3 U.S. soldiers charged for killing Iraqis
Last Updated Tue, 20 Jun 2006 05:58:52 EDT
CBC News
Three U.S. soldiers were charged on Monday of murdering three detainees in Iraq, charges that could lead to the death penalty.
Staff Sgt. Raymond L. Girouard, Specialist William B. Hunsaker and Pte. 1st Class Corey R. Clagett, all of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, are accused of killing three Iraqi men in northern Iraq last month.
They are charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and communicating a threat, related to killings said to have happened near Thar Thar Canal southwest of Tikrit on May 9.
The soldiers are accused of shooting three unarmed men during a raid on a suspected insurgent training camp and then threatening a fellow soldier who witnessed the incident.
The accused are being held in Kuwait while they await a hearing that will determine if there's enough evidence for a court-martial.
The maximum penalty for premeditated murder is death, under U.S. military law.
The case is one of three active investigations involving allegations that U.S. troops have unlawfully killed Iraqis.
The military is investigating the deaths of 24 unarmed civilians in Haditha last year, as well as the death of an Iraqi farmer in Hamdania in April.
