WAR: U.S. Soldier Guilty of Killing Iraqi Teen

A U.S. solider pleaded guilty to the killing of a 16 year old Iraqi at his court martial today. The severely wounded teenager was killed during heavy clashes on August 18 in Baghdad�s Sadr City. The criminal investigator revealed that Staff Sgt. Johnny M. Horne Jr. determined that the teens wounds were so severe he decided to put him out of his misery. The victim has been rescued from a burning truck and had multiple burns and abdominal wounds.



These incidents are clearly beyond what is called for in a combat situation and the soldiers should have known better. While I will never second guess a solider in a combat zone, this case was clearly a mercy kill and not an attempt to protect him or his unit from someone playing possum. The article mentions several other cases that are going to or are actively being tried. In one instance the accused solider is of Captain rank. The rights of prisoners of war must be respected even if the enemy does not play by the same rules, and mercy killings is a definitive no no.

[edit on 12/10/04 by FredT]

For all we know the teenager could of been beggin him to 'put him out of his misery'
Also S.Sgt. Horne was trying to save the boy by taking him out of the truck and several witnesses concluded the teenager was beyond medical help. Correct me if I'm wrong but do Soldiers get training in a situation like this? I doubt.

Would it have been better to leave him in the street waiting for medical assiastance that could of been hours away just so that they could give him morphine.

Originally posted by Titan007
Would it have been better to leave him in the street waiting for medical assiastance that could of been hours away just so that they could give him morphine.

Most unit have a medic that has morphine to administer. You could have made the kid comfortable and the shock combined with the MSo4 would have in all likleyhood done the same thing, but I doubt that our troops recieve training in the application of Mercy kills, but I could be wrong.

I remember that story. The kids were going to work, the soldiers thought they were terrorists, shot them up. The kids brother's and the other, Iraqi garbage men I believe, saw the murder. When young kids are killed senselessly it's a tragedy, no matter what side they are on.

This is just tragic. In a situation where taking someone's life is the only humane thing to do, who knows how any of us would react?

It's also sad that things like this hit the headlines but what we don't hear about on the front pages are the lives that are saved every day through acts of bravery and heroism.

Until this case has been fully investigated I would give the solier benefit of the doubt.

In the best case scenario what he did was a sencere act of mercy, in the worst case he might been trying to leave no witnesses of the clumsy incident.

We have to wait and see.....

Originally posted by Countermeasures
Until this case has been fully investigated I would give the solier benefit of the doubt.

CM,

the investigation is over and the soilder pleaded guilty as charged.

I can only imagine a situation like this, where someone is screaming in agony and clearly not going to make it. What do you do if someone is burning to death, and you can't save him?

But the message in this case is clear: the answer is not to kill an injured person, no matter how terrible their injuries or impossible their chances of survival.

And so it goes...

Originally posted by Majic

But the message in this case is clear: the answer is not to kill an injured person, no matter how terrible their injuries or impossible their chances of survival.

And so it goes...

Funny, I thought the message was don't kill someone, who incidentally does have wounds after you shot the hell out of them by mistake, while his brother begs you not to. Are you sure we're tallking about the same case? I mean, these Iraqi, what were they, garbagemen on their way to work? Saw the whole thing, and apparently someone believed them. I mean, people who were actually there, the Army people who reviewed the case.

Unfortunately, sometimes soldiers do the wrong thing, no matter how much we don't want them to.

But it's against the geneva convention and sets a bad precedent...like euthenasia.

Originally posted by Titan007
For all we know the teenager could of been beggin him to 'put him out of his misery'
Also S.Sgt. Horne was trying to save the boy by taking him out of the truck and several witnesses concluded the teenager was beyond medical help. Correct me if I'm wrong but do Soldiers get training in a situation like this? I doubt.

Would it have been better to leave him in the street waiting for medical assiastance that could of been hours away just so that they could give him morphine.

I suppose I didn't express myself well. I agree with the decision in general, and particularly in this case.

I can, however envisions situations where this policy might seem worse than the alternative.

Fortunately, none of us sitting in our comfy chairs are ever likely to face such a situation.

Instead, we can while away the hours passing judgment on others from afar, as God has seen fit to grant us -- for now.

It is very sad that a young soldier is put in a position like this where he has to make these kinds of decisions. It is also sad that a 16 year old kid had to die a tragic death. Both are innocent and neither deserve what they got or will get.

The soldier has recieved a 3 year sentance for the mercy killing of an Iraqi teen.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. soldier was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a severely wounded Iraqi teenager, the military said Saturday.

Staff Sgt. Johnny M. Horne Jr., 30, of Winston-Salem, N.C., also received a reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of wages and a dishonorable discharge.

Horne, attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, based in Fort Riley, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of unpremeditated murder and one count of soliciting another soldier to commit unpremeditated murder.
3 Years

Well, it has been decided. Whether we agree it is just or not, a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Originally posted by Goul
Well, it has been decided. Whether we agree it is just or not, a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Yes, we cannot allow mercy killing period. There is too much ambiguity in it. It would be next to impossible to have a guideline for troops to follow in the field. Better to give a alarge dose of Morphine or the like to ease the pain etc.