Arab News: US Probes Slaying of Injured Iraqi

US Probes Slaying of Injured Iraqi: "WASHINGTON, 17 November 2004 — The US Defense Department is investigating the shooting of an apparently wounded and unarmed Iraqi prisoner by a Marine in a mosque in Fallujah, Iraq.

The video sequence filmed by NBC reporter Kevin Sites, shows a squad of Marines finding a room of wounded insurgents inside a mosque, which was a former insurgent stronghold and was believed by Marines to be the source of heavy enemy fire.

The tape shows a Marine shouting out that one of the wounded is playing “possum.”

A second Marine says, “And he’s breathing!”

The first Marine is then shown raising his rifle toward a prisoner lying on the floor of the mosque. At that moment, the video is blacked out but the sound of the rifle can be heard.

A Marine then says, according to the videotape: “He’s dead now.”


Barbara Ferguson
Arab News