European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paoe10 stars and stripes july 2007 officer backs dropping Laditha court martial insufficient evidence cited in Case that accuses Marine of murdering civilians by Thomas Watkins the associated press san Diego the governments Case against a Marine accused of fatally shoot ing iraqi civilians in the town of Laditha lacks sufficient evidence to go to a court martial and should be a hearing officer the murder charges were brought against Lance Justin Sharratt for killing three iraqi Brothers in november the hearing Paul wrote in a report released by the defense tuesday that those charges were based on unreliable witness insupportable forensic evidence and questionable Legal he also wrote that the Case could have dangerous consequences on the Battle where soldiers might hesitate during critical moments when facing an the government version is unsupported by Independent Ware wrote in the 18page to believe the government version of facts is to disregard Clear and convincing evidence to the con prosecutors allege Sharratt and other members of his battalion carried out a re Veng motivated assault on iraqi civilians that left 24 dead after a Roadside bomb killed a fellow Lance Miguel Terrazas of Al Sharratt contends the iraqi men he con fronted were insurgents and at least one was holding an ak47 Rifle when he fired at in addition to two other enlisted men Are charged with murder and four officers Are accused of failing to investigate the incident the largest single iraqi civilian death Case of the Sharratta Case is the first among the three charged with murder to go to a hear ing known As an article 32 the military equivalent of a grand whether this was a Brave act of combat against the enemy or tragedy of misperception born out of conducting combat with an enemy that hides among Lance Corporal Sharratta actions were in Accord with the rules of engagement and use of Ware he said further prosecution of Sharratt could set a dangerous precedent that May encourage others to Bear false witness against marines As a tactic to erode Public support of the Marine corps and its mis Sion in even More dangerous is the potential that a Marine May hesitate at the critical moment when facing the he the recommendation to drop the Mur Der charge is a final decision about whether Sharratt should stand trial will be made by James the commanding general overseeing the prosecutors at Sharratta preliminary hearing introduced several accounts from iraqis that said Sharratt had separated four men from a group of women and Chil Dren and ordered them into a prosecutors he shot three of them and when he ran out of bullets the squad Leader staff Frank Wuterich allegedly shot the Ware deemed the witness accounts and testimony Given by other marines Urreli at Home in Sharratta family said the news was that report is a declaration of justins said Sharratta there this is very Good defense attorneys James gulp and Gary Myers said in a statement that the report reflected the value of the Calm of a court room and the adversarial this is the second time an investigating officer has recommended charges not continue to trial in connection with the a Ditha in the Case of Marine lawyer Randy the investigating officer recommended stones dereliction of duty charge be dealt with Karzai Calls militants attack cowardly work by Rahim Faiez the associated press Afghanistan Call ing militant attacks cowardly afghan president Hamid Karzai on wednesday deplored a suicide bombing that killed 12 school children and accused Mili Tants of running from Battle by donning women speaking in a measured Karzai said the bravery of Mili Tant fighters was killing inno cent people and whenever there is pressure on them they escape under a woman said he could have been referring to past reports of Taliban Mili Tants in Afghanistan wearing the Al encompassing Burqa to flee de More Abdul the Leader of a besieged mosque in was captured last week trying to slip out dressed in a Burqa and High iraqi son sentenced to 15 years Baghdad an iraqi court on wednesday convicted sunni Arab former lawmaker Mishan Aljubouri and his son who have fled to on charges of embezzling millions of Dol Lars and sentenced them to 15 years in the government the two had been accused of siphoning off some million a month intended to pay for food for three units of a special Force created to protect Oil pipelines from attacks by the Central criminal court convicted Aljubouri and his son in absent a and issued the sen As Well As an order for their the government said in a it said the two created a false front company headed by Yazan Aljubouri to embezzle the from the associated press Karzai called reporters to the presidential Palace to condemn tuesdays suicide bombing in uru Zgan province that killed at least 17 including 12 Stu the attack in a crowded Market wounded More than 30 including eight dutch sol i Pray to god that Afghanistan is soon freed from All this suffer Karzai noting that mass Battles Between Western Milit Aries and Taliban militants were Down this year but suicide and Roadside bombings were the defense minis try spokesman said it is easy for Taliban fighters to falsely claim that civilians were killed by West Ern or afghan military action and that militants Are forcing locals to lie to the enemy is threatening the local people to lie to the Zahir Azimi Musa Deq afghan president Hamid Karzai gestures during a news conference at the presidential Palace in Afghanistan on Karzai described Taliban militants As the enemies of this country and Pakistan he called for both countries to fight your Hometown newspaper Europe traveler blog blogs at stripes travel enthusiast Karen Bradbury shares ideas for great getaways and ways to save dollars for our Europe based communications per minute to the Usa includes us phone with free incoming Calls to sign up Call 14023927588 visit 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