Trump Pardons Former Soldier Who Murdered an Unarmed Iraqi

President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned a former Army soldier convicted of murdering an Iraqi detainee in 2008.

Sentenced in 2009, former 1st Lt. Michael Behenna had been serving a 25-year prison sentence for unpremeditated murder in a combat zone before a series of Army judicial proceedings reduced his sentence to 15 years and released him on parole in 2014.

In a statement late Monday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders described Behenna as "a model prisoner" and said his cause attracted broad support from the military, the public and elected officials in Behanna's native Oklahoma. Sanders cited an Army appellate court's concern about how his original trial had handled Behenna's claim that he acted in self defense.

"In light of these facts, Mr. Behenna is entirely deserving of this Grant of Executive Clemency," Sanders said.

Behenna was convicted of killing Ali Mansur, who he and his platoon believed was an al-Qaida operative behind an improvised bomb that killed two of their fellow soldiers. Instead of returning the prisoner to his home as he was ordered, Behenna took him to a secluded area, stripped him and interrogated him at gunpoint. He claims the prisoner lunged for his gun so he shot him.

Behenna reportedly told other soldiers after the incident that "he would do it again, and he did not feel bad about it because he just lost two guys," according to the court filing for the case, reported by The New York Times.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, one of the leading advocates for pardoning Behenna and among those Sanders referenced, praised Trump's decision in a statement Monday, saying the former soldier "served his country with distinction, honor and sacrifice."

"He has admitted to his mistakes, has learned from them and deserves to move on from this incident without living under its cloud for the rest of his life. My hope is that Michael and the rest of his family can rest easy this evening knowing they can put this tragic situation behind them," Hunter said.

Others, however, believe Trump's decision amounts to excusing war crimes.

"This pardon is a presidential endorsement of a murder that violated the military's own code of justice," ACLU National Security Project Director Hina Shamsi said in a statement. "The military appeals court found Behenna disobeyed orders, became the aggressor against his prisoner, and had no justification for killing a naked, unarmed Iraqi man in the desert, away from an actual battlefield."