Operation Iron Triangle

Operation Iron Triangle
Location Tikrit
Result The operation resulted in the detention of 200 suspected terrorists and the confiscation of weapons and propaganda materials at an insurgent training camp southwest of the city

Operation Iron Triangle was a military operation in the Iraq War. The operation was led by Michael D. Steele in 2006. The operation targeted a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq training facility southwest of the city of Samarra near the Muthana Chemical Complex south of Lake Thar Thar.

Contents

Iron Triangle Murders

In the first few hours of the operation, Private First Class Corey R. Clagett, Specialist William B. Hunsaker, Staff Sergeant Raymond L. Girouard, and Specialist Juston R. Graber executed three unarmed Iraqi detainees. Clagget later testified that they had cut the Iraqis loose and let them run before shooting them, to make the incident look like an escape attempt.[1] Graber made an arrangement with the government to plead guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault. A team of civilian and military lawyers defended the four soldiers in Article 32 proceedings (military equivalent to a grand jury) in Tikrit, Iraq and Courts Martial proceedings in Fort Campbell, KY. After eight months of legal battles, defendant Graber agreed to testify against Hunsaker and the other defendants. Facing mandatory life sentences, Hunsaker and Clagett entered plea deals that reduced their maximum sentence to 18 years, making them eligible for parole after 5½ years. According to his lawyers, Graber was "to be convicted of aggravated assault and to receive a nine-month prison sentence in exchange for his testifying against three other members of his squad."[2]

References

3. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/army_sgtstaffsgt_120308w/

Further reading

External links

Iraq portal