U.S. Army sniper on trial in Baghdad

The sergeant's lawyer says three deaths were justified. The military denies planting weapons to draw Iraqi targets.
By Ned Parker, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer November 7, 2007
BAGHDAD -- The murder trial of an Army sniper has begun days after the military court rejected a request from the soldier's lawyer to use classified material as part of his defense.The trial of Staff Sgt. Michael A. Hensley started Tuesday amid denials from the military that his unit had been involved in a "baiting" program in which soldiers allegedly planted weapons and other material and shot Iraqis who tried to pick them up.
The focus on Hensley's unit has raised questions about whether his team had run amok or whether their commanders had bent rules to push them to rack up more "kills" in spring as a new U.S.-led security plan took hold.Hensley's lawyer said the sniper was not guilty of fatally shooting three Iraqis in separate incidents in April and May. His attorney said the incidents, in a violent area south of Baghdad, were legitimate shootings.
LinkHere