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CAMP PENDLETON, California (AP) -- A Navy corpsman testified at his
court-martial Friday that he watched as Marines shot an Iraqi civilian in
the head after taking him from his home in the town of Hamdaniya.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, 21, said he saw two Marines fire at
least 10 rounds into 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad.

Seven Marines are charged in Awad's April 26 death. Bacos, a medic who was
with them and also was charged, was the first to go to a court-martial. He
pleaded guilty Friday morning to kidnapping and conspiracy under a deal in
which other charges were dropped, and Bacos agreed to testify about what he
saw.

According to charging documents, the troops had entered Hamdaniya searching
for an insurgent and, failing to find him, grabbed Awad from his home and
shot him. An AK-47 and a shovel were left by Awad's body, apparently to make
it look like the man had been digging a hole for a roadside bomb and was
killed in an exchange of gunfire.

Bacos, a medic on patrol with the Marines, was accused of firing the AK-47
into the air as part of the cover-up.

Military prosecutors had charged him under the theory that he did nothing to
stop the alleged crime.

Bacos' testimony would mark a sudden change in the case but not necessarily
a surprise.

All eight were charged with crimes including murder and kidnapping. Bacos is
the first to have a general court-martial. He was recently transferred from
Camp Pendleton, where the Marines have been held, to Marine Corps Air
Station Miramar for his own safety.

David Brahms, a defense attorney for one of the accused Marines, said Bacos
will be subjected to intense cross-examination should he be called as a
government witness against his client.

"This is just one guy who is going to tell the story as he sees it," Brahms
said.

Former Army prosecutor Tom Umberg suggested that others might follow Bacos'
lead and strike similar plea deals.

"You don't want to be the last guy standing. The first guy gets the best
deal," he said.