I Dont Think This is Right!!!!

[p8ntballsnipr1]

below is a link to a web page with information about a US Marine who killed 2 terrorists in fear for his own life, now being charged with premeditated murders on April 15, 2005 I dont feel this is right, any one else agree with me?

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/3/135813.shtml


As for me, im P.Oed :mad:

[iroc3000cc]

yeah that is really f-d up i hope he gets all charges dropped because it is such bs

[LivinSoFree]

1. The story's not new... this has been developing for some time now.

2. While the basic story is correct, I'd advise you to find a more... credible news source. A quick glance over the "Newsmax" page reveals this one to be pretty d*mn extreme... pride and emotions are all fine and good, but not in a reputable news source.

3. From what I have read, this is a bad situation. Personally I'm not sure who I'm siding with yet on this one: I'm gonna wait for the investigation results. Neither you nor I were there on the ground when it happened, and at this point, as much as we'd like to believe it's one way or another, none of us really knows.

Poolee- you're obviously motivated, hey, that's good to go. But what will save your tail time and time again is the ability to stow the emotions and look at the situation from the facts. It's easy to get worked up over something, but if it clouds your judgement at the wrong time, it WILL cause you serious pain. Step back, take a breath, and consider what we know to have actually happened. The true leader will keep a cool head- that'll save your tail every time.

[Underleft]

I agree. Everybody believes that every Marine is an outstanding person. As much as I would like to believe that the truth is that it's just not true. There some Marines I have met that I don't like at all. I'v had Marines steal my gear. But on the other hand there are a lot of outstanding Marines out there and thats what you should strive to be because you are given all the tools to be that Marine. It's also a good Idea to keep yourself around those Marines. My point is that just because a sombody is a Marine doesn't mean that they are the worlds most honest and greatest person.

[p8ntballsnipr1]

but the part wat i dont get is that they sent a man off to war to fight for his country, in return he killed 2 iraqis, IN FEAR FOR HIS OWN LIFE and then they are charging him with premed. murder, and it was a year ago!!

im not really mad about the whole thing, but its just a bit difficult to understand

[CrazyBrave83]

I agree with both sides on this one, if that's even possible.

By that I mean...

It's understood that Marines are human beings just like anyone else, they're not infallable and perfect, so to view them as such (although in line with the Warrior Ethos) is somewhat unrealistic. I believe Marines are a cut above other people but that doesn't make everything they do perfect.

On that token, this Marine could've made a very poor decision, which not only reflects negatively on him but on the entire Warfighting effort.

The other side of things is the current situation in America where it seems it's better to attack our own than support them. I (along with many other civillians) understand that combat is a completely different world where unspeakable things occur. I also, hand in hand, understand that we as a nation afford Marines, Soldiers, and all manner of ground-pounders special privilige to make combat decisions.

So it's somewhat difficult to say this man was wrong because the only people who know for sure were down in the dirt with him.

The unfortunate factor of it all is that war is very much a political machine, so in times such as these everything is under close scrutiny.

[Lorix]

Are you sure you don't mean 2004, otherwise you're predicting the future!

But yeah, I think it's wrong, though I probably should read the article first...lol.

[p8ntballsnipr1]

yea i ment 2004 i noticed the typo after i entered it, oops? lol

[cowgurl_Marine]

I don't know much about it. Being a cousin of a Marine who is over in Iraq this monment for the 3rd ture, and a Poolee ready to be a Marine, i don't really think it is not right to Charge a soldier for what he has been trained to do. Anyone soldier or Cilvian would do the samething in FEAR OF THEIR LIVE. I am not one to get worked up about things like that. I hate to see Inocent people die no matter what their race is. I have nothing aginst the Iraqies. I think we should get Osoma Bin Lodin and do our best to set up what the People want over there and get out, but I have a fear it is no where close to being over.

ALL SOLDIERS LISTEN UP.....LETS GET OUR HEADS ON STRAIGHT AND SUPPORT OUR BROTHER FOR WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. WE DON'T LEAVE FAMILY BEHIND AND WHEITHER OR NOT HE WAS IN THE RIGHT HE NEEDS HIS sOLDIER BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO HELP HIM OUT. YOU MAY BELIVE HE IS IN WRONG BUT YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE YOUR BIOLOGICAL FAMILY BEHIND IN TIME OF NEED WOULD YOU?

[p8ntballsnipr1]

Marines here bud, there are Soldiers here, but Marines all the same...

Cant wait till I bear the title. I want it, and I WILL earn it soon enough

[muck]

Marine charged in killing of Iraqis


By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

He is the kind of Marine officer who seems to come off the assembly line, so patriotic that he rejoined the Corps after September 11 and went to Iraq to kill terrorists.
That is why it is so hard for 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano and his family to understand how the Marine Corps could call the platoon leader a murderer. He escaped death in Iraq despite daily patrols and raids in the notorious Sunni Triangle.
Back home at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Lt. Pantano, 33, found out the Corps has filed two premeditated murder charges for shooting two Iraqi insurgents in a dusty, terrorist-infested town near Baghdad. If convicted at a court-martial, he would face the death penalty.
"He is a young, intelligent, charismatic Marine officer and all that that entails," states his mother, Merry K. Gregory Pantano, a New York literary agent, on a Web site she created to raise defense funds. "And yet he is incomprehensibly charged with heinous crimes related to a dangerous military operation that took place in 'the triangle of death.' "
To Lt. Pantano, the two Iraqis who came toward him despite his order in Arabic to stop were mortal enemies. Booby-trapped suicide bombers are killing Iraqis by the score and some have even feigned surrender in order to get close to U.S. soldiers. But the Corps views it as murder and filed charges against him Feb. 1.
The case, announced at Camp Lejeune last week, is already driving passions among Marines who know that a split-second delay in defending oneself can result in death.
"Let's stand together and tell our government that it cannot send our boys to the depths of hell and not expect them to see fire and brimstone," said an e-mailer to Mrs. Pantano's site, DefendtheDefenders.org. "It's called war. Sad, dark, horrible, tragic and, in death, permanent."
Lt. Pantano has retained Charles Gittins, a Marine reserve officer and one of the country's most prominent military defense attorneys.
Mr. Gittins said his client reported the shootings to superiors and remained in combat for weeks afterward. It was not until an enlisted man, whom Mr. Gittins described as "disgruntled" after being relieved from two jobs, complained to commanders that an investigation began.
"Lt. Pantano told everyone who needed to know," Mr. Gittins said. "He told them what he did and why he did it. After that, he served three months in combat. Nobody had any problem with it."
The Corps has presented Lt. Pantano with a document known as a "charge sheet" that officially charges him with two counts of murder.
Despite this, a Marine spokesman at Camp Lejeune said the officer had not yet been accused.
Mr. Gittins on Saturday sent a letter to the base's commanding general demanding that he fire the public affairs officer for putting out erroneous information.
Lt. Pantano, raised in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, had already served his country as an enlisted Marine when al Qaeda struck the World Trade Center. He eventually rejoined, graduating from officer training at Quantico, Va., and earning a commission.
The married father of two sons took a hefty pay cut, going from the $100,000 salary of a New York stock broker and TV producer, to the pay of a Marine second lieutenant.
"If he has a fault," says his mother on the site, "it is that he is too idealistic and puts moral responsibility and duty to his country and his men before anything else."
Lt. Pantano arrived in Iraq in March 2004, leading a quick-reaction platoon, the kind of unit that is crucial to the U.S. military in its battle against insurgents. Such units receive intelligence reports on hide-outs and arms caches, and must move quickly before the enemy can escape.
"He was in combat every day," Mr. Gittins said. "They were taking serious casualties. In the three weeks before [the shootings] happened, there were over 1,000 [dead and wounded] in his area of operation."
On April 15, commanders dispatched Lt. Pantano's men to a house believed to hold insurgents and weapons. The Marines found bomb-making equipment and were removing it when two Iraqis tried to speed away in a sport utility vehicle, according to Lt. Pantano's account.
The Marines stopped the SUV by shooting out the tires, apprehended the two and placed them in flexible handcuffs. After setting up a security perimeter, Lt. Pantano took off the cuffs and had the two search the vehicle as he supervised. If it was booby-trapped, the Iraqis, not Marines, would pay the price.
It was at this point that the Iraqis stopped searching and moved quickly toward Lt. Pantano.
"They start talking in Arabic and turn toward him as if they are going to rush him," Mr. Gittins said. "He says, 'stop.' They don't stop and he kills them. He didn't know what they were doing but they weren't listening to him. He was in fear of his life and he killed them."
The lawyer said it turned out that the men were unarmed and there were no weapons in the SUV.
"They were from a town that was really bad in terms of the insurgency," he said.
Marine Corps prosecutors added two other charges that seem to Lt. Pantano's supporters to be piling on. The Corps charged him with destruction of property for slashing the vehicle tires so they could not be repaired.
And, Mr. Gittins said, he was charged with desecration for posting a sign in English on the SUV that said, "No better friend. No worse enemy" — the slogan for the Iraq war of the 1st Marine Division's commander, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis.
Gen. Mattis got in hot water earlier this month when he said at a conference that "it's fun to shoot some people," referring to Islamic militants.

Semper Fi,
Muck

[muck]

From www.*************

The Marine Corps has issued what seems to be conflicting statements on the legal status of an officer who fatally shot two Iraqis, leading his attorney to contend commanders are split on the decision to charge him with premeditated murder in the combat deaths.
Last week, the Corps initially announced that 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano faced unspecified charges in the shooting deaths. Lt. Pantano's civilian attorney, Charles Gittins, told reporters his client faced two murder charges.
But later, spokesman Maj. Matt Morgan, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where Lt. Pantano is based, said the officer had not been charged.
This came as a surprise to Mr. Gittins, who said he has a copy of the official charge sheet signed by a prosecuting judge advocate that was handed to his client Feb. 1. On the sheet, it clearly states the Marine Corps has charged the 33-year-old officer with two counts of murder.
The Corps stands by how it has handled public relations in the criminal case of Lt. Pantano.
"I think it is because they are embarrassed by the fact they have charged him with premeditated murder," Mr. Gittins said yesterday. "They are looking for a way out."
Mr. Gittins said Lt. Pantano was acting in self-defense in April 2004 when he shot two Iraqi insurgents. Leading a Marine fast-reaction platoon, Lt. Pantano went to a suspected hide-out in the town Mahmudiyah near Baghdad and found a cache of weapons.
The insurgents, who had tried to escape in a sport utility vehicle, came at Lt. Pantano. He ordered them to stop in Arabic, and when they did not, he shot them with numerous volleys from his M-16, Mr. Gittins said.
The Marine Corps has been the target of much criticism for charging Lt. Pantano.
"I'm confident that there is disagreement among Marine Corps commanders as to whether he should be charged," said Mr. Gittins, who believes the Corps is trying to dissuade reporters from writing stories.
On Saturday, Mr. Gittins sent a letter to Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, the commanding general of Lt. Pantano's division, accusing the Corps of putting out inaccurate information.
"If ... Maj. Morgan's statements were not a mistake," Mr. Gittins wrote, "I am writing to request that he be relieved of his duties and appropriately disciplined, as his statements, which clearly were official in his capacity as Marine Corps spokesperson, were knowingly false and made for the purposes of misleading members of the press to believe that my client has not actually been charged with any crimes."
But Maj. Morgan said yesterday he is abiding by the Manual for Courts-Martial and that the manual does not consider charges official until an investigating officer refers them. That would not happen in this case until a pretrial Article 32 hearing is conducted.
"Although we refer to them as charges, what they are are formal allegations and they do not amount to an indictment," Maj. Morgan said. "We feel it's misleading to call him charged, because what it does is jumps too far ahead of the process."
Asked about the criticism of the case, Maj. Morgan said: "I think that any Marine has to appreciate the fact the American public's inclination is to defend the individual Marine. But there is a due process here, and the American public needs that process to take place."

[muck]

So where is the fitness report for the so called discruntled JACKA** that started this bull sh*t???



Fitness Reports:

Conclusions of Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano’s official record of Performance In Iraq covering 01 March 04 to 31 July 04.

His Company Commander states:

"Lieutenant’s Pantano progression as a young platoon commander and leader has been impressive. Initially, his one weakness, the desire to do everything, resulted in a platoon with underdeveloped small unit leaders. Upon recognizing this discrepancy, he has dedicated himself to subordinate development resulting in the weakest platoon becoming one that is often the Company’s main effort. With a calm demeanor that speaks of confidence, Lieutenant Pantano has led his platoon into urban combat in Latafiyah, and he has also conducted convention operations in Falluja and Zaidon Province, Iraq. He is a proficient communicator, who should be promoted with peers. A proven warrior, Lieutenant Pantano is a Marine that I would proudly serve in combat with at any time.

This is a Combat Fitness report due to participation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II from 01 March 04 thru 31 July 04."

His Battalion Commander, the reviewing Officer then noted:

"Concur with RS (Reporting Senior). Lt Pantano’s performance during the reporting period has been noteworthy and established his reputation as an accomplished infantry leader. His actions during the fighting in Falluja and Al Zaidon highlighted a solid understanding of tactics and an ability to anticipate the enemy. Leads form the front always and balances his aggressive style with true concern for the welfare of his Marines. Exceptional communication skills for a 2ndLt. Organized, aggressive, focused and driven. Ready for increased responsibility. Retain, promote and assign to challenging assignments."

What his Men say about him:

"…Sir, I want you to know I admired your type of leadership, and when we got back, once I became a squad leader I told myself, you were the person I was going to model myself after. Sir…I can sincerely tell you that it was an honor for me to be lead into combat by Lt Pantano. I’ll never forget the time in Falluja when you briefed the platoon in that dirty dusty little room in that run down house, you said ‘gentlemen, we will make contact.’ Sure enough we did and you sir brought us all back. Well I could go on forever sir, reminiceing, but that’s in the past, surely memories that will never be forgotten, but I got a new battle to fight now. As you would sometimes say sir "it ain’t over yet, it’s a marathon gents" and that’s exactly what it turned out to be sir.

Echo three Juliet…out"

-An email dated July 28, 2004 from a 19-year-old Marine, horribly wounded in an ambush, recovering at Walter Reed Hospital



What his Chaplain says about him:

"I have the utmost respect and admiration for 2nd Lt Pantano. He has the rare gift of grasping the essentials of a situation instantly and deciding quickly. Once he decides, he pursues a course of action with determination and skill. In a combat environment where seconds mean the difference between victory and disaster, whether in the Combat Operations Center or in the field with his platoon, he has repeatedly seen a situation and reached valid conclusions, decided and responded competently and skillfully well before either the enemy or his own peers were fully aware of what was happening. This gift of his is one of the primary reasons, in my opinion, that casualties in his platoon were relatively low while mission accomplishment was superb..."

"... He also has an excellent understanding of the moral issues at play in the conduct of war, both on a micro-level where the individual has to choose to pull the trigger or not, and on a macro-level where a society decides whether or not to go to war in the first place. This sense of morals comes into play not just in the conduct of war, but in leading Marines, assisting, guiding, and directing their interactions with each other, with the Marine Corps, and with society at large. I am extremely comfortable with his moral judgments. More than once, I have found myself advising him to do what he is already doing. I trusted his judgment with my reputation as a chaplain and my very life on numerous occasions over the last several months. I would do so again without reservation."

-Navy Officer, Chaplain

What Marine Staff Non Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) say about him:

"I’ve had the privilege of serving with many officers. Lieutenant Pantano is one of the finest officers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. While deployed to Iraq we lived in very close quarters. I would proudly serve with Lieutenant Pantano again. He is without a doubt a competent, and trustworthy individual. I would trust him with my life and the lives of Marines in My charge. He is extremely intelligent and is a valuable asset to the Marine Corps."

-Marine Staff Non Commissioned Officer

"I would have to say that Lt Pantano made it his mission to ensure that his Marines were not only in the best physical shape as well as being in the right frame of mind before our departure on our last deployment to Iraq. Once in country Lt Pantano and his Platoon Sergeant worked diligently to ensure that they stay focused on any and all missions that there platoon was tasked with…a very motivated officer and I would be honored to serve with him again anywhere."

-Marine Staff Non Commissioned Officer



"I found him to be professional, knowledgeable and truly passionate about the safety of our Marines and the Iraqi people who live in our Area of Operations (South of Baghdad). I found 2nd Lt Pantano always to be motivated and truly concerned about the battalion Operations, Forward Operations base security and the daily lives of the Iraqi people who live around our base. I would serve with in another combat tour with 2d Lt Pantano without hesitation."

-Marine Staff Non Commissioned Officer

What his fellow and senior Marine Officers say about him:

"Even when our physical and mental limits were tested he was a leader among men. His intelligence, charisma, and genuine care for others were apparent even in the worst of conditions. I have been in direct with Ilario throughout his time as an officer in the Marine Corps. He has always been an example for others to follow and is truly an asset to anyone he serves with. He proved to be a highly effective combat leader in Iraq, accomplishing every task assigned to him with the utmost care and diligence. The Marines that he commanded in Easy Company are no doubt better Marines and better people because of his leadership. 2nd Lt Pantano remains an example for Marine Officers and it was my honor to serve with him in Combat."

- Marine Officer



"Through the various missions we accomplished, I had the honor to serve with Ilario. I saw him turn a platoon that was desperate for central leadership into a cohesive fighting infantry platoon. His enthusiasm, charisma, and unswerving integrity became the backbone of his leadership style. His hard work and dedication paid off as he soon gained a solid reputation as an outstanding combat leader, and gained the respect of his Marines, peers, and his superiors. As a man, he was dependable, outgoing, friendly and would give the shirt off his back to help anyone. As a leader he inspired his men to fight and accomplish every mission in a deadly environment against a patient enemy. As a brother in arms, Ilario’s steadfast poise and dedication to his fellow brothers has etched his infallible image into my memory forever. It is truly was an honor to serve with a man of Ilario’s stature and I consider him a lifelong brother at arms."

- Marine Officer



"His military character is impeccable. His peers have always regarded Lt Pantano as a model Marine Officer. Having served in the Gulf War, Lt Pantano reentered the Marine Corps, giving up a lucrative and successful career, due to a sense of patriotism and lack of selfishness. From the day I met him, he displayed an aggressiveness tempered by a sense of caring for his fellow Marines that bordered on a maternal instinct. Lt Pantano was chosen by his peers to be the Class Commandant Infantry Officers Course (IOC) 1-04…Lt Pantano is a Moral and Just Man to whom I would entrust any member of my family. I do not hold these beliefs because he is my friend; he is my friend because I hold these beliefs. I have no doubt ion my mind that any actions taken by Lt Pantano were justified and done to protect his Marines. I look forward to testifying to the quality of Lt Pantano’s military character."

- Marine Officer



"He is not only a dedicated Marine officer, but a loving husband and father. His unrelenting devotion to his family and country is proof-positive that he experienced a proper upbringing. Ilario is truly blessed and has generated tremendous success in both his personal and professional life. Ilario’s resolute moral strength and integrity is the bedrock to which his success is anchored…He served his country in time of need and made great sacrifices to answer his call to duty. I would entrust anyone to Ilario’s charge and in doing so would sleep easy at night."

- Marine Officer



"Lieutenant Pantano has consistently impressed me with his confidence, intelligence, and ability to make sound decisions in a chaotic environment. While he served as Watch Officer, IK witnessed his poise and leadership skills in the management of simultaneous contingency situations. Despite the hectic nature of the battalion’ Combat Operations Center (COC), I always felt comfortable with decisions and the overall command of the situation demonstrated by Lieutenant Pantano"

-Marine Officer



"Lieutenant Pantano has consistently impressed me with his confidence, intelligence, and ability to make sound decisions in a chaotic environment. While he served as Watch Officer, I witnessed his poise and leadership skills in the management of simultaneous contingency situations. Despite the hectic nature of the battalion’ Combat Operations Center (COC), I always felt comfortable with decisions and the overall command of the situation demonstrated by Lieutenant Pantano"

-Marine Officer



"On April 11, Lt Pantano’s platoon was the battalion’s Alternate Quick Reaction Force. On that day, my platoon became decisively engaged with an insurgent group that had ambushed an Army convoy carrying m113s (ambulances) and logistics. When dispatched to the scene, his reaction was swift, decisive and sound. His actions allowed the remainder of that convoy to break contact with the enemy force. He and his Platoon may have saved the lives of several soldiers in the ambushed convoy and may have saved the lives my Marines who were engaged with the enemy.

Later Lt Pantano served as a watch officer in the battalion Combat Operations Center, hearing his voice on the radio meant I would be well supported. With sound and timely decisions from my higher headquarters. Lt Pantano displayed a level of judgment and decisiveness not commonly seen in officers of his grade."

-Marine Officer

[muck]

Witness says accused Marine ordered Iraqis to stop


By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

An eyewitness to the killing of two Iraqis by Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano says in a sworn statement that the officer, who has been charged with murder, twice ordered the insurgents to stop in Arabic before opening fire, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times.
Lt. Pantano had told investigators that he fired at the Iraqis after they walked toward him and refused to stop, according to the documents. His platoon had stopped the Iraqis as they left a house where insurgents were making bombs.
"While I took my security post, I heard Lt. Pantano yell stop [in Arabic] directed towards the two Iraqi men searching the vehicle. He yelled stop. Lt. Pantano yelled stop, and then, I heard shots fired," said the eyewitness, a Navy corpsman in Lt. Pantano's platoon, in a sworn statement.
"I quickly turned towards the vehicle, Lt. Pantano's position, and witnessed the men attempting to flee away from the vehicle away from where Lt. Pantano was standing."
The sworn statements provided the first inside look at a case that has drawn national attention because of Lt. Pantano's stellar record and the nature of the enemy that he faced in Iraq. Lt. Pantano has made no public comment since Feb. 1, when the Marine Corps charged him with two counts of premeditated murder. If convicted at a court-martial, he faces the death penalty.
The case has stirred strong emotions within the Corps. Some Marines complain that Lt. Pantano is being unfairly prosecuted for decisions that he made while operating in a hostile neighborhood where coalition forces regularly have come under attack.
A Marine Corps spokesman at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where Lt. Pantano is stationed, has declined to discuss the case's details. A pretrial hearing will likely be held this spring.
The dead men were unarmed, and no weapons were found in the car that Lt. Pantano's platoon had been searching, but a military investigation never questioned whether they were insurgents. A Nov. 4 Naval Criminal Investigative Service report, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, says the two Iraqis were buried in a cemetery used by the insurgents as a base and ammo depot.
The report said investigators did not exhume the bodies or obtain documents from a nearby hospital because of "heavy combat operations in the area."
Lt. Pantano told investigators that after days of ambushes and near-misses, "I felt sure we would be hit" on April 15, 2004, when his platoon went on patrol in Iraq's violence-filled Sunni Triangle.
"It was later afternoon and would be dark soon," said Lt. Pantano, a New York City native who volunteered for active duty after the September 11 attacks. "My senses were fully alert as we went on our mission."
A review of statements by The Times shows that neither the hospital corpsman nor a Marine sergeant at the scene saw the first shots fired. It was the sergeant who two months later complained about the shooting, prompting a Naval Criminal Investigative Service probe.
Lt. Pantano arrived in Iraq in March and remained on combat duty until October during the probe, his civilian attorney, Charles Gittins, has said. He has called the complaining sergeant "disgruntled" because Lt. Pantano removed him from several jobs.
On April 15, Lt. Pantano received a tip that a house near Mahmudiyah was the site of insurgents making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have killed scores of American troops.
"As we neared the house, a white sedan pulled away from the target house, and my envelopment squad asked if they should stop it," Lt. Pantano told investigators. "I told them yes, and they disabled the vehicle with well-aimed gunfire."
Lt. Pantano ordered the Navy corpsman to handcuff the two men.
"Sometime after that, I received a radio call that the house where these two men had come from contained several mortar aiming stakes, a flare gun, three AK rifles, 10 AK magazines with assault vests and IED making material," he said.
After hearing the report, Lt. Pantano had the corpsman take the cuffs off the Iraqis. He ordered them to do a more thorough search, pulling out the car seats to ensure that there were no booby traps.
He ordered the corpsman and the Marine sergeant to take up sentry positions to guard against an attack.
The officer said he told the Iraqis to stop talking among themselves as they searched inside the car, their faces blocked from his view.
Lt. Pantano told investigators what happened next:
"After another time of telling them to be quiet, they quickly pivoted their bodies toward each other. They did this simultaneously, while still speaking in muffled Arabic. I thought that they were attacking me, and I decided to fire my M-16A4 service rifle in self-defense. ...
The Marine sergeant, who weeks later accused Lt. Pantano of executing the two men, told investigators that he did not understand why the officer had the Iraqis search the vehicle, because the corpsman already had done a "full search."
"As soon as I turned my back, Lt. Pantano opened [fire on] them with approximately 45 rounds," the sergeant said. "After the shooting, Lt. Pantano let everyone know on the [radio] that he was the one that shot. ... Me and [the corpsman] were both shocked about what just happened."

[p8ntballsnipr1]

i have a friend in school that is helpin me with a donation drive for the family, i heard they need the money for a defense lawyer?