Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain

Top Menu

  • About US
  • Join US
  • Videos
  • Infographics
  • Comment
  • Question and Answer
  • Watch us Live

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Viewpoint
  • Islamic Culture
  • Da’wah
  • Media
  • People
    • Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (Founder)
    • Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum (Successor)
    • Sheikh Ata Abu Rashta (Ameer)
    • Abdul Wahid
    • Abu Yusuf
    • Jamal Harwood
    • Taji Mustafa
  • Books
  • Youth
  • Covid-19
  • About US
  • Join US
  • Videos
  • Infographics
  • Comment
  • Question and Answer
  • Watch us Live

logo

Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain

  • Home
  • Viewpoint
    • America is the New Sick Man

      January 7, 2021
      0
    • Islam, Covid, Vaccination & Khilafah

      January 4, 2021
      0
    • Erdogan - Palestine Was Never a Red Line for You

      December 30, 2020
      0
    • The New European Inquisition

      December 8, 2020
      0
    • The Struggles of Living in France

      November 6, 2020
      0
    • Government Refuses to Provide Free Meals to Children

      October 28, 2020
      0
    • Palestine: The Betrayal of the Rulers

      October 5, 2020
      0
    • 10 Significant Facts About Palestine

      September 18, 2020
      0
    • The Khilafah Will Effectively Provide Security for Our Mothers and Daughters, When ...

      September 14, 2020
      0
  • Islamic Culture
    • The Dawah to Allah (swt)

      December 29, 2020
      0
    • Miracle of the Quran

      Q & A - Compilation of The Holy Quran During the Reign ...

      December 27, 2020
      0
    • Imam Bukhari: A Role Model for the ‘Ulema and Da’wah Carriers to ...

      November 17, 2020
      0
    • Rabi ul-Awwal’s Greatest Gift: The Mercy to All Humankind, Muhammad ﷺ

      October 25, 2020
      0
    • The Life of Bilal (RA)

      September 3, 2020
      0
    • The Greatness of the 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah

      July 25, 2020
      0
    • Surah Tawbah: Masjid Ad-Dirar and the Disease of Disunity

      May 22, 2020
      0
    • Taqwa and the Digital Footprint

      May 16, 2020
      0
    • Spirituality- Man’s Emotional Quest to Find God

      November 28, 2019
      0
  • Da’wah
    • Video: Establishing Islam’s Leadership on the Earth and Our Responsibility

      October 27, 2020
      0
    • Establishing Islam’s Leadership on the Earth and Our Responsibility

      October 27, 2020
      0
    • Islam is based on an Enlightened Thought and We Should Accept Nothing ...

      October 26, 2020
      0
    • Video : The Return of the Islamic World Order - Invitation to ...

      October 25, 2020
      0
    • Video : The Islamic Ruling System

      October 22, 2020
      0
    • The Khilafah System: Taking Care of the People

      October 19, 2020
      0
    • Secularism Has Failed Where Islam Will Succeed

      October 18, 2020
      0
    • Video : From Pandemic to BLM - Invitation to - Jaleel Abdul-Adil ...

      October 16, 2020
      0
    • From Pandemic to BLM: Humanity Desperately Seeking an Alternative

      October 12, 2020
      0
  • Media
  • People
    • Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (Founder)
    • Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum (Successor)
    • Sheikh Ata Abu Rashta (Ameer)
    • Abdul Wahid
    • Abu Yusuf
    • Jamal Harwood
    • Taji Mustafa
  • Books
  • Youth
  • Covid-19
News Watch
Home›News Watch›US soldier pleads guilty to killing unarmed Afghan ‘for sport’

US soldier pleads guilty to killing unarmed Afghan ‘for sport’

By Press Editor
September 24, 2011
552
0
Share:

Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, fired machine-gun at unarmed civilian ‘for sport’

Andrew Holmes is among five soldiers charged in the ‘thrill’ killings of Afghan civilians last year. Photograph: US army/Getty Images

A soldier among five charged in the “thrill” killings of Afghan civilians last year pleaded guilty to a murder charge on Thursday, confessing in court that he fired a heavy machine-gun at a startled, unarmed man from 15ft away after a co-defendant threw a grenade at him.

“I knew I should have taken cover, but instead I pulled the trigger,” Private 1st Class Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, told the judge.

The soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle, were arrested in Afghanistan last year, after prosecutors said they killed three civilians for sport during patrols in January, February and May.

Holmes, 21, was accused of directly participating in the first killing, and he was initially charged with conspiracy, premeditated murder and other charges. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to murder by an inherently dangerous act, possessing a finger bone from his victim, and smoking hashish.

Holmes told the judge, Lt Col Kwasi Hawks, at the court in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, that one of the ringleaders of the plot, then-Cpl Jeremy Morlock, had frequently talked about killing civilians and suggested ways they could do it. As they left on patrol on 15 January 2010, Morlock told Holmes to grab an illicitly obtained grenade out of his tent because “something might happen” – and Holmes complied: “I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I had a terrible feeling that Cpl Morlock was up to no good.”

Later, as they patrolled a village in Kandahar, Morlock stood by a low wall along a field and called for Holmes. It was a cold day, Holmes said, and he was sweating and out of breath. He said he saw Morlock fiddling with something out of the corner of his eye.

“I suspected it was the grenade, but I was hoping it was his radio,” he said.

The grenade it was. Morlock tossed it at a young man standing near the other side of the wall – even though the man was obviously unarmed and posed no threat, Holmes said. Then, he ordered Holmes to shoot.

“I looked at the young man. He was standing there like a deer in the headlights,” Holmes told the judge in a clear, steady voice. “I fired six to eight rounds at the man, and I’ve regretted it ever since.”

Holmes and Morlock then posed for a photographs holding up the head of the victim. Holmes’ lawyer, Dan Conway, has insisted he was ordered to pose.

Holmes was expected to be sentenced on Friday. No sentencing recommendations by prosecutors or the defence under the terms of the plea deal were immediately disclosed. Under military law, a person can be convicted of murder even if the act is not premeditated – if, for example, the actions of the defendant were taken in disregard of human life.

The charges against the five soldiers from what was formerly known as the 5th Stryker Brigade – since renamed the 2nd Stryker Brigade – are among the most serious war crimes charges to emerge from the Afghan war.

Prosecutors say that in addition to killing three men some of the defendants kept body parts severed from the corpses as well as photographs kept as war trophies. Drug use was rampant in the unit, and one soldier who blew the whistle on hash-smoking by his comrades was beaten up and threatened.

Morlock has admitted taking part in the three killings and agreed to testify against his co-defendants in exchange for a 24-year sentence. Staff Sgt Calvin Gibbs of Billings, Montana, is the highest ranking soldier charged in the killings, and Morlock and others said he was the mastermind. Gibbs denies wrongdoing.

Spc Adam Winfield of Cape Coral, Florida, told his parents about the plot in Facebook messages after the first killing, and his father immediately reported it to Lewis-McChord. But the alert was not reported up the chain of command, and the plot did not come to light until months later, when two more victims had been killed.

Winfield admitted participating in the last killing, saying he thought Gibbs might kill him if he didn’t, and he pleaded guilty this summer to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years.

Holmes also pleaded guilty to drug use and keeping a finger bone severed from a corpse. He told the judge Gibbs gave him the finger, and he took it only because Gibbs insisted.

Conway said it was a “tough pill to swallow” for Holmes to plead guilty to murder, but prosecutors would not agree to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

He blamed Holmes’ troubles on the unluckiness of being assigned to a unit with Morlock.

“Andy Holmes joined the army as a healthy, good-natured, 18-year-old kid who liked to play golf and go fishing,” Conway said after the hearing on Thursday. “He may be leaving the army as a felon.”

Guardian

Previous Article

Uzbekistan: Congress Approves Waiver on Human Rights ...

Next Article

‘Irvine 11’ case: America convicts Muslim students ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • News Watch

    US jails Pakistani scientist

    September 24, 2010
    By Editor
  • News Watch

    Syrian security forces set off Damascus bombs blamed on al-Qaida – defectors

    May 19, 2012
    By Editor
  • News Watch

    We accept that Russian bombs can provoke a terror backlash. Ours can too

    November 23, 2015
    By News Desk
  • News Watch

    Morsi, Ahmadinejad stress need for international consensus on Gaza

    November 19, 2012
    By Press Editor
  • News Watch

    Shell and BP join British trade mission to secure Libyan deals

    September 27, 2011
    By Press Editor
  • News Watch

    Muslim woman thrown off moving train in Australia

    October 4, 2014
    By Editor

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Podcast

Latest Posts

Viewpoint

America is the New Sick Man

The scenes of mobs occupying the US senate and protestors demanding the US electoral result be overturned are extraordinary in America’s history. Many across the world watched in shock as ...
  • Islam, Covid, Vaccination & Khilafah

    By Editor
    January 4, 2021
  • Erdogan – Palestine Was Never a Red Line for You

    By Editor
    December 30, 2020
  • The Dawah to Allah (swt)

    By Editor
    December 29, 2020
  • Miracle of the Quran

    Q & A – Compilation of The Holy Quran During the Reign of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (r.a)

    By Editor
    December 27, 2020
  • The New European Inquisition

    By Editor
    December 8, 2020
  • The Repercussions of the US Presidential Election

    By Editor
    November 25, 2020
  • Imam Bukhari: A Role Model for the ‘Ulema and Da’wah Carriers to Follow

    By Editor
    November 17, 2020
  • 3.5K+
    Subscribers
  • Likes
  • 20.4K+
    Followers
  • Press Centre