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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Doctor: Iraqi May Have Been Fatally Wounded |
| 2004-10-15 |
| An Iraqi who was shot by a U.S. tank company commander now charged with murder appears to have been mortally wounded before the officer fired, a doctor testified Thursday. U.S. Army Capt. Rogelio Maynulet, 29, faces a possible court-martial for the May 21 death of a driver for militant Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr near Kufa, south of Baghdad. He denies the charges of murder and dereliction of duty. He was leading his 1st Armored Division tank company on a patrol when it came across a BMW sedan believed to be carrying al-Sadr militiamen and a chase ensued. U.S. soldiers fired at the vehicle, wounding both the driver and passenger. As hearings to determine whether Maynulet should be court-martialed concluded, a U.S. military surgeon told the court he had repeatedly viewed the incident in footage recorded by an American drone aircraft. Maj. Robert Knetsche said he could not determine conclusively whether body movements by the wounded driver were voluntary, or involuntary after he was brain dead. But he added, "I think that he had lethal injuries." Speaking of Maynulet, he said: "I think what he did was an act of mercy." |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 AC: An NVA? I would have left him to die on his own. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-10-15 9:26:39 AM |
| #5 I know the folks at TalkLeft were incensed when this first came out. What would be their view of Dr. Kevorkian, I wonder. |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2004-10-15 7:43:38 AM |
| #4 Respectfully, Kalle, I disagree. Our military holds its officers to high standards - and that is at the core of its professionalism. I don't know the facts in this case, but even mercy killings need to be examined carefully to be sure we are not giving a green light to acts that are unethical or against agreements we've made (Geneva Conventions). I hope this young captain is cleared, assuming the testimony supports that. But I support the official inquiry. To do otherwise is to undermine the morale, discipline and accountability of our forces. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-10-15 5:40:48 AM |
| #3 [P]rosecutor Capt. Dan Sennott maintained that it was not certain that the driver was dead when Maynulet shot him Er, yeah. That's why Maynulet calls it a "mercy". It's pretty hard to kill a dead guy. |
| Posted by: beer_me 2004-10-15 3:16:22 AM |
| #2 It is beyond belief that this US soldier is being persecuted for his act of mercy. What should he have done? take pictures, ask for a signed order, bring multiple witnesses and wait for their unanimous consent? Someone must have accused him. Who? AtoCon: without hesitation, water, and mercy. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-10-15 2:35:27 AM |
| #1 When: June, 1972 Where: the road to An Loc, then under siege by the North Vietnamese army. What: An ambush and airstrike, a dust-off mission by a young warrant officer, Who: an NVA regular with napalm burns over 90% of his body, eyes gone, bleeding from shrapnel and bullet wounds but still alive-----and begging for water----and to be killed. What would you have done? |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-10-15 1:57:37 AM |