow, you mean there haven't been atrocities in wars we've fought and won in the past? I don't condone or excuse this kind of thing, but thinking that a free-standing atrocity explains some "greater truth" is just idiotic. For instance: The Turks slaughtered millions of Armenians after WWI. What price have they ever paid for that, exactly?

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#6)
    by scarshapedstar on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    "Nobody could have foreseen" that lowering the recruiting standards to allow retarded psychopaths could possibly have ill effects on the Arsenal of Democracy.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#7)
    by Edger on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    Che... George Bush had some help. Some of his help even comment here.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    Because, you see, marines are only following orders.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#9)
    by cpinva on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    the average marine, soldier, sailor and airman is not trained in counterinsurrgency methods. they are trained to fight other organized militaries. we learned this in vietnam. it's not something best learned on the fly either. of course, bush and the rest of his administration wouldn't know about that, because they all diligently avoided that conflict. they also refuse to take any advice from the people who actually do know, those now leading the military. can a president be impeached for gross negligence?

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#10)
    by john horse on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 12:07:06 PM EST
    Maybe this is all part of Bush's plan to achieve stability in the region. We will step down as the Iraqi military and police start stepping up and demonstrate that they can murder/rape/abuse innocent Iraqi civilians without our help. But seriously, you can add this to the murder/rape/burning the body of that 14 year old Iraqi girl and Abu Ghraib as reasons why we have lost Iraqi hearts and minds. And losing Iraqi hearts and minds means losing the war.

    Re: Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi (none / 0) (#1)
    by Patrick on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 01:59:46 PM EST
    What? No condemnation for for the "snitch" who sold his buddies out for a shorter sentence? How about a caution regarding the unreliable "purchased" testimony...? I guess not

    Sailor Admits He Didn't Stop Murder of Iraqi | 10 comments (10 topical)