Semrau acquitted of murder in battlefield death

Canadian Forces Capt. Robert Semrau has been found not guilty of second degree murder and attempted murder in a battlefield death in Afghanistan. But he has been found guilty of disgraceful conduct. Semrau, 36, had been accused of firing two rounds from his rifle into a dying Taliban fighter in Helmand province in October 2008. The trial heard that Semrau told fellow officers after the shooting that he wanted to put the dying enemy fighter out of his misery.

Retired Maj.-Gen Lewis Mackenzie told CTV News Channel that he personally was delighted with the verdict.

"I'm very pleased about the three charges and I'll keep my fingers crossed that discreditable conduct – which can range from something like not shaving in the morning to something a lot more serious – that the sentencing will be modest," he said.

Mackenzie noted that mercy killings have likely always taken place on battlefields, but because of the high profile of this case, the Canadian military's rules of engagement will now probably have to be altered.

"But let's face it: nobody but nobody is ever going to say mercy killing is okay. It's something that's between a soldier and his conscience on the battlefield. Anybody that tries to put that in fine print is not going to succeed," Mackenzie said.


I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that his sentence will be light. However when I think of it, if he got not guilty on the other 3 charges - what exactly did he do that was discreditable?

I think the whole thing is a load of shite. It's not like he killed a PW or a civilian, but one of those despicable scumbags that one finds in that shithole of a country. I believe very few Allied soldiers got put on trial for killing PWs, heck I even watched a TV show recently where a Yank openly admitted that it happened.

And that fucking translator that was key in this thing coming to trial should be shot until he is 98% dead, and then just left there in the hot sun waiting for the hand of allah to come down and scoop his ass up and off to his virgin young boys and sheep.

You can be sure now that our troops will be very careful in engaging the taliban from now on. They had better make sure that the arsehole they just shot was reaching for a weapon before shooting him again.

Could you imagine the scenario where some goatfucker was engulfed in flames, and out Troops just watching him slowly die? Well I admit that is what should happen to every backward taliban asshole that engages our Troops, it would just not be right.

The whole thing is making me ill.