justice

Charges dropped against Army officer accused of killing Iraqis

The News International, Pakistan
Tuesday December 06, 2005
-- Zeeqa'ad 03, 1426 A.H.ISSN 1563-9479
jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2005-daily/06-12-2005/main/update.shtml

(Updated at 0605 PST)TOPEKA, Kansas: The Army dropped murder charges against an officer accused of giving soldiers in his platoon permission to kill two Iraqi civilians.

Second Lt. Erick J. Anderson, 26, of Twinsburg, Ohio, could have gotten life in prison if convicted.

``Today's a pretty good day,'' Anderson said. ``Right now, shock and awe is pretty much still in effect.

``It's been a long 18 months that this has all been going on,'' he said. ``The reality of it still hasn't hit that it's done and over with.

''All charges were dropped after an Army investigator who presided over a hearing last month recommended that Anderson not face a court-martial. At the hearing, one soldier who had accused Anderson changed his story, and another refused to testify. Anderson was a platoon leader in an infantry regiment in August2004.

Four men in his 36-member platoon were convicted of murdering unarmed Iraqis during operations near Sadr City, a Baghdad slum.