Commanders Get Immunity in Iraq Case

[Rose Siding]

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Three Army commanders were granted immunity from prosecution Friday in the case of two Iraqi civilians forced to jump from a bridge. One of the two allegedly died.

The decision by Maj. Gen. J.D. Thurman, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, cleared the way for the men to testify during a hearing to determine if three of their subordinates will face a court-martial in the case.

The three commanders, Lt. Col. Nathan Sassaman, Maj. Robert Gwinner and Capt. Matthew Cunningham, who have already received reprimands for interfering with the investigation of the case, had said they wanted to testify if granted immunity, defense attorney Capt. Joshua Norris said.
...
Rep. Joel Hefley, the Republican who represents the Fort Carson area, has said he wants to hold hearings on why lower-ranking soldiers are facing lengthy jail terms but the three higher-ups were only reprimanded.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-soldiers-charged,0,5669933.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[saigon68]

1. Need to go to WAR CRIMES TRIBUNALS

ALL OF THESE " I was only following Orders" SHILLS

[HysteryDiagnosis]

14. Need to go to WAR CRIMES TRIBUNALS

Right here: www.brusselstribunal.org the boyz at the WH get a free ride.

[roguevalley]

2. cool. we can add legalized murder to our repetoire

[Wickerman]

3. Shit flows downhill

When I was in the military I was at an Airbase that had two fatal accidents in the same month (very expensive F-16's went down). The Base commander had a very promising career ended then and there.

Neither case was, of course, directly attributable to him. However, it was certainly, as is any screwup in the military, directly linked to a training oversight. That would be his fault.

Same situation here, and perhaps more so - this is the higher-ups' problem and this stinks.

[leesa]

4. Don't you usually give immunity to the lower criminal in order to catch

the bigger criminal???

[ixion]

5. that was my thinking...

not sure why they're giving immunity to the commanders...:wtf:

[atreides1]

12. True

But what are these three officers going to say. You only get immunity if you are guilty of a crime, but have information that will catch a bigger fish.

Could the Colonel who was probably the Battalion CO, have some kind of written instructions from higher ups, that he kept just for this
type of situation.

We'llhave to wait and see.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Another atrocity deserving an INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

How is it, say, Serbian commanders may be subjected to international persecution, and not American? NEVER, and only NEVER, American?

I've had enough of this debased hypocricy to last several fucking eternities.

I'm afraid America will never rise from the moral swamp of military adventurism and murderous criminality until those who led her into it stand in the world's docket. I don't think it will happen, failing a catastrophic collapse of American power. And America's ability to evade justice encourages further misadventures and compounding atrocities, which will, surely and eventually, mean the end of America. And probably more than America.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

15. Sooooooo......

I'm afraid America will never rise from the moral swamp of military adventurism and murderous criminality until those who led her into it stand in the world's docket. I don't think it will happen, failing a catastrophic collapse of American power.<<

You are saying they hate us "cuz we're free?". That's what I heard... from GW himself.

[genius]

7. Isn't that like giving McVeigh immunity to testify against the fertilizer

store?

[mom cat]

8. Or like giving Saddam immunity to testify against the soldier who released

poison gas. However if we give him immunity to testify against the King Georgies and their den of thieves....:evilgrin:

[goforit]

9. Immunity????.........Ranked officers get "Get out of jail -free card"

This is unbelievable!!!

Attn: Military personel!!!!

You have a right to stand up against a tyrranny!!!!!
WAKE UP!!!!

[lottie244]

10. This is why no Iraqi should be fighting on the side of the US

We don't give a fuck about their lives...isn't that obvious?

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Ah yes, punish the working class troops but protect the officers

how disgusting, indeed

[oneighty]

13. IMHO

Should these officers be punished as they maybe deserve then no officer will feel safe ever when following orders from civilians. There will be an immediate "Officer shortage" in the military.

180