GR-13 Acquitted of Murder, Cutting off Ear of Civilian

[Midnyte_Sun]

U.S. soldier accused of killing Afghan acquitted

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A veteran U.S. special forces soldier accused of murdering an Afghan man and cutting off one of his ears was found not guilty by a military jury Wednesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, local media reported.​

The 10-member jury deliberated for about four hours before announcing their decision.

Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Joseph Newell, 39, was charged with killing a resident of Hyderabad, a village in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, on March 5 last year and mutilating his body.

If convicted, he could have faced up to life in prison without parole.
The unnamed Afghan man he killed had been detained after a vehicle stop when Newell found a picture of a Russian machine gun commonly used by Taliban forces on the man's cell phone.

Prosecutor Capt. Seamus Barry told jurors that the Afghan man was unarmed and defenseless, and did not constitute a threat on that day, noting that Newell's actions were a discredit to the Armed Forces.

But Newell's lawyer Todd Conormon said it is difficult for the public to understand what soldiers go through in that environment, stressing that every soldier has the right to self-defense.

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[Addendum]

Was the picture of the gun going to fire drawings of bullets?

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Was the picture of the gun going to fire drawings of bullets?

It was probably a Rob liefeld gun with double barrels and pouches.

 

[xisaacx]

What happened to the ear?

 

[Addendum]

Either thrown away or kept as a souvenear

 

[SuBe]

What is the point of that Picture?

 

[Kelly]

I'm trying to figure out the point of the thread....I mean, the story is kind of over and done with, I think we missed all the good debate. lol

 

[Paradoxium]

That is Dolph Lundgren from the Universal Soldier movie, whereon his character cuts ears off people as well.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Apparently...

Abu Ghraib/Bagram Torturing = Bad :
Shooting civilians and Cutting Off their Ears = OK

I'm confused.

 

[Addendum]

But the civilian was armed with a picture of a gun

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

I guess in this case, a picture was worth a thousand words.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Or bullets.

This is sorta the arguement I've heard a million times about cops who shoot unarmed civilians.

That they're trained for this and are living on the fast lane where they're life is on the line every day. Which is fair, except forgetting the part mentioned that they're trained.

But when a "normal" joe schmo is in exact same situation, it's because he's an animal who knew exactly what he was doin, when he was doing it and why, and should get life in prison.

But, again....having a picture of a dangerous weapon is something. That picture could start firing at you and minute...

 

[Addendum]

It could give you a nasty paper cut

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Oh, but wait...wasn't the picture inside a cell phone?

That could mean it's....*gasp*....inside the matrix!!

Which is like, 45% scarier, atleast.

 

[Addendum]

He was a h@x0r

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

So maybe he got his ear cut off so he couldnt communicate with that picture of that gun and make it shoot pictures of bullets. OK it finally makes sense.