50cal

Marine sniper in court on Anbar shootings




The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 1, 2008 7:55:44 EDT

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A military investigating officer is once again being asked to decide whether a Marine stationed in Iraq pulled the trigger too quickly.
Sgt. John Winnick II is charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two Iraqis on June 17, 2007, during combat operations near Lake Tharthar in Iraq’s western Anbar province.
He also faces charges of aggravated assault against two other Iraqis and failing to adhere to the military’s rules of engagement by firing without first determining whether his targets posed a threat, according to his attorney, Gary Myers.
The investigating officer will begin hearing evidence Tuesday in an Article 32 to determine if there is sufficient evidence for a court-martial.
Winnick, whose age and hometown were not released by the Marines, is a member of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
He was working with the base’s 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit when the incident occurred near the lake, a relatively isolated retreat that was once Saddam Hussein’s favorite fishing spot.
The military believed the area was being used for training and recuperation by insurgents, according to Marine spokesman Mike Alvarez.
The charges carry a maximum 40-year sentence and a dishonorable discharge if Winnick is tried and convicted.

__________________


"Sweat dries, blood clots, bones heal. Suck it up. Be a Marine"