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Army Interrogator Convicted For Killing Jailed Iraqi

HeadlineJan 23, 2006

A military jury has convicted an Army interrogator of negligent homicide for his role in the death of an Iraqi general. The interrogator — Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr.–killed the Iraqi man by putting a sleeping bag over the general’s head, wrapping him in electrical cord, sitting on his chest and covering his mouth. He faces up to three years in prison. Had Welshofer been convicted of murder, he would been sentenced to life in prison. Attorneys for Welshofer said he had been given permission to use harsh techniques during interrogations. In one email, Captain William Ponce wrote “The gloves are coming off, gentlemen.... We want these individuals broken. Casualties are mounting.” The interrogator’s attorneys also questioned why no one else was charged in the general’s death. The general was severely beaten two days before his death by a group of Iraqis reportedly being paid by the CIA.

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