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Military Weighs Immunity in Drowning Case
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - A military hearing was abruptly recessed Thursday until commanders decide whether to grant immunity to three officers linked to the drowning of a 19-year-old Iraqi civilian earlier this year.Lt. Col. Nathan Sassaman, Maj. Robert Gwinner and Capt. Matthew Cunningham already have been punished for their roles in the incident under Article 15, which means there was no court proceeding or public record. Details have not been released, but the Army has said the punishment did not include jail time. The officers are refusing to testify without immunity at a hearing to determine whether three soldiers should be court-martialed on charges of shoving two Iraqis into the Tigris River north of Baghdad on Jan. 3. Officials say one of the victims drowned. Maj. Gen. James Thurman, commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, is deciding whether the officers will be granted immunity, spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington said. That decision was expected before the hearing resumes Friday.
Posted by: Steve White 2004-07-30 |
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