U.S. Soldier Enters No Plea In Killing Of Five Fellow Servicemen

Sergeant John Russell is charged with killing five U.S. servicemen at a Baghdad stress center in 2009.

Russell, of the 54th Engineer Battalion based in Bamberg, Germany, faces five charges of premeditated murder, one charge of aggravated assault and one charge of attempted murder in connection with the May 2009 shootings. Six months ago, he was ordered to stand trial in a military court that has the power to sentence him to the death penalty, if convicted.

Two of the five people killed in the shooting were medical staff officers at the counseling center for troops experiencing combat stress. The others were soldiers…

In the days following the Iraq shooting, Admiral Mike Mullen, then chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the incident highlighted the risks of multiple deployments on soldiers and underlined the need to redouble efforts to deal effectively with combat stress.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.