Military judge approves exhuming body of Iraqi civilian News
Military judge approves exhuming body of Iraqi civilian

[JURIST] A military judge sitting at Fort Hood, Texas, Tuesday approved a request by attorneys for 1st Lt. Jack M. Saville to exhume the body of an Iraqi civilian, 19-year-old Zaidoun Hassoun, who is alleged to have drowned in January 2004 when US troops forced him into the Tigris River. Saville and Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Perkins of the US 4th Infantry Division are facing court-martial, charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault, making false official statements and obstruction of justice in connection with the death. Defense attorneys for the soldiers say that the man pushed into the river is still alive and the individual buried is someone else. Both Saville and Perkins were arraigned in October; see the 4th Infantry press release here. Perkins' court martial is scheduled to begin December 28; Saville's court-martial starts in January. KWTX-TV in Waco has more.