is he guilty or is he innocent

it's hard to tell. there is no way for me to know. there is no way for him to defend himself, that much is evident. it's also evident to me confessions are meaningless. we know what interrogation tactics are used by them AND by us.

what is odd odd odd about this WHOLE story is; it appears the presiding judge was going to dismiss charges against mr munaf . at that point 'two american military officials' intervened and conferred with the judge behind closed doors for 15 minutes. one of them said romania asked him to represent them at the trail. of course romania denies this. the defense WAS NOT allowed into that meeting. when the judge came back, mr munaf was SENTENCED TO DEATH

you tell me what's going on here. something really ain't quite right


Iraqi Judge Sentences U.S. Citizen To Death as demanded by U.S. Military 10/17

by MissMarple Oct 18 2006 - 3:34am permalinkarticle tools: email print read more MissMarple
Iraqi Judge Sentences U.S. Citizen To Death After U.S. Military Demanded the Man Be Executed
An Iraqi-born US citizen is in a battle to save his life as he tries to avoid execution in Baghdad. But he's not up against insurgents groups he's up against the Iraqi and US governments.
The man, Mohammad Munaf, was arrested by US troops last year. He was charged with kidnapping three Romanian journalists and holding them hostage for nearly two months. Last week, Munaf was sentenced to death. He's being held in a US-run prison at the Baghdad airport.
Munaf maintains his innocence. Just weeks ago, it appeared he would be set free. Munaf's attorneys say the presiding judge promised to dismiss the charges after he concluded there was no material evidence to support a conviction. ...

and this:

U.S. Citizen Facing Execution in Iraq

By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawyers for an American citizen facing execution in Iraq appealed Friday in U.S. federal court to keep the man in American custody _ preventing his death _ while another case is being appealed.
The citizen, Mohammad Munaf, was convicted and sentenced to death by an Iraqi judge earlier this week on charges he helped in the 2005 kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Baghdad, court papers show.
Iraqi-born Munaf, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2000, was working as their translator and guide. He maintains his innocence.
In an emergency request filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, Munaf's attorneys claim his rights to a fair trial in Iraq were violated when he was convicted without being able to present evidence in his defense _ or to see the evidence against him.
"This court's failure to temporarily halt Mr. Munaf's transfer to Iraqi custody will not only send Mr. Munaf to his death without due process, it will eviscerate ... core protections against arbitrary and lawless executive action," Munaf's attorneys wrote.
The legal filing asks the court to block the Defense Department, which has been holding Munaf at a prison at the Baghdad International Airport, from turning him over to Iraqi authorities. A Pentagon spokesman did not return a call for comment Friday........

and this as well:

U.S. Citizen Sentenced To Death In Iraq
Federal Court Asked To Block Transfer


By Josh WhiteWashington Post Staff Writer Saturday, October 14, 2006; Page A17
A U.S. citizen who allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists near Baghdad last year was sentenced to death in an Iraqi court Thursday, prompting his lawyers to ask a federal judge in Washington to block the U.S. military from transferring him to the Iraqi government.
Mohammad Munaf, 53, has been in U.S. custody since May 23, 2005, when he was arrested during a military raid to rescue the Romanian journalists nearly two months after they were snatched. Authorities have alleged that Munaf -- who had ushered the journalists into Iraq and was acting as their guide and translator -- posed as a kidnap victim but was actually involved in a conspiracy for ransom and led them into a trap............

....Munaf's Iraqi attorneys reported that the Central Criminal Court judge was prepared to dismiss the charges at a hearing on Thursday but that two American officials -- including an unnamed general -- stepped into the courtroom and requested a private meeting. The judge returned 15 minutes later and sentenced Munaf and four other defendants to death without hearing additional evidence, according to a sworn statement by Sean Riordan, a legal intern at the Brennan Center who spoke with Munaf's attorney in Baghdad.
"In 36 years practicing law in Iraq, [the lawyer] had never before seen or heard of a death sentence being handed down without deliberation or consideration of the merits," Riordan said in the statement filed in Washington yesterday.............