US troops in Iraq: Kill a terrorist, go to prison

By Doug Hagmann —— Bio and Archives October 27, 2009

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Perhaps you’ve heard about this story. If so, please read on for information important to this case you have not read anywhere. If you have read about this incident, definitely read on as it will most likely change your mind about the “guilt” of a soldier convicted of murdering an al Qaeda terrorist in Iraq.

Yes, you’ve read that correctly - a US soldier has been convicted of murder for killing an al Qaeda terrorist in Iraq. Since the wholesale murder of nearly 3,000 people on American soil on 9/11, it’s been my understanding that killing terrorists is something that we’ve asked our soldiers to do on our behalf so that we may sleep more safely and soundly in our beds at night. Unlike our enemy, however, we must kill them by the rules, of course. Here are the basic facts of this case. On March 20th, 2009, Army Ranger 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna, Company D, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, based in Fort Campbell, KY was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a man known Ali Mansur, a known al Qaeda terrorist suspected of planning and executing an attack on Lieutenant Behenna’s platoon in April 2008 that killed two US soldiers and injured two others. For reasons unknown, US Army intelligence ordered the terrorist’s release, and ordered Lieutenant Behenna to give Ali a ride back to his home. Following orders, Behenna transported the al Qaeda suspect and then attempted one final interrogation of Mansur prior to his release. What happened next is the reason that Lieutenant Behenna found himself facing murder charges. According to Army Lieutenant Behenna, the al Qaeda terrorist lunged at him during this questioning. With his arms extended forward in a classic attack posture, Mansur attacked the Lieutenant when he turned to look at an interpreter who was reporting what Mansur said. At that point, Lieutenant Behenna fired twice at Ali Mansur in self defense, hitting him once in the chest and once in the head. According to prosecutors, Lieutenant Behenna “executed” the terrorist while he was “in a non-threatening position.” After an investigation, US Army Lieutenant was put on trial for premeditated murder, found guilty and subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison. But there’s a problem. The specialized forensic evidence did not support the prosecution’s case. And there’s an even bigger problem. That exculpatory evidence, the very evidence that could exonerate the lieutenant of the charge of murdering a terrorist was not made available to the defense in accordance with the rules of criminal procedure. More...