At least seven Marines and a Navy corpsman are facing trial for their alleged involvement in the murder of an Iraqi man, as preliminary inquiries into the role of two of the Marines began Wednesday. Separate preliminary hearings for Private John Jodka and Corporal Marshall Magincalda were held at Camp Pendleton in California, with prosecutors seeking information about the shooting of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in the village of Hamdania. Eyewitnesses have claimed that the Marines and a sailor kidnapped and executed Awad on April 26. Defense attorneys for the men are expected to argue that the killing was a justifiable act of war. The official charges against the U.S. servicemen include kidnapping, murder and conspiracy. According to official documents, five of the troops are accused of shooting Awad, while all eight are charged with murder because of their alleged role in covering up the killing. The present hearings, which will determine whether the men should be tried in a general court martial, allow the Marines to present their account of events, call witnesses and possibly testify. If the case does move to trial, a conviction could mean the death penalty. The other defendants are expected to have separate hearings in coming weeks.
