Family proclaims innocence of man slain by Marines

[Barrett808]

Family proclaims innocence of man slain by Marines
By Nancy A. Youssef
Knight Ridder

AL-HAMDANIYAH, Iraq -- Before people talked about how Hashim Ibrahim Awad was killed, his friends shared tales about how the Americans wanted him to be an informant.

U.S. Marines had approached him several times, Awad's friends say he told them, asking him to help them find who was planting explosives in this small village outside Baghdad. Every time, Awad, in his 50s with a lame leg and bad eyesight, refused. His family considered the job shameful.

In an exclusive interview with Knight Ridder on Friday, Awad's family gave their version of what happened to him in the early morning hours of April 26. They said U.S. Marines dragged Awad from his home, killed him and then planted an AK-47 assault rifle and a shovel next to him to make him look like a terrorist.

The family members said American investigators have since harassed them, questioning their allegations in hours-long sessions that begin in the dead of night and last past dawn. They said they once were taken for questioning to nearby Abu Ghurayb prison, the scene of previous allegations of American abuse.

There was no way to confirm the accounts. U.S. officials have declined to provide details of the allegations that led them May 25 to announce that they were investigating the death of an Iraqi civilian and ``several service members from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment . . . were removed from operations and have returned to the United States.''

(more)

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14732979.htm

[TomInTib]

1. Hey! He had a shovel!

Man, it's just one after another.

That'll teach those hajis what happens when you refuse a generous offer that could get your whole family killed.

[Moderator]

2. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2320271