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Home Front: Politix
Bush approves execution of US Army private
2008-07-29
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush on Monday approved the death sentence of an Army private convicted of murder and rape in 1988, becoming the first US president to approve a military execution in 51 years.
Twenty years and we're just now getting to this point? Let him rot for the rest of his miserable life and be done with it.
Bush signed a request by the military that Ronald Gray be put to death following his court-martial conviction 20 years ago on multiple charges of murder and rape. ‘While approving a sentence of death for a member of our armed services is a serious and difficult decision for a commander in chief, the president believes the facts of this case leave no doubt that the sentence is just and warranted,’ White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said a statement.

Unlike the civilian court system, the US military justice system dictates that a member of the armed forces cannot be executed until the president approves the death sentence.

Citing expected legal challenges, Perino declined further comment on what would be the first US military execution since 1961, when a convicted child rapist was hanged after his sentence was approved by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1957. The last president to act on a military death sentence was John F. Kennedy, who commuted a death sentence to life in prison in 1962, according to White House records.

Gray was convicted by a court-martial at Fort Bragg, North Carolina of two murders, an attempted murder, and three rapes committed during a spree in 1986 and 1987. He received multiple life sentences from the North Carolina state court and has been held on death row in a military prison in Kansas since April 1988.
Posted by:Steve White

#15  Blackfive has some discussion of this case as well. General conclusion from people familiar with the case is that this guy should have been executed years ago. And it needs to be done this year or it will probably be too late. Any benefit beyond that is likely just coincidental.
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-07-29 20:45  

#14  BTW, among the victims of this foul animal was a female soldier he raped and killed and another female soldier he raped but who survived. I hope the last 20 years have been real tough on this POS; I'm sure they've been pretty tough on his victims who survived, and the relatives of those who didn't.
Posted by: Jomock Platypus9662   2008-07-29 18:53  

#13  NS: it IS the right thing to do. The only problem is that it has taken too long to get it done. That said, better late than never.
Posted by: Jomock Platypus9662   2008-07-29 18:31  

#12  There is a good possibility if we get into a war with Iran, many in our military are so tired that there might be a problem with desertion.

Unless supported by evidence, I have to consider this to be ridiculous. Is there any evidence of high AWOL or desertion rates? I believe not.

Bush is letting this guy fry because he believes it's the right thing to do. Period.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-07-29 14:54  

#11  I might add, that there is another benefit of insuring that the President has a clear path to approve executions: the al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo. The ones convicted so far have gone to Florence, Colorado, but some to be tried in the future could receive the death penalty.

Since they are getting military trials, instead of their appeals going up through the civilian courts, they might need to go through the military appeals chain.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-07-29 14:42  

#10  tu3031: He is being executed less for his crimes than "to maintain good military order and discipline." You'll note that Bush got a current opinion to back his authority up beforehand.

There is a good possibility if we get into a war with Iran, many in our military are so tired that there might be a problem with desertion. By approving the execution of this villain, it is the final test of the system.

If desertions are a problem, we will know for sure that deserters can be executed, to put a stop to that.

“Currently, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 14 offenses are punishable by death. Under the following sections of the UCMJ, the death penalty can be imposed at any time:

94 - Mutiny or sedition
99 - Misbehavior before the enemy
100 - Subordinate compelling surrender
101 - Improper use of countersign
102 - Forcing a safeguard
104 - Aiding the enemy
106a - Espionage
110 - Improper hazarding of vessel
118 - Murder
120 - Rape and carnal knowledge

Four provisions of the UCMJ carry a death sentence only if the crime is committed during times of war:

85 - Desertion
90 - Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer
106 - Spies
113 - Misbehavior of a sentinel or lookout”
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-07-29 14:33  

#9  Letal injection.
Posted by: ed   2008-07-29 14:29  

#8  What is the proposed method of execution?
Posted by: john frum   2008-07-29 14:23  

#7  I fear that President Obama would commute Sgt. Akbar's sentence to time served. And put him up for a medal.
Posted by: Rambler in California   2008-07-29 11:57  

#6  Iran

I could live with that.
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-07-29 11:08  

#5  Gray's a murderer and a rapist. Not a deserter.
Posted by: tu3031   2008-07-29 10:46  

#4  Red Flag on this one. The US President only supports military executions for very good reasons. Pvt. Slovik was executed for desertion because of the fear of low morale just before the Battle of the Bulge.

To me, and some I mentioned this to, this says just one word.

Iran.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-07-29 10:43  

#3  Death by hand grenades, just within max effective range!
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-07-29 10:02  

#2  When's this asshole taking the hot shot?

April. 29, 2005

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Hours after giving a brief, barely audible apology, a soldier was sentenced to death by a military jury for attacking comrades with a rifle and grenades early in the Iraq invasion.

Sgt. Hasan Akbar, 34, could have been sentenced Thursday to life in prison with or without parole for the March 2003 attack on members of the elite 101st Airborne Division at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait. Two officers were killed and 14 other soldiers were wounded.
Posted by: tu3031   2008-07-29 08:35  

#1  HMMMMM ......
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-07-29 00:12  

00:00