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Soldier convincted of murdering unarmed iraqis Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1322879 http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1322879 Soldier Says He Lied to Get Lighter Term Soldier Says He Lied When He Implicated Platoon Leader in Killing to Get Lighter Sentence By JOHN MILBURN The Associated Press FORT RILEY, Kan. - A soldier convicted of murdering unarmed Iraqis testified Thursday that he falsely implicated his platoon leader in one of the slayings so that he could get a lighter prison sentence. The startling testimony came at a military hearing to determine whether 2nd Lt. Erick J. Anderson should be court-martialed on murder charges. Pvt. Michael Williams said, contrary to his earlier statements, that the Iraqi victim was already dead when Anderson arrived, and that Anderson never gave any order to kill him. "I just felt that pressure of getting a life sentence instead of 25 years," Williams said. "It's just a lot of my fear." On Wednesday, an Army investigator testified that Williams implicated his platoon leader only after his prison sentence was reduced to 25 years from life. Williams' original statement led to murder charges being filed against Anderson in October. Anderson was charged with ordering Williams and a second soldier to kill Iraqi civilians while the platoon was conducting missions in August 2004 near Sadr City, outside Baghdad. Williams testified Thursday that after entering a house during a search, he and his team found an Iraqi man with an AK-47 rifle. Williams said he shot the man twice in the chest after the man reached for the gun. Contradicting his own statements and those of other soldiers in the platoon, Williams said he fired a third shot at the Iraqi to make sure he was dead before Anderson arrived at the house. Prosecutors argue that after entering the house, Anderson told Williams the man was not dead yet and said to finish him off. Anderson's attorneys appeared stunned by the witness' new version of events. "We're going to shorten our case significantly," Neal Puckett, an attorney for Anderson, said outside the hearing. In the separate incident, prosecutors allege Anderson ordered two sergeants to kill a wounded teenager during night operations near Sadr City. The two sergeants were convicted; they claimed it was a "mercy killing" authorized by Anderson. On the Net: Fort Riley: http://www.riley.army.mil Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures

abu-Ghraib-prison british-beatings haditha 11 american soldiers charged with abuse { July 16 2005 } American pilots shooting unarmed civilians Americans use wmds on falluja { November 8 2005 } Army guard unit exorted shop keepers { July 27 2005 } Army looting iraqi civilians { May 31 2004 } Assault on fallujah most ferocious since vietnam Baghdad bombing kills 34 children { September 30 2004 } British also used white phosphorus British contractors shoot at iraqi civilians { December 9 2005 } Brits use drills in torture of iraqi prisoners { November 20 2005 } Bush signed order to suspend geneva conventions { June 23 2004 } Camera spattered with journalists blood { September 13 2004 } Colonel staged mock execution scare iraqi { November 19 2003 } Daily mirror apologizes for phony photos Detainees beaten with baseball bat { September 24 2005 } Detainees killed prisoners by assault Detainees medical files shared { June 10 2004 } Documents show army seized wives as tactic Eight marines charged iraq death { October 18 2003 } Eight marines investigation mistreatment prisoners { October 18 2003 } Ex marines claim fraud and excessive force { April 2008 } Fbi agents allege abuse of detainees { December 21 2004 } Five soldiers charged for punching kicking detainees Former iraqi detainees allege torture Four soldiers charged in drowning death { July 2 2004 } Four soldiers charged in iraqi generals murder GI gets 100 years for iraqi rape murder Hearing begins for marine accused of killing 2 iraqis { April 27 2005 } Homocide charges for US troops in iraq rare { August 28 2006 } Iraq arrests and detentions technically illegal { December 1 2004 } Iraq probes US phosphorus weapons in falluja { November 16 2005 } Iraq rights abuse worse than under saddam { November 28 2005 } Iraq wedding film challenges US on air strike { May 24 2004 } Iraqi beaten to death by us troops { April 14 2004 } Iraqi civilians gen franks war crimes { April 28 2003 } Iraqi details harsh treatment Iraqi pows gagged bound beaten { May 25 2003 } Iraqis accuse marines in april killing { June 5 2006 } Iraqis say troops massacred families { March 21 2006 } Israeli link possible in US torture techniques { May 11 2004 } Journalists berates trigger happy troops { June 5 2003 } Kill as many as possible Lawyers decided bans on torture didnt bind bush { June 8 2004 } Marine brags about war crimes { May 1 2003 } Marine shoots unarmed wounded iraqi Marine shot innocent iraqi in head 3 times { February 27 2007 } Marine shot prisoner in head Marine unit killed 30 unarmed civilians { December 8 2004 } Marines accused of murdering iraqi farmer Marines forced to kill innocent civilians { May 16 2004 } Marines kill iraqi civilians in cold blood { April 2006 } Marines planted evidence after killing { June 6 2006 } Military coversup detainee homocide Military probes death of wounded iraqi in fallujah Nbc staff abused by US troops in iraq New FBI files describe abuse of iraq inmates { December 21 2004 } News staff forced to insert finger in anus by US forces Officer in iraq fined harsh interrogation tactics Over 100 child prisoners held in iraq { August 1 2004 } Pentagon acknowledges uses incendiary white phosphorus Records show marines tortured iraqi prisoners Rifle shovel were planted by marines after killing Rumsfeld admits holding ghost detainees in iraq Sergeant refused to break law { May 20 2004 } Shame of abuse of brit troops Soldier admits murdering iraqi detainee Soldier convinced of killing iraqi walks free Soldier convincted of murdering unarmed iraqis Soldier guilty of killing wounded iraqi teenager Soldier kidnapping retaliation for 14yr olds rape { May 15 2007 } Soldier kills protester { January 14 2004 } Soldier kills woman with bread and tea { September 2 2004 } Soldier reports prisoner beating to senate mccain { October 5 2005 } Soldier took torture snaps Soldiers charges with murdering iraqis Soldiers fired on wedding during massacre { May 21 2004 } Soldiers forced iraqis off bridge told to cover up { July 30 2004 } Soldiers sent fleeing civilians back into fallujah { November 13 2004 } Soldiers used unauthorized deadly force in iraq { July 28 2005 } Solider charged with raping iraqi woman { July 4 2006 } Solider investigated for shooting iraqi { March 4 2004 } Solider ordered to shoot unarmed iraqi { September 27 2007 } Solider shot 17 year old iraqi after sex Solider shot unarmed iraqi to put out of misery { March 31 2005 } Some marines linked to abuses { December 15 2004 } Three civilians mistakenly killed in iraq { November 21 2005 } Top pentagon officials aware of detainee abuse { June 18 2007 } Troops brutalisation of reuters staff { January 14 2004 } Troops shot dead women and children for revenge Two journalists killed in fighting UN says coalition troops violated rights in iraq { June 4 2004 } US considers salvador option to tackle iraq { January 10 2005 } US denies incendiary weapons on civilians US guards shoot dead 4 in iraq prisons US kills arab reporter on air { September 13 2004 } US soldiers kill little girls in iraq fight { October 2006 } Us soldiers shoots kills two iraqi journalists { March 29 2004 } US soliders killed family and raped iraqi woman US still uncovering iraq abuses { July 15 2004 } Us tank crushes cleric { December 9 2003 } US torture in iraq spread to mosul Us troops beat iranian journalists Us troops shot dead us funded arabic journalists { April 19 2004 } Us war tactics questioned by rights groups { November 24 2003 } Video shows brits brutally attacking iraqi teens { February 13 2006 } War crimes evidence Wedding video contradicts US details { May 24 2004 } Whistleblower sent to psychiatrist { March 5 2005 } White phosphorous usage is war crime { November 22 2005 } Files Listed: 109

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