Did Pfc. Corey Clagett Commit Murder -- or Simply Follow Orders?

Last month, the Los Angeles Times wrote about Melanie Dianiska's efforts to save her son, Private First Class Corey Clagett, from a murder conviction in the killing of three Iraqis. Clagett is scheduled to be court-martialed in January.

The Times said that Dianiska has

acted like an investigative reporter, cultivating contacts with military prison guards and other soldiers ... and broken the unwritten code of military silence ... with harsh, emotional criticism of the military...

Dianiska has revealed the results of much of her reporting on BlogTalkRadio, in a series of interviews on The Raymond Owens Show. Just today, Dianiska told Owens that the government no longer plans to bring murder charges against Clagett, and will now pursue charges of conspiracy to commit murder. (Click here for live audio of the Dianiska interview.)

I find Dianiska's crusade fascinating, and Clagett's version of events compelling. And yet, while the case has received some regional coverage, it's gotten limited national media exposure to this point.

For those who have not yet listened to Dianiska's previous interviews on BlogTalkRadio, here are a few choice excerpts from her appearances -- addressing issues that have gained little notice in the mainstream media.

On speaking publicly about the case:

I took a chance talking, and I was not about to let them sweep him under the rug, and I had to make people know what kind of person Corey is, you know he is more than a soldier ... I mean he was looking forward to coming home, and getting his first apartment, we've collected things for him all year and there is no way I could let my son, not speak out for him ... Corey just turned 18, he joined at 18, and I never in my life ever dreamed he would be going through this ordeal. It's not like Corey killed anybody drunk driving, it's not like he was a serial killer ... He went to war for us and he did it voluntarily...

On her investigations:

I have most every document that the military has, and they are wondering how in the world I am getting this ... you know, they've lost the body, they've lost the weapon, they did no forensics, they did no ballistics, they did no autopsy and they still want to give -- try to give life for these guys ... It's appalling to me, I mean I don't understand that...I would die outside those gates if they convict my son, I would -- and I have family, and I have four other children, but I am telling you my life right now is Corey. I can't do anything at all; I can't cook, I can't clean. It's only the Internet, it's making phone calls, it's going to meetings.

On Clagett's treatment in captivity:

Some people may not believe this, but Corey, since we've been speaking out ... Once that happened, the guards were spitting in his food, you could see the spit, Corey said, they were calling him a piece of shit, female guards were telling other guards not to feed him, they would rake off the food on his plate and give him less and less, and at times they didn't feed him ... Now Corey's telling me this, and I am telling the attorney, but nobody can do anything. It's Corey's word against theirs.

The Raymond Owens Show will cover the Clagett case up to and throughout his trial next month. Stay tuned to BlogTalkRadio as this continuing story unfolds.