This weekend, Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Pennington, 22, who said he never fired a shot in the kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi man was sentenced to 8 years in military prison, reduced in rank, and given a dishonorable discharge - the longest sentence yet in this incident. The charges were the result of a plea bargain agreement in which he plead guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping so that the murder charge would be dropped.
Pennington was among the seven Marines and a Navy corpsman that were charged with the premeditated murder in the shooting death of an Iraqi man who was pulled from his home and shot while U.S. troops hunted for insurgents. According to the charging document, they were staking out an intersection in a known insurgent area. When no one came, Pennington with three other marines went into a nearby home, stole a shovel and an AK-47 and went looking for an insurgent named Saleh Gowad. When they couldn't find Gowad, they went into a house belonging to Hashim Ibrahim Awad and kidnapped him, forced him to the ground and bound his feet, then took him to their hideout and placed him in a hole. Five of the soldiers then proceeded to shoot him, one fired his weapon into the air, one collected the shell casings, and Pennington cleaned the prints off of an AK-47 and put it in Awad's hands.
Lance Corporal Robert Pennington, 22, told the court-martial that he knew at the time of the kidnapping that it was wrong, but he participated nonetheless because he and his fellow Marines were sick of suspected insurgents slipping through the justice system. "If we could not catch Saleh Gowad or his brothers, it was another step down to kill another military aged male in the town," Pennington said. "We felt that capturing them was an exercise in futility ... they would just be released a few days later." He also stated that his fellow servicemen were on a mission to "send a message to the insurgency."
Robert Pennington was in his third deployment in Iraq. He was in the initial assault on Baghdad and also fought in Fallujah. Pennington's parents had pleaded for mercy from military court because they claimed he was psychologically damaged by the death of a buddy in the battle for Fallouja in November 2004.
In previous hearings on the incident, the Navy corpsman was sentenced to 12 months in the brig, a private first class to 18 months, and two lance corporals to 21 months each. Like Pennington, the four had pleaded guilty.
Bad things happen in war, sometimes really bad things. I ask the Gather community how much we should judge and punish our young men and women that commit such horrific crimes under such terrible conditions. As callous as it might sound, in an environment where it is difficult to determine friend from foe, soldiers often assume that every Iraqi is guilty until proven otherwise.
So the questions I have for the Gather community are:
- Did the military courts let Pennington off too easy? 12 months, 18 months, 21 months or even 8 years for murder doesn’t seem very long.
- Do you think multiple tours are a good idea? I think some of our Vietnam vets should weigh in on that question. The war is four years old, how often should soldiers be rotated back to Iraq?
- How could the military have prevented this in your opinion? (Besides the obvious of not being there)
Thanks again for your continued support in reading my articles.
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Comments: 18
Civilian speaking:
Of course they are. You never want completely innocent, fresh new faces out there every day. You're going to need experience and experience in particular situations like these. Thus, you need to have those that have fought in this environment, under these conditions before, to circulate back into the fighting.
However, it's best to be done with optimal resting between tours, so that soldiers don't become burned out and lose it like in these kinds of incidents. Unfortunately, due to the size of the Iraq conflict (with regard to our military's size) and our commitments elsewhere, we're not in prime position to take every "luxury" we want.
"Did the military courts let Pennington off too easy? "
For him? I'd say that's a pretty good deal on both sides for the actions committed.
Donald - I agree it will never be stopped. The military has placed alot of emphasis, especially of late, to emphasis values in our soldiers. I also think they are doing a better job of educating them on the culture. Our American society is so ignorant of the arab culture that it is easy for new recruits to have a natural fear of them.
We could put the same situation here, say, a city cop shooting an innocent black man because he lives in a high crime area. The city cop would be tried and convicted for a longer period of time. There would be protests and marches!
Another thing to look at is: what is this telling our troops out in the field? Kill an Iraqi, wrongfully even, and do less than 2 years in the brig? What message is that sending our guys? So much for discipline!
I was on a ship during Operation Iraqi Freedom and within three months, things started falling apart. People were having sex with each other...theft, fights...fraternization, drinking, smoking pot, etc. Morale and discipline go down the drain.
And we weren't even out on the field!
Our troops are warriors not "policemen".
They are trained ,but maybe not well enough and why are the higher ups never charged?
One thing is for sure, War can be HELL! We have asked men to become killers and then seek to punish them when they go off. I think its a shame! These Men may have went a bit far over board but I don't know to many people that have the grit to go for Kid getting out of school to killer with things staying on a normal path. I personal feel that these young men should receive treatment and then be send home.
Note: We make Killers out of our young men and freak out when they do the only thing they know how to do!
Multiple tours: I feel they are a necessity. Nick said it very well in his response.
How it could have been prevented: I don't feel events like this can be prevented. Donald is correct that these things have always happened, and always will. If you study any medieval history, you will know that it could have been much much worse.
What do people usually get here for kidnapping and being an accessory to a murder? Maybe eight years is right, I don't know without knowing the other facts, but if it were my family it seems light.
What were the other guys convicted of to get such light sentences...12, 18, and 21 months? Who pulled the trigger anyway, is he still on trial? I haven't kept up.
I don't think the military is large enough with enough troops overall let alone Iraq, that the guard and others are doing more than they should, but don't think it excuses this.
The men acted as individuals, the only thing I think the military could do is quit playing around with known insurgents if that is what is going on. It still doesn't excuse what they did though. There will always be some that do stuff like this, you don't have to be in the military to kidnap and murder.
Thanks.
Just to lighten up the topic or pass it around... check it out here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIDc3rMbnu4