U.S. Soldier Accused Of Murder In Deaths Of Deaf Iraqi Boys November 16, 2013 1:43 PM A U.S. Army sergeant who in 2007 allegedly shot and killed two unarmed deaf Iraqi boys who had no known ties to the insurgents then battling American forces, has now been charged with two counts of premeditated murder. The story of what Sgt. 1st Class Michael Barbera allegedly did was spelled out in detail last December by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. . It began its package of stories this way: AS SADAH, Iraq — Shortly before noon on March 6, 2007, Small Kill Team leader Michael Barbera rose from his squads position in high grass in a palm grove here and shot two teenage cattle herders. A short time later, the Army staff sergeant ordered his soldiers to kill a third teenager walking toward them. Barbera would report to his superiors that the three dead boys were insurgents operating out of this farming village about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad. In reality, Ahmad Khalid al-Timmimi, 15, his brother, Abbas, and their cousin, Muhamed Khaleel Kareem al-Galyani, both 14, were unarmed deaf mutes with no known ties to the insurgency. Their slayings angered most members of Barberas squad — decorated combat veterans who reported the killings to Army investigators in Fort Bragg, N.C. It was those other members of the squad who took their concerns to Army officials, and later to the Tribune-Review after Army brass initially overruled a recommendation from investigators that Barbera be charged. The soldiers were not only upset by what had happened, but were also convinced that 10 of their comrades were subsequently killed by suicide bombers who were retaliating for the boys deaths. On Friday, officials at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state announced that Barbera has been charged. The next step, according to The Associated Press, is an Article 32 investigation which decides if he should be court martialed. No date has been scheduled for the Article 32. :When Barberas Article 32 hearing is convened, it will be the latest high-profile military criminal case at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 20:07:04 +0000
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