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Instant Polyjury -- was it honorable "to put him out of his misery"
The long story short is that there was a wounded Sadr militant on the side of the road after being shot by a US tank company. The company commander, after being told by his medic that the militant wasn't going to make it, "put him out of his misery."
The company commander insists that it was an honorable killing -- the most merciful action, given the circumstances. Do you agree with him?
The company commander insists that it was an honorable killing -- the most merciful action, given the circumstances. Do you agree with him?
U.S. Soldier Admits to Killing Wounded Iraqi
Army Officer Says He Shot the Unarmed Man 'to Put Him Out of His Misery'
By Melissa Eddy
Associated Press
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; 6:13 AM
WIESBADEN, Germany -- A U.S. Army tank company commander told a military court Wednesday that he shot a gravely wounded but unarmed Iraqi man "to put him out of his misery" and said the killing was "honorable."
Taking the stand for the first time, Capt. Rogelio "Roger" Maynulet, 30, described the events that led him to fire twice upon the Iraqi, maintaining that the man was too badly injured to survive.
"He was in a state that I didn't think was justified -- I had to put him out of his misery," Maynulet said. He argued that the killing "was the right thing to do, it was the honorable thing to do."
Prosecutors at the court-martial say Maynulet violated military rules of engagement by shooting an Iraqi who was wounded and unarmed.
Maynulet is being tried on a charge of assault with intent to commit murder in the May 21, 2004, killing near Kufa, south of Baghdad. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and his lawyers have argued that his actions were in line with the Geneva Conventions on the code of war.
Maynulet's 1st Armored Division tank company had been on patrol near Kufa when it was alerted to a car thought to be carrying a driver for radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and another militiaman loyal to the Shiite cleric.
They chased the vehicle and fired at it, wounding both the passenger, who fled and was later apprehended, and the driver. The killing was filmed by a U.S. drone surveillance aircraft.
Prosecutors grilled Maynulet on why he didn't treat the Iraqi, pointing out that he had been trained for medical emergency relief.
Maynulet said the company's medic, Sgt. Thomas Cassady, told him: "He's gone, there's nothing we can do." He said he would not question the expertise of his medic.
Questions from the six-member panel -- the equivalent of a civilian jury -- focused on whether Maynulet tried to hide his actions by failing to report the shooting at the end of the day. Maynulet said that he discussed the shooting in a debriefing that immediately followed the mission and denied he had tried to hide the killing.
He further testified that, as company commander, he had more important priorities on the mission than saving the Iraqi, including searching for two escaped passengers and maintaining the safety of his men. His command was suspended May 25, but he has remained with his Wiesbaden-based unit.
The U.S. military has referred to the Iraqi driver only as an "unidentified paramilitary member," but relatives named him as Karim Hassan, 36. The family does not dispute that he was working for al-Sadr.
Army Officer Says He Shot the Unarmed Man 'to Put Him Out of His Misery'
By Melissa Eddy
Associated Press
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; 6:13 AM
WIESBADEN, Germany -- A U.S. Army tank company commander told a military court Wednesday that he shot a gravely wounded but unarmed Iraqi man "to put him out of his misery" and said the killing was "honorable."
Taking the stand for the first time, Capt. Rogelio "Roger" Maynulet, 30, described the events that led him to fire twice upon the Iraqi, maintaining that the man was too badly injured to survive.
"He was in a state that I didn't think was justified -- I had to put him out of his misery," Maynulet said. He argued that the killing "was the right thing to do, it was the honorable thing to do."
Prosecutors at the court-martial say Maynulet violated military rules of engagement by shooting an Iraqi who was wounded and unarmed.
Maynulet is being tried on a charge of assault with intent to commit murder in the May 21, 2004, killing near Kufa, south of Baghdad. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and his lawyers have argued that his actions were in line with the Geneva Conventions on the code of war.
Maynulet's 1st Armored Division tank company had been on patrol near Kufa when it was alerted to a car thought to be carrying a driver for radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and another militiaman loyal to the Shiite cleric.
They chased the vehicle and fired at it, wounding both the passenger, who fled and was later apprehended, and the driver. The killing was filmed by a U.S. drone surveillance aircraft.
Prosecutors grilled Maynulet on why he didn't treat the Iraqi, pointing out that he had been trained for medical emergency relief.
Maynulet said the company's medic, Sgt. Thomas Cassady, told him: "He's gone, there's nothing we can do." He said he would not question the expertise of his medic.
Questions from the six-member panel -- the equivalent of a civilian jury -- focused on whether Maynulet tried to hide his actions by failing to report the shooting at the end of the day. Maynulet said that he discussed the shooting in a debriefing that immediately followed the mission and denied he had tried to hide the killing.
He further testified that, as company commander, he had more important priorities on the mission than saving the Iraqi, including searching for two escaped passengers and maintaining the safety of his men. His command was suspended May 25, but he has remained with his Wiesbaden-based unit.
The U.S. military has referred to the Iraqi driver only as an "unidentified paramilitary member," but relatives named him as Karim Hassan, 36. The family does not dispute that he was working for al-Sadr.
letting humans sit there in pain 
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