Breaking News Thread

[Flynbyu]

With China at the backdoor, I'd be very cautious.

~Brian

[Krandall]

US soldier gets 35 years in deaths of 4 Iraqis
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090330/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_us_iraq_deaths

VILSECK, Germany – A U.S. soldier convicted of murder in the execution-style slayings of four blindfolded Iraqis apologized for shooting one of them in the back of the head, but said he acted out of concern for his fellow troops.

"Nothing is harder than losing a soldier," Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo said in closing arguments after he was found guilty of murder. "Or calling a mother or a wife and telling them that you tried, but wondering if you did enough. I apologize to the military for what I've done. I apologize to the soldiers; I never wanted them to have to go through this."

Mayo told the court — just lawyers and a judge, with no jury — that he shot one of the Iraqis with a 9mm pistol. A judge-only decision is possible in military courts.

Mayo of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder in the proceeding at the U.S. Army's Rose Barracks in southeast Germany.

He pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice in the incident, which happened while he was deployed in Baghdad. Military prosecutors later dropped that charge.

The 27-year-old was sentenced to 35 years in prison with the possibility of parole and will be incarcerated at the military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He will be dishonorably discharged, have his rank reduced to private and forfeit his pay, though not immediately.

His lawyer, Michael Waddington, said Mayo would testify against another soldier involved in the incident and could be eligible for parole in about 10 years. Mayo has been in the Army for nearly a decade.

Col. Jeffrey Nance, the judge overseeing the proceedings, told Mayo that he "entered into an agreement to commit premeditated murder" that saw the four Iraqi men shot in the head by the side of a canal in Baghdad between March and April 2007.

According to testimony Monday and at previous courts-martial, at least four Iraqis were taken into custody in spring 2007 after an exchange of small arms fire with Mayo's unit.

The Iraqis were taken to the unit's base for questioning and processing, although there was not enough evidence to hold them for attacking the unit. Later that night patrol members took the Iraqis to a remote area and shot them so that they would not be able to attack U.S. forces again, Mayo testified.

He said the unit's first Sergeant, John Hatley, 40, instigated the plan and that Mayo and another senior member of the unit, Sgt. Michael Leahy, volunteered to help kill the detainees.

Earlier this year, Leahy, 28, of Lockport, Ill., was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after he admitted to the killing of one of the detainees and shooting another. He was acquitted of murder over a separate incident in Baghdad in January 2007.

Nance asked Mayo if it was his intent to kill the prisoners, and if he was frustrated by the thought that, if detained in the usual way, the prisoners would soon be back on the street to shoot at U.S. soldiers.

"Yes sir," Mayo replied.

"If we took (the) individuals to detention they'd be released in a matter of days," he told the court. "(Hatley) said we should take care of them. I agreed."

"I believe I was acting in self-defense," Mayo said. "I just wanted to take care of my soldiers."

But he admitted that neither he nor his men were in any immediate danger, as the detainees were blindfolded with their hands bound.

Hatley, who is also accused of pulling the trigger, will be court-martialed on charges of premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and obstruction of justice on April 13. He also faces murder charges from the separate incident in Baghdad in January 2007. The Army has not released a hometown for Hatley.

Waddington said that under a deal reached with prosecutors, Mayo will testify at Hatley's court-martial.

Two soldiers — Spc. Steven Ribordy, 26, of Salina, Kansas, and Spc. Belmor Ramos, 24, of Clearfield, Utah — pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and were sentenced to prison for their role in the incident last year.

Staff Sgt. Jess Cunningham, 29, of Bakersfield, California, and Sgt. Charles Quigley, 28, of Providence, Rhode Island, had charges of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder dropped this year.

All were with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. The unit is now part of the Germany-based 172nd Infantry Brigade.

[Flynbyu]

^^^Terrible^^^

I see the point, but how is it any different than what his normal job would be if they were shooting at him. Crazy. Not 100% fair either way.

~Brian

[Colorado700R]

With China at the backdoor, I'd be very cautious.

~Brian

China is always a threat, but we're still there #1 customer (by a long shot!), so they'd loose a massive economic partner.  Too much risk for to little reward for China.  Besides, China still see's NK as a disgruntled sattelite provence, same as Tiawan, and there ultimate goal is probably not intune with NKs (re-unification)

[Flynbyu]

I know China is in thick with us economically, but I consider NK like China's little step brother.

Kim Jong is a freaking lunatic, but I don't think he's stupid enough to f*ck with us.

~Brian

[Peelz]

Horrible story Krandall. Makes me sad.

[Krandall]

Man decapitates 5-year-old sister in front of officer
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/31/sibling.stabbings/index.html

This seriously makes me sick to the stomach reading... 

By the time the police officer kicked the door in, it was too late. Kerby Revelus was holding his 5-year-old sister, Bianca, and while the officer watched, he dragged a kitchen knife across her throat with such fury that he decapitated her.


Police outside the Milton, Massachusetts, home where a 23-year-old killed two of his sisters Saturday.

"It's hard to imagine kind of horror," said Milton, Massachusetts, Police Chief Richard G. Wells Jr.

Mere seconds passed before other officers arrived and rushed into the home in the tony Boston suburb of 25,000.

Police had received a 911 call from another Revelus sibling, 17-year-old Samantha. Suffering from several deep cuts in her upper body, she was losing strength.

"It was clear that she knew she was mortally wounded," Wells said.  Watch police chief discuss decapitation »

Samantha managed to explain that her 23-year-old brother had attacked his sisters with a knife, police said. When she was no long able to keep talking, the injured teen handed her 9-year-old sister, Seraphina Revelus, the phone.

All the while, the kids' grandmother was doing laundry in the basement, apparently unaware of the savagery upstairs, police said. Mother Regina Revelus was at work, and father Vronze Revelus was not at home.

As officers surrounded the home and rushed into every room, Kerby ran into a bedroom where Samantha was on the ground, dead. Seraphina was on the floor near her sister's body, according to Wells.

Kerby Revelus then began attacking Seraphina with the knife, Wells said, prompting police open fire and kill him.

On Tuesday, the two slain siblings and their attacker were buried together.

It was not the first time police have visited the home answering a domestic violence call, Wells said.

In September 2004, Kerby was arrested for punching one of his sisters in the face as they fought about money, the chief said. The Boston Herald identified the sibling as Jessica Revelus, who was not in the home during Saturday's attack.

[Flynbyu]

This makes me sick, and VERY angry.

WHY do this to someone?

WHY?

~Brian

[Krandall]

Mad Dog Busted.

Ohio man charged with drunken driving on bar stool
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bar_stool_dui;_ylt=ApTaMUvOHGcc20tyEJFX6GntiBIF

NEWARK, Ohio – Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower.

MadDog was hospitalized for minor injuries. Police say he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph.

Wygle has pleaded not guilty and has requested a jury trial.

[Flynbyu]

Mad Dog Busted.

Ohio man charged with drunken driving on bar stool
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bar_stool_dui;_ylt=ApTaMUvOHGcc20tyEJFX6GntiBIF

NEWARK, Ohio – Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower.

MadDog was hospitalized for minor injuries. Police say he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph.

Wygle has pleaded not guilty and has requested a jury trial.

It didn't mention a snow cow.



~Brian

[Colorado700R]

Mad Dog Busted.

Ohio man charged with drunken driving on bar stool
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bar_stool_dui;_ylt=ApTaMUvOHGcc20tyEJFX6GntiBIF

NEWARK, Ohio – Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower.

MadDog was hospitalized for minor injuries. Police say he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph.

Wygle has pleaded not guilty and has requested a jury trial.

It didn't mention a snow cow.



~Brian

was the Barstool towed back to camp

[Flynbyu]

I bet they used rocks or driftwood to fix it.



~Brian

[Colorado700R]

I bet they used rocks or driftwood to fix it.



~Brian

"No geeks were harmed or roosted during these events"

[Flynbyu]

Poor Mike.

~Brian

[vern burny]

CPSC Announces Yamaha to Recall 120,000 Rhinos Prone to Rollover Accidents

MARCH 31, 2009 – The Consumer Product Safety Commission said today that Yamaha Motor Company will be voluntarily suspending sales of its Rhino 450 and Rhino 660 recreational vehicles, and will also be offering free modifications to vehicles already sold to make the Rhinos less susceptible to rollover accidents. In a statement, the CPSC said owners of affected Yamaha Rhino should not operate these recreational vehicles until a dealer makes repairs. The recall affects about 120,000 models sold nationwide since the fall of 2003.

The recall comes after more than 46 driver and passenger deaths in the Yamaha Rhino recreational vehicles, and hundreds of reported injuries. More than two-thirds of the cases involved rollover accidents, many on flat terrain and at low speeds. The CPSC started investigating the Yamaha Rhino's alleged safety issues in 2008. (I removed the contact info for the law firm filing a class action lawsuit against yamaha, I didn't think a supposed news report was an approraite place to solicate legal advice.)

It would appear the google adds at the bottom of every offroad forum to sue yamaha has found enough people to make a someone notice.

I thought this was old news and there had already been a recall, has it just hit the main stream media?