| Three Iraqi men were tried and convicted April 14 by a three-judge panel of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq for actions against Coalition forces. The men were each sentenced to 10 years in an Iraqi prison. The men were detained near Balad Nov. 20, 2003, after being discovered by Coalition forces in the act of burying an improvised explosive device alongside a road consisting of 12-14 pounds of C-4 explosives in a coffee can-type container. "The defendants were tried in an Iraqi court with a prosecutor and defense counsel," said Army Col. Dwight Warren, chief liaison officer to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. "This marks another step forward in the establishment of an independent Iraqi judiciary. "As a result of their vigilance, the Coalition soldiers not only saved lives by discovering the IED, but their apprehension of the three perpetrators will prevent these terrorists from attempting to murder other soldiers or civilians," he added. |