Ex-military case pardoned by Trump: he had to release a prisoner in Iraq, but he killed him in cold blood to avenge himself

Michael Behenna, a Special Forces veteran of the United States Army, sentenced by cold-blooded murder in Iraq a man he linked to al-Qaeda, received on Tuesday the presidential pardon Donald Trump.

Behenna, 35, was sentenced for the killing of Iraqi Ali Mansur in 2008 I thought terrorist. For revenge, the ex-military undressed and illegally interrogated, before firing two shots of cold blood, one in the chest and one in the head.

Mansur had been arrested for his alleged involvement in an attack with explosives against an American patrol of which Behenna was a part and in which two soldiers died, Sergeant Adam Kohlhaas, 26, and Sergeant Steven Christofferson, 20 years old.

The arrest took place after an intelligence report revealed that Mansur could be the brain of the operation. In the accused's house, they found a submachine gun and a fake pbadport containing information on trips to Syria and Saudi Arabia, according to information collected. EFE.

However, the high command ordered the release of Mansur find evidence conclusive his participation in the ambush.

It was precisely at the time of Mansur's transfer home that Behenna decided to stop the vehicle and Render yourself.

"I undressed him to intimidate him and told him that he wanted more information about local Al Qaeda leaders and about their trips to Saudi Arabia and to Syria, as well as on the explosion. he just repeated: "I do not know, I do not know." "Behenna confessed during his trial.

In 2009, a court martial sentenced Behenna to 25 years in prison after finding the accused guilty of murder and malpractice. violate the military code.

After several appeals, his sentence was reduced to 15 years in prison. In 2014, he was sentenced to prison. bail.

Although Behenna could not in principle obtain a presidential pardon until the rest of his sentence was served, in 2024, the lawyer of the ex-soldier, John Richter, requested it because of of the favorable climate to the army who is currently breathing in the White House.

A White House "global"

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders came to explain Trump's decision: "The case of Mr. Behenna has broad support of the army, Oklahoma officials and the public. (…) Moreover, while he was serving his sentence, he was a model prisoner. In light of these facts, Behenna completely deserves forgiveness presidential election ".

"We know that we have a president who is very sensitive to the situation soldiers and navies have faced during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," Richter told the paper. The Washington Post

US President Donald Trump has praised his social networks many times military accused of war crimes, Eddie Gallagher, a former Navy member, allegedly stabbed a jihadist jailed teenager, or elder Green Berets Matt Golsteyn, accused of killing a Taliban and burning his body.