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May 11, 2009
Sometimes, in the end, the right thing happens.
No Jail Time for Army Contractor in Revenge Killing
Ayala was on a foot patrol in the village of Chehel Gazni, with teammate Paula Loyd (pictured, right). Loyd, a social scientist, approached Abdul Salam, who was carrying a fuel jug. He said he had bought it, to fuel up his motorcycle. They started talking about the price of gas. Suddenly, the man doused Lloyd in a flammable liquid and set her on fire, court documents recount.
Engulfed in a ball of flame large enough to force those near her to involuntarily back away, Paula Loyd screamed in agony as the children that had surrounded her ran away. In the several seconds following the attack, no one could get near enough to Ms. Loyd to help her. Panicked, Ms. Loyd ran around briefly before those near her pulled her to the ground. One of the platoon medics tried to put the fire out with dirt, ultimately grabbing Ms. Loyd by her foot and dragging her into the nearby drainage ditch to douse the flames. By the time the fire was extinguished, all of Ms. Loyd’s clothing had been burned off and only her helmet and body armor remained. Medical personnel would later determine that Ms. Loyd suffered second and third- degree burns over more than 60% of her body.
Ayala chased Salam down, tackled him to the ground, and restrained him with plastic cuffs. ”After about 10 minutes,” according to an Army Criminal Investigation Division affidavit, “a soldier approached the location where Ayala had Salam detained and informed the personnel in the area that Loyd was burned badly. Ayala pushed his pistol against Salam’s head and shot Salam, killing him instantly.”
Ayala was taken into custody, and flown to the United States two-and-a-half weeks later. He was charged with murder — the first military contractor to be charged with such a crime under a 2000 law that allows the prosecution of U.S. government workers who commit crimes overseas.
Ayala was a former Army Ranger, and prosecutors tried to use that against him during his trial, that he should have known better, but the defense argued that the gruesome attack on Loyd had triggered “dormant combat stress injuries.” That lead to a “perfect storm” of mental duress. Ayala simply wasn’t in control of his own actions, when he shot Salam.
The end result of the trial:
Don Ayala — the U.S. Army contractor who pleaded guilty to a revenge killing in Afghanistan — won’t be going to prison. Instead, U.S. District Court Judge Claude Hilton sentenced Ayala, a member of the Army’s Human Terrain social science project, to five years probation and a $12,500 fine.
I remember the horror I felt when this first happened. I wonder if there's any way to contribute to the payment of Don's Ayala's fine, I would consider that a worthy cause.
Posted by LindaSoG at May 11, 2009 07:11 PM
Comments
Agreed.
Posted by: Foxfier at May 12, 2009 02:35 AM
Man... sometimes one does what has to be done - regardless of consequences.
Posted by: MAS1916 at May 12, 2009 02:45 PM
A worthy cause indeed....let us know if you find anything.
Posted by: Wollf at May 12, 2009 03:55 PM
Don Ayala did what any right minded human would do, removed some vermin detritus from this planet. Quit mollycoddling the butchering scum.
Posted by: Jack at May 12, 2009 04:54 PM
Patton would have given the guy a medal. One can only fathom what Chesty would have done.
I am ulcerating for the day the West finally realizes what kind of slime that is trying to put us all in the grave.
Posted by: Kevin M at May 13, 2009 08:11 AM
Yes, I agree, too. Murdering those we hate and otherwise taking vengeance on those who harm us, directly or not, does not make us just like those we hate. It makes us better than them because we are right and they are wrong, obviously. Much like Irgun and the Stern Gang, who were not terrorists at all. Their bombing British troops and innocent civilians to force the British to give them Arab land was as justified as a soldier representing the United States Government is justified in murdering any non-American.
Posted by: Joshua at May 13, 2009 11:31 AM