Good afternoon . . .
The judge in the trial of PFC Lyndie England has rejected a plea agreement for one of the central figures in the prison abuse scandal in Iraq.
Col. James Pohl was not convinced England knew her actions were wrong at the time. He entered a plea of not guilty for England on a charge of conspiring with Pvt. Charles Garner, Jr. to maltreat detainees at a Baghdad area prison.
Garner testified earlier today that one of the photographs showing England holding a leash attached to a prisoner was a "legitimate training aid for other guards." Garner is England's former boyfriend and the father of her 7-month old son.
By rejecting the plea on the conspiracy charge, Pohl canceled the entire plea agreement.
The rejection of the plea throws the case back to the military's equivalent of a grand jury.
Judge Throws Out England's Guilty Plea - Yahoo! News
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A House Senate conference committee has finished its work on the $82 billion supplemental appropriation to support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The agreement was reached Tuesday and reflects a desire by lawmakers to give the Pentagon what it needs while holding the line on Department of State spending.
The legislation provides $75 billion for military operations and an additional $4.2 billion for foreign aid and other international relations programs.
The bill provides an increase in the death benefit for survivors of troops killed in a war zone from $12,000 to $100,000. This part of the bill is retroactive to October 7, 2001 when military action began in Afghanistan.
The legislation also includes immigration proposals, one of which will require the states to verify that driver's license applicants are US citizens or legal immigrants.
The House is likely to pass the measure on Thursday. The Senate will take up the bill after it returns from spring break next Tuesday.
Congress Nears Vote on War Spending Bill - Yahoo! News
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The man accused of a shooting spree in the Columbus, OH, area was "not rational" according to his defense attorney.
In his closing, defense attorney Michael Miller insisted that if Charles McCoy, Jr. knew it was wrong to shoot at people while trying to silence voices in his head, he would be evil.
"This boy is not evil. This boy is sick," Miller said. "This boy is not rational. This boy is psychotic."
Prosecutor Doug Stead said McCoy deliberately picked shooting locations and took steps to avoid capture.
"He knew what he was doing was wrong and he wanted to get away with it," Stead said.
McCoy's attorneys concede he was responsible for the highway shootings in the Columbus area, but are presenting an affirmative defense of not guilty by reason of insanity. They must prove his severe mental illness prevented McCoy from knowing the shootings were wrong.
If convicted of the most serious charge of aggravated murder in the death of Gail Kinsley, the only person struck during the shootings in 2003 - 2004, McCoy could face the death penalty.
If jurors find him insane, he will be sent to a mental hospital.
Lawyer: Ohio Shooter Was 'Not Rational' - Yahoo! News
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Was there a third conspirator in the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995?
According to convicted bomber Terry Nichols there is.
In a letter written from prison, Nichols says he wants to set the record straight and claims Arkansas gun collector Roger Moore gave the explosives to Timothy McBeigh and provided additional bomb making components. Those components were recently found in Nichols' former Kansas home.
In the early stages of the investigation, the FBI took a close look at Moore because of his anti-government views and close relationship with McVeigh. No charges were ever filed.
In the letter sent to Kathy Sanders, who lost two grandchildren in the bombing, Nichols describes the components found in Kansas as coming direct from Moore's Arkansas home and should have his fingerprints on them.
An FBI spokesperson in Kansas City said the material found in March would be closely examined for fingerprints and other evidence.
Nichols has been convicted in state and federal courts and is serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Nichols: Third Man Helped With Bombing - Yahoo! News
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More tomorrow.
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