Pa. soldier avoids prison with plea in Iraqi slaying case

[Barrett808]

Pa. soldier avoids prison with plea in Iraqi slaying case
Associated Press

A Pennsylvania soldier was demoted but avoided prison after pleading guilty to charges involving the killing of an Iraqi civilian and the threatening of another, military officials said.

Sgt. Milton Ortiz Jr., who was tried at a court-martial in Baghdad on Tuesday, had been charged with conspiring with two other soldiers to plant an AK-47 near a slain Iraqi civilian to make it look like he was an insurgent.

Ortiz, 36, of Old Lycoming Township, faces no other prosecution and could soon be allowed to return home, according to Army Maj. Josslyn Aberle, chief of media relations for the Multinational Corps in Iraq. Ortiz had previously been identified as being from Islip, N.Y.

The charges stem from the Feb. 15 killing of an unarmed Iraqi civilian near Ramadi by Spc. Nathan Lynn, another Pennsylvania National Guardsman.

(more)

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/local/15207341.htm

[acmavm]

1. Gee, why am I not surprised? I'm sure he's someone a Mom and Dad

can be proud to call 'our son'.

:sarcasm:

[Rose Siding]

2. God protect his new neighbors

This places a stain (and a target) on every soldier who choses NOT to commit murder.

[atreides1]

3. Remember

Support the Troops!!!!

[0007]

5. Ah yes!!

 Support the war - Donate a Son a daughter
The GOP working for a better America
God Bless America

[blonndee]

4. Much like the case of the disabled elderly man who was killed by

soldiers and then made to look like an insurgent. I wonder what ever happened with that one. Probably never prosecuted, I'd guess.

[Mend]

6. I guess some of the PTSD seen in all these combat vets is from

committing atrocities and then trying to live with it all of their lives.