CNN: Body of Iraqi in U.S. for military murder probe

[DeepModem Mom]

Body of Iraqi in U.S. for military murder probe
Friday, June 9, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The exhumed body of an Iraqi man allegedly murdered by U.S. Marines last April arrived in the United States on Thursday for forensic analysis, according to a Department of Defense official.

The body will be examined at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, where investigators will be looking for evidence about his shooting death in Hamdaniya on April 26.

Investigators persuaded the family of the dead man to allow them to dig up the body, a practice that goes against Muslim tradition.

Navy investigators have evidence that Marines may have committed "premeditated" murder in the April shooting death of the unarmed man, a military officer close to the inquiry said.

Some of the Marines in pretrial confinement have admitted the circumstances of the man's death were staged, the officer said. Their statements form part of the evidence suggesting Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment murdered the man, the source said....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/09/iraq.body/index.html