I'll bet Bin ladin and the Taliban are laughing their asses off right about now :(


"NORFOLK, Va. - A sailor pleaded guilty Monday to abducting and killing a Marine corporal he thought had been involved in a gang rape.

The rape turned out to be a lie, but the truth surfaced too late.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Cooper Jackson, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to premeditated murder, kidnapping, impersonating a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Cpl. Justin L. Huff, 23.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to spare him a possible death sentence.

Federal agents had testified at his Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a grand jury investigation, that Jackson had been fooled into falling in love with a woman who called herself Samantha and made up a story about being raped by servicemen.

"Samantha" turned out to be Ashley Elrod, a 22-year-old hotel clerk on North Carolina's Outer Banks, who testified that she lied about being raped. She said she "might have" told Jackson that one of the Marines was named Huff or Huffman, and she said Jackson called her after Huff was killed. Elrod has not been charged.

During his court-martial, Jackson told the Navy judge how he posed as an NCIS agent and took Huff to North Carolina to get information about the purported rape. He said he then slit Huff's throat and buried the body to avoid being caught.

"I'd broken several laws and I had a missing Marine with me," Jackson said at his hearing Monday. "Quite frankly, I was scared of the consequences of what would happen, of being caught, more so than I was of the consequences of taking his life."

If the judge accepts the plea, Jackson could be sentenced to life in prison with or without the possibility of parole, said his lawyer, Don Marcari. The sentencing phase was to begin Tuesday.

Huff, 23, of Indianapolis, was reported missing Jan. 2 after he didn't show up for class at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center in Virginia Beach, where Jackson also was a student.

Agents said Jackson, of Boones Mill, confessed when they questioned him Jan. 12. The next day, he led agents to Huff's body in a wooded area in Currituck County, N.C., just south of the Virginia-North Carolina border."




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061023/ap_on_re_us/marine_slain

"The difference between a Soldier and a Murderer is that a Soldier kills because HAS to, a Murderer kills because he WANTS to"- author unknown And since you never "have to" kill people in an agressive attack on another country then most of our little troops are murderers.

Sounds to me like this soilder was following the example. Attacking Iraq would not have happened without 9/11. Even though the 2 have nothing to do with each other people wanted to "kill someone" for the tragedy.

Of course if the military took rape seriously this probably wouldn't have happened either. If you can actually trust the authorities to do what they are suppossed to 'vigilante justice' no longer becomes the only option.

And since you never "have to" kill people in an agressive attack on another country then most of our little troops are murderers.
==================================================

Well 500, by your think I am a murderer too. I sure as hell killed plenty to save my ass and those around me.

No "example" ruled my life afterwards. I know the difference in cold-blooded murder and killing in a field of battle. I feel that this soldier knew the difference too.

You seem to speak with authority, where were you in battle?

And since you never "have to" kill people in an agressive attack on another country then most of our little troops are murderers.

Sounds to me like this soilder was following the example. Attacking Iraq would not have happened without 9/11. Even though the 2 have nothing to do with each other people wanted to "kill someone" for the tragedy.

Of course if the military took rape seriously this probably wouldn't have happened either. If you can actually trust the authorities to do what they are suppossed to 'vigilante justice' no longer becomes the only option.

500lbguerilla,

Sounds to me like you missed the mark on this one. You too, Dunkirk101.

This is a sad story of a young man who acted rashly and foolishly, and who now is having to pay the price for his mistake.
What on God's green earth does the Taliban or the Iraq war have to do with this terrible, miserable news story?

You've chosen to politicize this news bit, just because the antagonist and victim were Servicemembers. If these were two average Joes from the Bronx, the story would have never made the national news, and nobody would presume to interject their anti-war/anti-military/anti-Governmental authority agenda into the discussion.

In your opinion, this screwed-up young man is simply displaying a learned-behavior from the example set for him by the 'rest of the military criminals engaged in the illegal global war on terror'? That is a ridiculous attitude, and is a stretch at best.
The whole thing is a tragedy, and that is about all you can say about it.

I would agree Sparky. This has nothing to do with the young man being in the military. It has everything to do with trusting a young woman who was lying. Many young men have made the mistake of being to trusting, because they have never encountered such disturbed individuals before, and because they are in "love". Unfortunately, this young man took matters into his own hands instead of reporting the matter to authorities. He will have to face the consequences of that decision.

500lbguerilla,

Sounds to me like you missed the mark on this one. You too, Dunkirk101.

This is a sad story of a young man who acted rashly and foolishly, and who now is having to pay the price for his mistake.
What on God's green earth does the Taliban or the Iraq war have to do with this terrible, miserable news story?

You've chosen to politicize this news bit, just because the antagonist and victim were Servicemembers. If these were two average Joes from the Bronx, the story would have never made the national news, and nobody would presume to interject their anti-war/anti-military/anti-Governmental authority agenda into the discussion.

In your opinion, this screwed-up young man is simply displaying a learned-behavior from the example set for him by the 'rest of the military criminals engaged in the illegal global war on terror'? That is a ridiculous attitude, and is a stretch at best.
The whole thing is a tragedy, and that is about all you can say about it.

I too am an ex Service member (US Army 1982-1988) all active duty. The only point I was trying to make was that the Media should not be allowed to make stories like this and then feed them to the world. Our adversaries feed on it. I have taken noticed to the fact that I too am somewhat guilty of this be even starting this post, but I really wish that if (and when things like this happen), that the Govt would be smart enough not to allow the press to exploit them

Fair enough, sir.

It's a double edged sword, though. When the military Public Affairs Officer releases the factual details of a sad story like this, there's always the chance that it will become fodder for somebody else's political agenda (or a source of amusement for our enemies).

If on the other hand our military suppressed the sordid stories, then they would be accused of engaging in a cover up.

Truth is, Bin Laden (if he's still alive), the Taliban, and all the radical muslims are going to hate us no matter what we do, or how we conduct ourselves. Do they get a giggle whenever they read sad, sordid stories like this about the infidel American crusaders?
Sure.
Don't you remember that famous film clip of Bin Laden and his fellow jackass terrorists all sitting around on the floor and gloating over the unexpected success of the 911 attacks? They giggled like giddy schoolgirls at the notion that they brought those buildings down and killed so many of us non-muslim extremists.

There's no trying to understand people like that. You just have to exterminate them every chance you get. Before they have a chance to exterminate you.

What on God's green earth does the Taliban or the Iraq war have to do with this terrible, miserable news story?

That's odd.

I searched the Yahoo news story, but could not find any mention whatsoever of Iraq or the Taliban.

What I find incomprehensible is than anyone would --

a) read this obscure news story, and then

b) immediately conclude that --"Gosh, I'll bet Bin ladin (sic) and the Taliban are laughing their asses off right about now :mad: ".

Dang, alert the media FT.

You and I just agreed on something.
:eek:

Though I now get Dunkirk's point, and responded accordingly.

And since you never "have to" kill people in an agressive attack on another country then most of our little troops are murderers.

Sounds to me like this soilder was following the example. Attacking Iraq would not have happened without 9/11. Even though the 2 have nothing to do with each other people wanted to "kill someone" for the tragedy.

Of course if the military took rape seriously this probably wouldn't have happened either. If you can actually trust the authorities to do what they are suppossed to 'vigilante justice' no longer becomes the only option.Uh oh, that makes me a murderer in the making! You'd better put me in a straightjacket before I hurt someone.

Seriously 500lbguerilla, you talking about the military is like a bedouin talking about a blizzard.

Seriously 500lbguerilla, you talking about the military is like a bedouin talking about a blizzard.

Why don't you tell us something new? This isn't the first time he's shown how ignorant he is of the military.

I didn't realize his ignorance was limited to the military.

I too am an ex Service member (US Army 1982-1988) all active duty. The only point I was trying to make was that the Media should not be allowed to make stories like this and then feed them to the world. Our adversaries feed on it. guess you made a mistake in risking your life to protect that whole freedom of the presss thing then huh....

Why don't you tell us something new? This isn't the first time he's shown how ignorant he is of the military. I said nothing ignorant about the military. Go ahead point it out if you can. I was clarifying moral distinctions. Killing other fighters is just that, killing. 2 people show up with guns, go ahead shot each others brains out for all I care. But when your actions kill innocent people you become a murderer. When you engage in actions that are extremely likely to kill an innocent person, you are a murderer.

So excuse my incorrect statement. The whole military is not murderers. Any of those who have shot innocent prople are. Any of those who have bombed buildings are.

As an aside remember the guy who killed the other guy who his daughter said touched her...Cops say he didn't.

As for my other comment. I was just pointing out that revenge/vengence seems awefully popular these days. Helped quite a bit by our current blood thirsty government and the media.

it never fails to amuse me how guerilla and his boys conviently forget to mention how the "Men" we are fighting hide behind women and children so we have to shoot through them to get to the enemy. Now I am not 100% sure they want their women and children to die, but I am 100% sure they count on morons like guerilla to point out that we killed some women and children while forgetting to mention they were hiding behind them.