Little Green Footballs

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Guardsman Pleads Guilty in Killing of Iraqi Officer

This is a story that's bound to be ignored by the right wing blogsphere.


FORT KNOX, Ky., July 25 - A 22-year-old National Guard soldier pleaded guilty today to killing an Iraqi police officer while they were on patrol together, and then shooting himself to cover up the crime.

With his parents and his wife, Amber, looking on, Cpl. Dustin M. Berg of the Indiana National Guard, said he felt "great remorse" about shooting Hussein Kamel Hadi Dawood al-Zubeidi in 2003.

Military prosecutors, who say the fatal shooting sowed a mistrust between Iraqi police officers and American soldiers that continues today, have asked a judge to sentence Corporal Berg to 45 months in prison and to discharge him dishonorably from the Army.

"I should have considered the Iraqi police officer to be an ally and not a threat," Corporal Berg said in court. "I believe I am negligent for the shooting. I should have used reasonable care. I should not have killed Mr. Zubeidi. I acted too quickly."

As he spoke, Corporal Berg held a crumpled tissue in his hand and frequently wiped his eyes and nose. Behind him, sitting in the courtroom's spectator section, his wife, who is seven months pregnant, and his parents wept openly.

The soldier had also been charged with two counts of lying to the military, but those charges were dismissed today.

Corporal Berg, of Ferdinand, Ind., served twice in Iraq with the First Battalion, 152nd Infantry, based in Jasper, Ind.

At least eight other American soldiers have been convicted or have entered guilty pleas related to charges of killing Iraqis.

The shooting occurred in November 2003 while Corporal Berg and Mr. Zubeidi were on patrol outside a flea market. The soldier testified that he had seen a suspected insurgent and moved to retrieve a radio to call his unit for instructions, but that Mr. Zubeidi had pointed a rifle at him and told him not to inform his superiors.

Corporal Berg said he had been in fear for his life, and in a "split-second decision," shot Mr. Zubeidi three times.

The soldier said he then shot himself with Mr. Zubeidi's AK-47 rifle because other soldiers in his unit had faced severe punishment for protecting themselves against suspicious Iraqis and he felt that Army investigators would not believe he killed the police officer in self-defense.

Thinking the unfamiliar weapon would fire only one bullet at a time, Corporal Berg said he accidentally shot himself three times in the abdomen instead of just once - because the weapon had been set on automatic fire. The soldier was hospitalized, but his wounds had not been life-threatening.

The soldier told Army officials that Mr. Zubeidi had shot him, and Corporal Berg was awarded a Purple Heart. Eventually, however, the soldier acknowledged that the wounds had been self-inflicted.

"I shot myself on purpose," Corporal Berg said today. "I didn't want there to be an investigation."

He added, "I'm lucky to be alive today."

Unfortunately the Iraqi Policeman wasn't as lucky was he Corporal Berg? It would be terrible if that's where the story ended, but hey this is Iraq and things always get worse! The recommended sentence for Berg is 45 months. Yep that's right 45 months for murder. Can you imagine if he had committed that crime in the states? Would four years be enough for murder?

8 comments:

Pablo said...

Is it murder? That's not what the story says.

The soldier testified that he had seen a suspected insurgent and moved to retrieve a radio to call his unit for instructions, but that Mr. Zubeidi had pointed a rifle at him and told him not to inform his superiors.

It sounds like a bad decision in a bad situation. Manslaughter, at worst. The article doesn';t say what he plead guilty to.

Would you prefer that we put him away for life, or execute him, dr?
What is it that you would like to be done to Cpl. Berg?

Pablo said...

That would depend on the circumstances of the shooting, wouldn't it? It could be anywhere from death to no charges at all.

I know you're not accustomed to doing this, but it would require a review of the facts.

Pablo said...

So, you have all the facts, bd?

What was he charged with? Why?

There were no witnesses to back his story up... ...so let's just get going with the presumption of guilt and hang him!


/I just know, because I'm big dummy. Do not bother me with your pesky facts, just ship that colonialist American piece of shit to Gitmo and be done with him.

Pablo said...

So he lied. Lying is not murder.

Are you some sort of expert in military law? Are you familiar with sentancing guidlies, or even the guidelines as to what prosecutors ask for? What do you think, that they just pull numbers out of thin air? That they can decide "Well, it was just an Iraqi, so we'll let him slide?"

Are you that stupid, bd? I know you're completely bitter that this whole thing isn't going your way, but when did you become an expert on anything? Do you know what negligent homicide is, bd?

Berg does. But, hell. Screw the court! Screw the prosecutors!

BD says MURDER!!! KILL BERG!!!

You can calm down now, big dummy. It's all over. Rule of law, and all that.

Pablo said...

What do you want to do, bd? Get your gang of thugs together and track him down?

I don't suppose he has any rights, since he's a filthy murkin.

Pablo said...

bd, I like the idea that he was prosecuted and sentenced for his crimes by people who have a grasp of the facts and the context within which they occurred.

I'm OK with things just the way they came out. He fucked up and he's going to pay for it, just like the knuckleheads at Abu Ghraib have.

Now that I've answered your question, let's back up so you can answer mine: What do you want done with him?

Pablo said...

The only people who brag about forming gangs and attacking people are certain members of the LGF fraternity.

Quote/link please.

Pablo said...

::crickets::