Richmond was 20 when an Army court-martial panel convicted him of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to three years in prison for killing the handcuffed Iraqi civilian near Taal Al Jai in February 2004. Richmond also received a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
Richmond initially was charged with unpremeditated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. But the panel of five officers and five enlisted soldiers reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter.
The Army said Richmond shot Muhamad Husain Kadir, a cow herder, in the back of the head from about six feet away after the man stumbled. Richmond testified that he didn’t know Kadir was handcuffed and believed the Iraqi man was going to harm a fellow soldier.
The WoT preceded Trump for sure, but 9/11 was the start of a racist wave against Muslim-Americans which still hasn’t ended. It’s not like they were ever treated as ‘full Americans’ by racists, but suddenly it was open season on them post-9/11. And not just Muslims. A Sikh man was murdered because the murderer thought he was a Muslim due to the turban Sikhs have to wear.
I mean obviously the current war in Israel is also enflaming anti-Muslim (and anti-Jewish) sentiment in the U.S., but 9/11 lit a huge flame which has yet to go out 23 years later.