US soldiers smiled before killings in Iraq: witness

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers charged with murdering three
detainees in
Iraq smiled before carrying out the shootings and threatened to kill another
soldier if he informed on them, a military court heard on Wednesday.

Prosecution witness Private First Class Bradley Mason said one of those
charged, Staff Sergeant Raymond Girouard, told him if he were arrested he
would try to get out of it on medical grounds because he had Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder.

"They just smiled," said Mason.

"I told him (Girouard) that I am not down with it. It's murder."

The soldiers -- Private First Class Corey Clagett, Specialist William
Hunsaker, Girouard and Specialist Juston Graber -- are from the 101st
Airborne Division and are based in Samarra, north of Baghdad.

They have said the three men who were killed were trying to escape during
the shootings.

The defendants have been charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder,
conspiracy, communicating a threat, and obstructing justice in the killings
in or around May 9 north of Baghdad.

--
+

"It is even probable that the supremacy of nations
may be determined by the possession of available
petroleum and its products." - President Coolidge,
We Fight for Oil, Ludwell Denny - Alfred A Knopf, 1928

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president
represents, more and more closely, the inner soul
of the people. On some great and glorious day the
plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron." --- H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

"Ignorance is an evil weed, which dictators may cultivate among their
dupes, but which no democracy can afford among its citizens."
- William H. Beveridge, 1944

"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism
by those who have not got it." - G. B. Shaw

Want to know what's really going on in Iraq?
http://www.angelfire.com/co/COMMONSENSE/wakeup.html

The Rise and Fall of the Holy Roller Empire
http://www.angelfire.com/co/COMMONSENSE/armageddon.html