LOS ANGELES: A witness in the court-martial trial of a decorated US Navy SEAL charged with killing a captive teenage militant while deployed to Iraq confessed on Thursday that it was he — not the defendant — who put an end to the boy’s life.
Corey Scott, a first class petty officer, told the military court in San Diego that while he had seen Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher stab the wounded Daesh group fighter in the neck in May 2017, he had killed the boy afterwards.
He testified that he covered the victim’s breathing tube with his thumb and then watched him die.
Scott said he did so to spare the boy — who prosecutors say was about 15 years old — from suffering or being tortured by Iraqi forces.
His bombshell testimony threw a wrench in the prosecution’s murder and attempted murder case against Gallagher, who was supposed to be providing medical treatment for the insurgent when he allegedly stabbed him.
Gallagher, 40, has denied the charges against him, claiming they were made up by disgruntled subordinates under his command.
Prosecutors on Thursday argued that Scott’s version of events was a fabrication and that he was lying to protect Gallagher.
Scott, who has been given immunity from prosecution, acknowledged during questioning that he made the revelation to spare Gallagher, who is married and has children, from going to prison.
Local news reports said Gallagher appeared jubilant following Scott’s testimony, celebrating with his family outside the courtroom.
The charges against Gallagher, who is also accused of shooting two civilians and firing indiscriminately at other non-combatants while in Iraq, stem from testimony by men who were under his command in the special operations branch of the US Navy.
According to court documents, some members of the “Alpha” platoon were so horrified by Gallagher’s behavior that they tampered with his sniper rifle and fired warning shots to scare civilians away before he had time to open fire on them.
They told investigators that Gallagher, who began his career as a medic, would brag about the number of people he had killed.
One platoon mate who testified on Wednesday said he saw Gallagher fatally stab the teenage Daesh militant. Gallagher allegedly then posed with the boy’s body for photographs and texted the pictures to fellow SEALs.
“Good story behind this one,” one text message read, according to prosecutors. “Got him with my hunting knife.”
When some of the other SEALs expressed reservations over the killing, prosecutors say Gallagher’s response was: “I thought everyone would be cool with it. Next time it happens, I’ll do it somewhere where you can’t see.”
Gallagher also stands accused of attempted murder for the wounding of two civilians, a schoolgirl and an elderly man, who were shot while walking along the Tigris River.
The case has proven divisive in the US, where he remains a war hero to some.
His cause has been championed by around 40 Republican members of Congress, as well as the Fox News channel, which is popular among conservatives.
President Donald Trump last month also expressed support for Gallagher and hinted that he may be pardoned along with other military service members accused of war crimes.
The trial, which began on Monday, is expected to last up to three weeks.
If convicted, Gallagher faces up to life in prison.
US Navy SEAL murder trial witness claims he is the real killer
US Navy SEAL murder trial witness claims he is the real killer
- Medic Corey Scott claimed he killed the Daesh fighter after seeing his commander stab the victim with a knife
- The commander, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, is being court-martialed killing the prisoner
Rohingya refugees hope new leaders can pave a path home
- Some 1.7 million Rohingya Muslims displaced in Myanmar's military crackdown live in squalid camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees living in squalid camps in Bangladesh have elected a leadership council, hoping it can improve conditions and revive efforts to secure their return home to Myanmar.
Spread over 8,000 acres in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, the camps are home to 1.7 million members of the stateless group, many of whom fled a 2017 military crackdown that is now subject to a genocide probe at the UN court.
In July, the refugees held their first elections since their influx began eight years ago, resulting in the formation of the United Council of Rohang (UCR).
“They are working to take us home,” said Khairul Islam, 37, who back home had a thriving timber business.
The new council has brought him a glimmer of hope amid an uncertain future.
“We can hardly breathe in these cramped camp rooms... all our family members live in a single room,” he said.
“It’s unbearably hot inside. Back in Myanmar, we didn’t even need a ceiling fan. In summer, we used to sit under tall trees,” Islam said, his eyes welling up.
More than 3,000 voters from across 33 refugee camps cast their ballots to elect an executive committee and five rotating presidents to focus on human rights, education and health.
Addressing a gathering at one of the camps, UCR president Mohammad Sayed Ullah urged refugees not to forget the violence that forced the mostly Muslim group to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
“Never forget that we left our parents’ graves behind. Our women died on the way here. They were tortured and killed... and some drowned at sea,” said Sayed Ullah, dressed in a white full-sleeved shirt and lungi.
“We must prepare ourselves to return home,” he said, prompting members of the audience to nod in agreement.
A seat at the table
“UCR wants to emerge as the voice of the Rohingyas on the negotiation table,” Sayed Ullah later told AFP.
“It’s about us, yet we were nowhere as stakeholders.”
The council is not the first attempt to organize Rohingya refugees.
Several groups emerged after 2017, including the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, once led by prominent activist Mohib Ullah.
But he was murdered in 2021.
And even before that, many organizations were shut down after a major 2019 rally, when the Rohingya said they would go home only with full rights and safety guarantees.
“Some newspapers misrepresented us, claiming we wanted to stay permanently in Bangladesh,” Sayed Ullah said.
“Many organizers were detained. The hardest blow was the assassination of Mohib Ullah.”
But trust is slowly building up again among the Rohingya crammed in the camps in Cox’s Bazar.
“Of course we will return home,” said 18-year-old Mosharraf, who fled the town of Buthidaung with his family.
“UCR will negotiate for better education. If we are better educated, we can build global consensus for our return,” he told AFP.
Security threats
Many refugees have started approaching the body with complaints against local Rohingya leaders, reflecting a slow but noticeable shift in attitudes.
On a recent sunny morning, an AFP reporter saw more than a dozen Rohingya waiting outside the UCR office with complaints.
Some said they were tortured while others reported losing small amounts of gold they had carried while fleeing their homes.
Analysts say it remains unclear whether the new council can genuinely represent the Rohingya or if it ultimately serves the interests of Bangladeshi authorities.
“The UCR ‘elections’ appear to have been closely controlled by the authorities,” said Thomas Kean, senior consultant at the International Crisis Group.
Security threats also loom large, undermining efforts to forge political dialogue.
Armed groups like the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organization continue to operate in the camps.
A report by campaign group Fortify Rights said at least 65 Rohingyas were killed in 2024.
“Violence and killings in the Rohingya camps need to stop, and those responsible must be held to account,” the report quoted activist John Quinley as saying.
