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UNITED STATES: SEVEN MARINES CHARGED WITH MURDER OF IRAQ CIVILIAN November 22, 2006
Zainab Osman
(SomaliNet) A Marine has been sentenced to 21 months in custody for his role in the April 26 death of an Iraqi civilian near Hamdania. Lance Cpl. Jerry Shumate Jr., 21, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice in connection with the death of an unarmed Iraqi civilian. Earlier Tuesday, Shumate pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, whose body was left with an AK-47 and a shovel to make him look like an insurgent. He was expected to testify about the April incident in a deal that called for dismissal of the original charges of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, larceny, assault and housebreaking. Seven other Marines and a sailor were charged with kidnapping Awad, 52, in the rural Iraqi town of Hamdania, dragging him to a roadside hole, shooting him and then trying to cover it up. They testified that the group planned to kidnap and kill a known insurgent and, when they couldn't get to him, some members of the squad went into a neighboring house and instead kidnapped Awad, who prosecutors have described as a disabled father of 11 and a former police officer. Four senior squad members still face kidnapping and murder charges.