Guilty Guilty Guilty

Marine found guilty of conspiracy in Iraq murder

Reuters
Wednesday, August 1, 2007; 8:22 PM

CAMP PENDLETON, California (Reuters) - A military jury found a Marine guilty on Wednesday of larceny, housebreaking and conspiracy in the 2006 murder and kidnapping of an Iraqi grandfather in Hamdania, Iraq.

In the incident, one of a series of civilian killings in Iraq that have hurt the image of the United States abroad, Marines kidnapped the neighbor of a man they were seeking, killed him and planted a stolen AK-47 and shovel nearby to suggest he was an insurgent killed in a fight.

A military jury at Camp Pendleton near San Diego found Cpl. Marshall Magincalda guilty of larceny and housebreaking as well as participating in a conspiracy to murder, kidnap, commit larceny and obstruction of justice, make a false official statement and break into a house.

At one time, this felon had a lot of wingnut supporters. Like Michelle Malkin:

Did you know there are seven young Marines and a Navy Corpsman sitting in a military brig right now in leg and wrist shackles — despite the fact that they've not been charged with any crime?


The men are in solitary confinement, locked in 8'x8' cells at San Diego's Camp Pendleton, as investigators probe an April 26 incident involving the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. They are behind bars 23 hours a day; family members can only see them through inch-thick Plexiglass. Military blabbermouths have told the press that the service members are suspected of kidnapping and shooting a man in the Iraqi town of Hamandiya. The Iraqi man's family reportedly came forward seeking payment for his death as media hysteria set in over the separate alleged atrocity in Haditha.

(snip)

The media leaks and the Murtha-fication of the case are already taking a heavy toll on the troops and their families.

Boo freakin hoo, as Malkin would say. But she wasn't the only one. Dan Riehl attempted to kern this crime:

Awad al-Zobaie's cousin, Farhan Ahmed Hussein, said Americans came to his door asking to search the home. He claims to have given them an AK-47 and they took a shovel before thanking him and leaving.

Awad's cousin, Farhan Ahmed Hussein, said Americans came to his door in the early morning hours of April 26 and pounded on it so forcefully that he knew that if he didn't open it, they would.

... He said he didn't think much of it. "I told myself first thing in the morning, I will stop the first patrol I see and ask them for my AK-47 and shovel back," he said.

The Marines then went next door to his brother's home, Awad Ibrahim Awad. His brother didn't feel like getting out of bed and the Marines left.

Awad Ibrahim Awad said the Marines knocked at around 2 a.m., but that he decided not to get out of bed. They left.

So the first brother insists the Marines were ready to kick in his door, the other doesn't answer and the Marines just leave? They sure did calm down walking across the yard, wouldn't you say?

Fortunately NCIS took this case more seriously than the wingnuts, and now all seven of the Marines have either copped a plea or been found guilty of some charges. I won't hold my breath waiting for a correction from Malkin or Riehl.