Court-martial begins for US soldier accused of murdering Iraqi News
Court-martial begins for US soldier accused of murdering Iraqi

[JURIST] Court-martial proceedings began Friday for a US soldier charged with the murder of a wounded Iraqi teenager during a outbreak of violence in Baghdad last year. Staff Sgt. Cardenas Alban, of the 41st Infantry Regiment out of Fort Riley, KA, is one of three soldiers charged in the incident and the second to be court-martialed. Staff Sgt. Johnny Horne was convicted last month [JURIST report] and sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a murder charge. A third soldier, 2nd Lt. Erick Anderson, is also charged with murder. The three soldiers were part of a patrol in Sadr City on Aug. 18, which was during a period of heightened conflict with militia forces of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The soldiers fired on several men they suspected of placing bombs, and later killed one of the men who was wounded in the initial shooting, which the military called a mercy killing. Read a US Central Command press release on the court-martial. The Los Angeles Times details the events surrounding the killing. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.