troung

One hand washes the other they say....

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Emotional Sergeant Apologizes at Iraqi Drowning Trial Jurors to Start Deliberating on Perkins' Punishment Saturday
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/arti..._ccc=3&cid=842

By ANGELA K. BROWN, AP

FORT HOOD, Texas (Jan. 8) - An Army sergeant took the stand and tearfully apologized to his family, commanding officers and subordinates Saturday, a day after being convicted of aggravated assault for ordering his soldiers to throw Iraqis into the Tigris River.

"If I had to go back, I would definitely do something different on those days," Army Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins said, wiping away tears.

Perkins, 33, was convicted Friday of two counts of aggravated assault, a charge of assault consummated by battery and a charge of obstruction of justice. He was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the alleged drowning of one of the men.

Perkins, who did not testify during his trial, told the jury of Army officers and enlisted members during the sentencing phase Saturday that his actions were wrong - although he did not apologize to the Iraqis. He said he still loved the military and did not want to lose his job.

"I'm just sorry for (what) my guys had to go through for what they've done," he said.

The six-man jury of Army officers and enlisted members started deliberating the sentence Saturday. Perkins faces a penalty ranging from no punishment to a dishonorable discharge, rank reduction and 11 1/2 years, but prosecutors recommended five years in prison and a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge.

Before the deliberations began, the prosecutor, Capt. Megan Shaw, said Perkins had jeopardized the U.S. mission because insurgents were using the incidents to spread anti-American propaganda.

The defense attorney, Capt. Tom Hurley, urged the jurors to consider Perkins' numerous military awards.

Perkins and another soldier were accused of ordering soldiers to push the two Iraqis into the river in Samarra in January 2004. Prosecutors say Zaidoun Hassoun, 19, drowned and his cousin, Marwan Hassoun, climbed out the river.

Marwan Hassoun testified that he tried to save his cousin by grabbing his hand, but the powerful current swept Zaidoun away. Marwan said the body was found in the river nearly two weeks later.

Defense attorneys contended Zaidoun may still be alive, but say if he is dead it was not at the hands of U.S. soldiers.

Perkins did not discuss specifics of the incident on the stand Saturday, but admitted he ordered his soldiers to throw an Iraqi man into the river a month earlier.

Perkins said the man had made a gesture of slitting his throat. He said he never meant to injure or kill the Iraqi by throwing him in the river; and he ordered him thrown in the river to teach him a "hard lesson" about threatening U.S. troops. He testified he saw the man climb out alive.

"Basically the enemy would test your resolve. ... I didn't want them to think we were soft or weak," said Perkins, who has 14 years of military service.

Perkins was convicted of assault consummated by battery in Zaidoun's purported death, which carries a maximum sentence of six months. He was convicted of aggravated assault in connection with the attack on Marwan Hassoun and for ordering the other man thrown into the river in December 2003. He was found innocent of making a false statement.

No soldiers disputed that the Hassoun cousins were forced into the river. But soldiers testifying for the prosecution and defense said they never heard Perkins order the Iraqis into the river and that he stayed in his vehicle that night.

The soldiers said the orders came from Army 1st Lt. Jack Saville, the platoon leader, who is to be tried in March on the same charges as Perkins - as well as a conspiracy charge. His trial was postponed until March after a judge ordered the victim's body to be exhumed for an autopsy and identification.

Several of Perkins' commanding officers testified Saturday that Perkins was an outstanding soldier who tried to find non-lethal ways to deal with defiant Iraqis in the increasingly dangerous region.

"I will always consider him a war hero. ... No one can ever take away his outstanding service over there," said Lt. Col. Nathan Sassaman.

Perkins and Saville are part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Carson, Colo., which is part of the 4th Infantry Division based at Fort Hood.


01/08/05 16:28 EST

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Yes guys like him help the enemy out...

Veni Vidi Vici

IMO he did nothing wrong. This a god damn war, not some pansy ass tea party. Uggg this aggrivates me. This was a probobly a good soldier who will probobly get kicked out of the military.

__________________
"Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter we are known at home, by the former to the world. Our great title is AMERICANS…" -- Thomas Paine

lulldapull

Daily beatings torture and intimidation is a common occurence in that pathetic conflict. Since the torture cells at AbuGharaib were uncovered by a disgusted soldier, we all got to find out that what really went on over there. Its a darn shame that "speedy" gonzales has to now testify that the orders to torture came from the very top!

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smilingassassin

Ha! Lets not even get started on the Brutality from your pals side of the fence Lull. I challenge you to find any instance of a U.S. soldier beheading an inocent civie.

Confed999

Where does it say Bush gave the order to "torture"?

__________________
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

Ray

Triple V,

That is emotional.

Military men, the world over, are not wierdos or sadist.

Therefore, this action in military discipline and ROE cannot be accepted. The US Military Court has correctly taken cognisance and action.

lulldapull

The U.S. military has unfortunately been placed in a pretty pathetic position by the same leaders who are reponsible for this situation. Torturing, killing and coersion is about the only means it can employ now to further its illegal occupation of a sovereign nation. look at what these guys are doing in Iraq:

http://electroniciraq.net/news/1313.shtml

smilingassassin

It dosn't, Lull is simply repeating the propoganda he learned useing the motto "its not a lie if you beleaive it!"

Veni Vidi Vici

Sorry can you rephrase? I'm not sure I get your point. I mean I gather that you think that the soldier should be tried but im missing why... Can you explain?

Parihaka

IMO he's saying that military men of any civilised country have a code of conduct they are expected to adhere to. Break that code and you should be tried.

__________________
In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Ray

Parihaka,

Spot on.

Bluesman

Remember, guys...he's dead. Died late last year. Should be treated as such.

Stop poking the corpse, even when it types.

__________________
"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it, and if one finds the prospect of a long war intolerable, it is natural to disbelieve in the possibility of victory."
- George Orwell

Officer of Engineers

If you accept less, you are less.

__________________
Chimo

troung

"I didn't want them to think we were soft or weak," said Perkins, who has 14 years of military service."

Me I think he got off way to easy. It sets a bad example to everyone (at home and overseas) he had them pushed off a bridge to teach them that he was a tough guy. And he was not some kid fresh out of high school either so he has no excuse for what he did.

That's not combat its just murder.

If he did that in civilian life in some states at the very least he would be facing life and in a couple states he would be facing death row....