In Feb. 2008, a military judge convicted Sgt. Evan Vela,
a 24-year-old U.S. Army sniper, “and sentenced him to
10 years in prison for killing an Iraqi civilian who wandered
into the hiding place where six soldiers were sleeping.”
Vela, who was sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, was found
guilty of planting an AK-47 on the dead Iraqi man’s
body and of lying to military investigators about the shooting.
According to a letter sent by the White House to Vela’s
family, President Bush is now “strongly considering”
a request to pardon Vela:
The father of an eastern Idaho
soldier says he has received a letter from the White House
confirming that his request that his son be pardoned by President
Bush is being “seriously considered.”
Curtis Carnahan says he received
the letter last week.
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) have
written letters to Bush on behalf of Vela, urging that the
president grant him clemency. Crapo and Simpson argued that
Vela “was simply following the orders of his superiors.”
