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US soldier pleads guilty to Iraq killings

A US Army solder pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of accessory to murder and was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in the killing of four Iraqi prisoners who were bound, blindfolded, shot and dumped in a canal.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 17:48 October 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

Vilseck, Germany: A US Army solder pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of accessory to murder and was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in the killing of four Iraqi prisoners who were bound, blindfolded, shot and dumped in a canal.

Spc. Steven Ribordy, 25, of Salina, Kansas, also will receive a bad conduct discharge from the Army as part of a plea deal. He also agreed to testify against other members of his unit.

The prosecutor, Capt. John Merriam, had pressed for the maximum five years in prison.

"The execution of prisoners is arguably the greatest crime," Merriam said at Ribordy's court martial. "It betrays everything soldiers stand for."

Ribordy testified that he had helped stand guard as the prisoners were killed by other members of his patrol in early 2007. He said he approached the scene after the shots were fired and saw three bodies lying in a pool of blood, and then the fourth nearer to the canal.

Ribordy told the court he saw three other members of the patrol - Sgt. John E. Hatley, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph P. Mayo, and Sgt. Michael P. Leahy Jr. - at the scene and smelled gunpowder in the air.

"They all seemed calm," he said. Ribordy testified that he helped move one of the bodies to the edge of the canal, then push it in.

"I wasn't ordered or asked in any way, shape or form to move the body," he told the court. "I wanted to get it done and get out of there - I didn't want anybody getting
in trouble."

He told judge Col. Timothy Grammel that he was now sorry for his actions.

"At the time I believed I did the right thing," he said. "The reason I didn't say anything was because of loyalty to my comrades."

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