Two U.S. soldiers charged after civilian shot

[ohmygoodness]

Two U.S. soldiers charged after civilian shot
Last Updated Sun, 25 Jun 2006 17:50:13 EDT
CBC News

The U.S. military has charged two members of the Pennsylvania National Guard in the death last February of an unarmed Iraqi civilian near Ramadi.

Specialist Nathan Lynn was charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter for allegedly shooting an unarmed man Feb. 15, the military said.

Lynn and fellow soldier Sgt. Milton Ortiz Jr. were both charged with one count of obstructing justice after they allegedly conspired to put an AK-47 assault rifle near the dead man's body to make it look like he was an armed insurgent.

Ortiz also was charged with one count of assault and one count of threatening in a separate incident on March 8, when he allegedly placed a gun against the head of an Iraqi man and threatened to send him to prison.

The charges come at a time when the U.S. military has been criticized around the world for what are seen by some as war crimes.

The Ramadi incident was just one of several alleged incidents that have come to light in recent weeks.

In one recent case, two Western news agencies claim to have evidence that U.S. troops shot dead 11 family members, including five children.

In Haditha in November, marines allegedly shot and killed 24 civilians in revenge for the killing of a fellow marine.

And, in Hamandiya, seven marines and a Navy corpsman could face murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges in the April shooting of an Iraqi man.

Reuters listed several other alleged crimes in recent months.

• May 9 - Three detainees were shot dead during a U.S. raid on a suspected insurgent camp north of Baghdad. Four soldiers were later charged with premeditated murder.
• May 4 - U.S. troops killed two men and a woman whom they claim fired from a house in Samarra. Police find two unarmed women and a mentally handicapped man.
• April 26 - A disabled man is shot in the face in the village of Hamdania. Seven marines and a navy medic are later charged with premeditated murder, and accused of planting a rifle and a shovel by the body to make it appear he was placing a roadside bomb.
• March 15 - Six adults and five children were shot dead in a U.S. raid on a home in Ishaqi.
• Oct. 16, 2005 - The U.S. military killed 20 militants whom they say were planting explosives. Iraqi officials say the dead included 20 civilians, including children.
• March 4, 2005 - U.S. soldiers kill an Italian agent as he was escorting a freed Italian journalist to Baghdad airport.

[SVZ]

Lynn and fellow soldier Sgt. Milton Ortiz Jr. were both charged with one count of obstructing justice after they allegedly conspired to put an AK-47 assault rifle near the dead man's body to make it look like he was an armed insurgent.

Cowards.