Trump pardons US soldier who killed unarmed Iraqi man

Michael Behenna shot dead Ali Mansur ten years ago during an illegal interrogation.

Former American soldier stripped Ali Mansur naked before fatally shooting him in what was seen as a revenge killing of an innocent man.
AP

Former American soldier stripped Ali Mansur naked before fatally shooting him in what was seen as a revenge killing of an innocent man.

US President Donald Trump has granted pardon to a former American soldier who killed a naked, unarmed Iraqi man during an unauthorized interrogation ten years ago. 

Michael Behenna was convicted in 2009 for unpremeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a suspected Al-Qaeda detainee.  

The former Army Ranger of the 101st Airborne Division has already been on parole since 2014. 

He is among the tainted US servicemen who have found a savior in shape of Trump. 

Mansur was detained after Behenna's convoy was attacked in Baghdad in which a few American soldiers were killed. 

But a military interrogation did not find any conclusive evidence linking Mansur to the explosion in which Behenna lost two of his friends. 

A few weeks later, Behenna was ordered to drop Mansur back to his village but instead he decided to interrogate the Iraqi man in a secluded area, according to the Washington Post

He stripped Mansur naked and then shot him in the chest and head, in what he says was self defense. 

A military court convicted Behenna of the unpremeditated murder, sentencing him to 25 years in prison. 

The punishment was lenient considering that the prosecutors during the trial said it was case of revenge killing. 

Behanna's sentence was ultimately reduced to 15 years and he was released in 2014 after senior US military officers campaigned for him. 

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