Marine's
graphic
interview
describes
killing of
prisoners in
Iraq
Sgt.
Jermaine
Nelson, in a
tape-recorded
interview,
says he and
a fellow
sergeant
were ordered
to kill the
prisoners
during a
sweep
through a
Fallouja
neighborhood
in 2004.
By Tony
Perry
Los Angeles
Times Staff
Writer
11/07/08
"Los Angeles
Times" -- -
CAMP
PENDLETON --
A graphic,
vulgarity-laced
interview in
which a
Marine
described
how he and
two other
Marines
killed four
unarmed
prisoners in
Iraq was
played today
during a
preliminary
hearing in
the case.
Sgt.
Jermaine
Nelson, in a
tape-recorded
interview
with a Naval
Criminal
Investigative
Service
agent, said
he and Sgt.
Ryan Weemer
were ordered
by Sgt. Jose
Nazario to
kill the
prisoners as
the Marines
swept
through a
neighborhood
in Fallouja
in late
2004.
Several
minutes of
the tape
were played
at the
hearing for
Weemer, who
faces murder
and
dereliction
of duty
charges.
Nelson faces
similar
charges, and
Nazario
faces
manslaughter
charges in
federal
court in
Riverside.
Nelson told
the
investigator
that Nazario
told him,
"I'm not
doing all
this
[expletive]
by myself.
You're doing
one and
Weemer is
doing one."
Nelson said
that he
watched in
shock as
Nazario shot
a kneeling
prisoner at
point-blank
range: "He
hit the dude
in the
forehead,
the dude
went down
and there
was blood .
. . all over
his [Nazario's]
boots."
Weemer then
used his
service
pistol to
shoot one of
the
prisoners,
Nelson said.
"He shot him
and the dude
was on the
ground and
rolling and
[Weemer] was
shooting,
shooting,
shooting,
shooting,
shooting."
The case
began when
Weemer, who
had left the
Marine
Corps, told
a job
interviewer
from the
Secret
Service
about the
killings.
The Marine
Corps
recalled him
to
active-duty
so he could
be charged.
Nelson and
Weemer, in
their
interviews,
said that
Nazario
ordered the
killings
after
getting a
radio
message from
a superior
that ordered
the Marines
not to take
time to
process the
prisoners
according to
the rules.
The Marines
were needed
to support
other
Marines
sweeping
through the
insurgent-held
city, Weemer
said in his
interview.
A hearing
officer, at
the
conclusion
of the
preliminary
hearing,
will
recommend to
Lt. Gen.
Samuel
Helland
whether the
case should
go to court
martial, be
dropped or
be handled
through an
administrative
procedure.
After seeing
Weemer and
Nazario shot
prisoners,
Nelson said
he lost his
reluctance
to join in
the
killings. "I
said
[expletive]
and I shot
my dude."
Copyright
2008 Los
Angeles
Times
|
