CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- A judge has granted a request by a Camp Pendleton Marine to withdraw his guilty plea in the murder of an Iraqi man.
Corporal Trent Thomas, 25, of Kilo Company in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment asked to change his plea Thursday morning, saying he no longer feels he is guilty.
Thomas said he believes he was following a lawful order. "Sir, when my country gives me an order, I follow it," Thomas told the judge, Lt. Col. Tracy Daley.
When Daley asked Thomas where the order originated, he said, "It came from my squad leader, and from there it came from my lieutenant."
Daly accepted Thomas's rationale for withdrawing his pleas. But he warned the corporal that he will be subject to the possibility of prosecution of premeditated murder, a charge that could expose him to the death penalty.
When Daly asked Thomas if he understood, the Marine replied, "Yes, I do sir."
As part of a pretrial agreement, Thomas pleaded guilty in January to charges including kidnapping, murder and assault, in the death of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad near the town of Hamdania in April.
Thomas is one of eight servicemen charged with Awad's death. He faces life in prison, but was expected to receive a shorter sentence because of the plea deal that is now in doubt.
Four others pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
Good. If this guy is willing to accept the death penalty if he is convicted of murder, rather than plea bargain a less severe sentence then there may be some merit to what the man says: "Sir, when my country gives me an order, I follow it," Thomas told the judge, Lt. Col. Tracy Daley.
I believe him. I also think that sending people that are trained to kill to "win the peace" is fucking retarded. Let's thank our chicken-shit Preznit poopy-pants for another really bad decision.
Frankly, I can't wait till the malfeasance of govenment contractors shit hits the fan. Go Waxman!!!!!
