US soldier gets 25 years for Iraq murder


Sunday 26 September 2004, 1:42 Makka Time, 22:42 GMT


US troops have been accused of heavy-handedness in Iraq

Related:
US sailors charged with Iraq abuses
US troops abused prisoners in Mosul


A US soldier has been sentenced to 25 years in jail for the murder of an Iraqi national guard member last May.


Specialist Federico Merida, found guilty of murder in the town of Ad-Dawr near Tikrit, was handed down one of the heaviest sentences to a US serviceman since the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

"Specialist Federico Merida pled guilty to murder and making false official statements during court martial proceedings at Forward Operation Base Danger, Tikrit, Iraq," the US military said in a statement on Saturday.

In addition to the sentence, Merida was demoted to private and was given a dishonourable discharge, the statement added.

US troops in Iraq have frequently faced accusations of abuses, including murder.

Prisoner abuse

The worst scandal to confront US forces has been the torture and sexual humiliation of Iraqi inmates in the Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.

The scandal erupted and outraged the world when photographs of US prison guards abusing prisoners first surfaced last April.

While several US servicemen have since been charged, military investigators have recommended action against a large number of others.

This case highlights a number of problems.

1). OK the guy is a mexican by the look of his name. But he is still there in Iraq, because of Dubya Bush. It should be Bush, who ordered the war, and then continues to put young men and women, many not trained to their true potential, into Iraq, it should be Bush doing the 25 years 'inside'.

2). Did this guy commit the crimes off his own back ?

3). Are these soldiers now being used as scapegoats for the torture methods used by israeli private companies in Iraqs prisons ?

4). What are private companies doing in Iraq per se and seemingly outranking the US and British Army chains of command ?

5). The current war seems to be playing into the hands of the militant muslims in Iraq. They want a muslim state. It was 'non-secular' under Saddam Hussein , for example; his second in command was Tariq Aziz, a christian.

Because the guy is a Spic he is probably regarded as 'disposable' and an example can be made of him?.

Boy butt love. I very much enjoy Spic-Arab Romeo and Juliet tails:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1941428p-8299574c.html
Merida was born in Veracruz, Mexico, and moved to the United States as a child.