Ex-Marine tells Iraqi Murder Stories

Jimmy Massey, a former marine staff sergeant, testified in Canada on the behalf of a US army deserter, Jeremy Hinzman, yesterday.

Mr. Massey told the immigration and refugee board about the atrocities and murders which are occurring in Iraq. He said that he and his fellow marines had shot and killed more than 30 Iraqi men, women and children.

"We killed the man. We fired at a cyclic rate of 500 bullets per vehicle," testified Massey, "The company gunnery sergeant came running over and began yelling, 'You just shot a guy with his hands up.' "

The former staff sergeant said none of the Iraqis shot were any threat for suicide bombing. He speculated that many didn't understand the hand signals or signage used to indicate they should stop at the check points.

Another incident occurred when marines reacted to a stray bullet and killed a small group of unarmed protesters and bystanders, Massey said, "What they were doing was committing murder."

Mr. Massey's testimony reinforced that of Hinzman who said he did not want to be resent to Iraq because of fears of being forced to commit war crimes and atrocities that were considered illegal.

Hinzman had applied as a conscientious objector to being sent by Iraq, but was rejected and sought asylum in Toronto along with his wife and two-year-old son.

"We were told to consider all Arabs as potential terrorists... to foster an attitude of hatred that gets your blood boiling," said Hinzman, then adding he doesn't want to be involved in capturing Iraqis who not be given the rights of due process or the Geneva Conventions.

Mr. Hinzman went public with his asylum case because of fears Canadians would feel his claim be a "preposterous proposition."

"I didn't know how it would be dealt with. I thought they would say, 'You're an American, what the hell are you doing? Go home,'" Hinzman stated. "By being public, I could ensure it would be handled openly and fairly."

Hizman's asylum hearing could be the first of four other US deserters who made similar claims.