Hassan Akbar - Killings and Aftermath

Killings and Aftermath

Akbar was charged in a hand grenade-and-shooting attack that killed two soldiers and wounded 14 other soldiers on March 23, 2003. The attack occurred at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait, a rear base camp for the invasion. There, Akbar threw four hand grenades into three tents during early morning when the majority of troops were sleeping and fired his rifle during the ensuing chaos. News reports at the time claimed that Akbar had been recently reprimanded for insubordination and was told he would not join his unit's push into Iraq.

Although Akbar confessed to the crimes, his lawyers claimed that he had a history of mental illness which was known to the military. During his trial, Akbar smuggled a pair of scissors out of a conference room, then asked the Military Police officer guarding him to remove his hand cuffs so he might use the restroom. When the MP did remove Akbar's restraints, he then stabbed the MP in the shoulder and neck with the scissors before being wrestled to the ground by another MP. The army judge did not allow this attack to be admitted as evidence prior to sentencing.

He was tried in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in front of a military jury of nine officers, with ranks from major to colonel, and six senior sergeants. There were 13 men and two women on the jury.