Soldier accused of Iraqi civilian murders confirms 'target list' competitions
RAW STORYPublished: Wednesday August 2, 2006
In an interview with ABC's Nightline to be broadcast tonight, a soldier "accused of deliberately releasing three Iraqi men they had captured, in order to kill them" defends his actions as just following orders.
"In their sworn affidavits, the three accused soldiers, along with others in the unit, say they received unusual but unequivocal rules of engagement for the task ahead," ABC News reports.
"They say that they were given repeated and explicit orders to 'kill all military-age males.'"
"It got passed down to my lieutenant commander and he told us and then my platoon leader and my lieutenant he told us, then the platoon sergeant told us, then the squad leader told us," Pfc. Corey Clagett tells Nightline's Martin Bashir. "It was just relayed through chain of command."
Pfc. Corey Clagett said that this was the first mission that he had ever been given such an order.
"We were told that everybody on this island was hostile," Clagett told Nightline. "They were known al Qaeda insurgents, and we're going to kill all military-aged males, so be prepared."
According to Claggett, the soldiers found three suspected al Qaeda insurgents holding women and children as human shields, and while attempting to handcuff them, claimed that he was "blindsided" by one who tried to get away. After shooting the man, Claggett said he felt ill.
Another member of the squad, Sgt. Leonel Lemus, "said that he had witnessed a deliberate plot to kill the three Iraqis and that the only cuts sustained by members of his division were self-inflicted in order to bolster their story."
"Lemus also recalled Clagett suffering a form of post-traumatic stress days after the killings," ABC News reports.
Target List Competitions
"There is one aspect of the division's conduct that both sides appear to agree on: that there is a competition between battalions as to how many Iraqis can be killed," ABC News reports.
Excerpts from the interview:
Link Here
In an interview with ABC's Nightline to be broadcast tonight, a soldier "accused of deliberately releasing three Iraqi men they had captured, in order to kill them" defends his actions as just following orders.
"In their sworn affidavits, the three accused soldiers, along with others in the unit, say they received unusual but unequivocal rules of engagement for the task ahead," ABC News reports.
"They say that they were given repeated and explicit orders to 'kill all military-age males.'"
"It got passed down to my lieutenant commander and he told us and then my platoon leader and my lieutenant he told us, then the platoon sergeant told us, then the squad leader told us," Pfc. Corey Clagett tells Nightline's Martin Bashir. "It was just relayed through chain of command."
Pfc. Corey Clagett said that this was the first mission that he had ever been given such an order.
"We were told that everybody on this island was hostile," Clagett told Nightline. "They were known al Qaeda insurgents, and we're going to kill all military-aged males, so be prepared."
According to Claggett, the soldiers found three suspected al Qaeda insurgents holding women and children as human shields, and while attempting to handcuff them, claimed that he was "blindsided" by one who tried to get away. After shooting the man, Claggett said he felt ill.
Another member of the squad, Sgt. Leonel Lemus, "said that he had witnessed a deliberate plot to kill the three Iraqis and that the only cuts sustained by members of his division were self-inflicted in order to bolster their story."
"Lemus also recalled Clagett suffering a form of post-traumatic stress days after the killings," ABC News reports.
Target List Competitions
"There is one aspect of the division's conduct that both sides appear to agree on: that there is a competition between battalions as to how many Iraqis can be killed," ABC News reports.
Excerpts from the interview:
Link Here
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 8:56 PM
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