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Muslim Sympathy Said to Prompt Kuwait Camp Attack
A sergeant accused of a deadly attack inside his U.S. Army camp in Kuwait acted out of sympathy for Muslims who he reportedly said Americans had come to "kill and rape," an investigator testified on Tuesday.
Akbar, 32, is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He is a Muslim who grew up in Southern California and Louisiana. Maier testified in the second day of a weeklong hearing to determine whether Akbar should face court-martial, and a possible death penalty, for the attack in which grenades were rolled into three tents. Another witness testified on Tuesday that one of the officers killed was shot in the back at close range, but said he was not sure it was Akbar who did the shooting. "I saw him run from the darkness and shoot him in the back and run away," First Sgt. Rodlon Stevenson said of the attack that mortally wounded Army Capt. Christopher Seifert, 27. "I knew that as close as he had got shot he was in a bad way." Not long after that, he added, an alert was sounded for Akbar. Later that day, Stevenson said, he saw Akbar and perceived him as heavier-set than the man he saw attack Seifert and dressed slightly differently. It led him to believe Akbar was not the man who carried out the attack, though he conceded that he might have had time to change clothes. The hearing is being held before Col. Patrick Reinert, an Army reserve officer on leave from his post as an assistant U.S. attorney in Iowa. He has until June 27 to recommend whether Akbar should face a court-martial on two counts of premeditated murder and three counts of attempted murder. And this additional information from The News-Enterprise, Hardin County, Kentucky: The serial number on an M-4 rifle found at the crime scene matched that of a gun checked out to Akbar, testimony shows. Bullet fragments found in Seifert's abdomen were fired from the rifle at the scene, said Special Agent David Maier of the unit's Criminal Investigation Division. Other evidence points to Akbar, according to testimony. Akbar's chemical gear bag contained three empty grenade canisters and two pulled safety clips when they were found after the attack, Maier said. Three grenades were also discovered next to a gas mask in the same bunker in which Akbar was found after the attack. The bag and the mask are traceable to Akbar. The defense again tried to establish that Fort Campbell soldiers discriminated against Muslims and their beliefs. Capt. David Storch testified that Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Means once asked Akbar what he would do if "he came over a ridge and saw a raghead." Akbar's response, according to Storch: "It would depend on what level of jihad I was on." Storch said Akbar at that moment didn't sound like he understood the religion; he also said Means was just checking to find out if Akbar and other soldiers trusted each other. Means is scheduled to testify later in the week. Akbar, a 32-year-old combat engineer with the division's 326th Engineer Battalion, continued to listen calmly Tuesday as others [discussed] his common sense and his usefulness to his unit. After Sept. 11, 2001, his performance became worse and his credibility with subordinates plummeted, Sgt. Wesley Lafortune testified. He didn't ensure his subordinates were prepared for work and began showing up unprepared himself, Staff Sgt. James Vanreenen said, leading to Akbar's firing as a team leader within his platoon. It was also around Sept. 11 that Akbar changed his name from Mark Kools, Lafortune said. OK, this may be considered discrimination, profiling, or whatever, but shouldn't this have raised a little red flag? Posted by: Steve 2003-06-18 |
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