More US military negligence?

Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Protesters demand U.S. hand over two soldiers charged with deaths of South Korean teens

By JAE-SUK YOO-- Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Protesters burned a giant American flag on Sunday, demanding that the U.S. military hand over two American soldiers whose armored vehicle allegedly hit and killed two South Korean teenage girls last month.

Sgt. Mark Walker and Sgt. Fernando Nino, both from the 2nd Infantry Division, were on a training mission near the border with North Korea on June 13 when their armored bridge carrier allegedly struck and killed two 14-year-old girls on a public road.

Following days of anti-American demonstrations, the U.S. military said on July 5 it had filed negligent homicide charges against the two soldiers. That move reversed an earlier decision not to court-martial the soldiers.

The U.S. military is planning to hold a trial at a U.S. military court in South Korea. If convicted, the soldiers could face up to six years in prison.

However, South Korea's Justice Ministry last week requested that the U.S. military give up jurisdiction over the two soldiers. The U.S. military has yet to respond.

Under a bilateral treaty, the U.S. military can allow South Korea to try American soldiers involved in accidents while on duty. If convicted in a South Korean court, the soldiers could face up to five years in prison.

Occasional accidents and crimes by U.S. troops have prompted demands from South Korean activists that Washington give Seoul more legal power in cases involving American troops. Some activists have also demanded the withdrawal of the U.S. troops.
Click to expand...

Source
 
maybe it was an accident. those do happen, frequently. why charge them with anyting besides stupidity?
 
I agree Gonz, it shouldn't be seen as anything more then a tragic accident, or in legal terms (if guilty), manslaughter. The issue is who should try them.

If a Korean armoured vehicle hit two 14 year old school girls in the US, I'm sure there'd be a similar outcry in the US to have the soldiers responsible trialed by the US justice system. The same would apply to any other country if such an incident were to occur there also, so I I'm not suggesting this has anything to do specifically with the US...


I can see how a World Court would help in such situations, trialing such incidents without suspected bias, whilst seeing justice is carried out as per normal.
 
I'm kinda thinking only ONE of those two could be driving, why are they both being charged?
 
Thats my thought as well. Only one could have been driving. The other can only be charged with attempting to hide away from responsibility.
 
I thought those rigs required someone topside to help navigate.

Still, I worry about our guys being thrown to the wolves to placate the S. Koreans. Don't think we really need to be over there anymore anyway-- if we ever did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top