New rules covering the death penalty in military courts suggest the US army may be preparing for its first execution since 1961.

The new rules spell out the procedures for carrying out death sentences imposed at courts martial.

There are six men on death row, all held at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Anti-death penalty campaigners fear the new move may pave the way for the execution of Pte Dwight Loving, who was convicted of killing two taxi drivers.

The drivers were killed while Loving was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1988.

The court of appeals for the armed forces rejected his latest appeal last month.

He now has few legal resources left at his disposal.

The execution would have to be approved by President George W Bush to go ahead

Procedures

Two other servicemen were sentenced to death last year.

Sgt Hassan Akbar was convicted of killing two officers in Kuwait in 2003.

A jury also sentenced Senior Airman Andrew Witt for stabbing to death his wife and another airman.

The new rules are acknowledged by senior ranks as a major revision of the existing situation.

The revision also makes it possible for executions to take place at any military prison, not just Fort Leavenworth.

This, according to anti-death penalty protesters, means it would be technically legal for executions to take place at Guantanamo Bay.

Currently 10 detainees there have been charged with various offences, but none of them are capital cases.

When I read this article it wasn't the hostages in Gitmo I first thought of. My mind when straight to the links posted by Trevor Blake's , recomendations of the progressive link entitled:American Short Timer, in paticularly, uncle sam's trigger niggers. I was really impressed with the incredible writing of most of the soldiers, apart from the Lincoln Corp plant but I felt like shaking them and sayin "What are you doin, don't be blogging about this, its time for action.

Then you will have earned the respect that many of you claimed that you joined up to garner.

I decided not to cause, although I can't really feel for those guys, I'm gonna keep my respect for the guys who pull themselves out of unemployment,drug addiction, incarceration and eath by deciding up front not to shoot other meat for the machine, I understand their position enough to wish them no ill will and a posting on their blog recommending they shoot the shit telling them to pull the trigger rather than their fellow humans, wouldn't achieve anything apart from maybe giving the shit an excuse to close down their bloggs.

From reading whats being written on these bloggs I think that it must only be a matter of time before the troops do mutiny. When they do though it will be as a resuly of a group decision from within.

Army combat life has got them so locked into the 'band of brothers thing' in the same way a biker gang or rock band does for its members that these guys are only gonna move when the urge comes from within, not cause some idjit on the other side of the world harangues 'em.

That said I think we need to recognise that the shit in suits at the pentagon will also be feeling that 'tipping point' is coming close.

That is what this regs change is about.

The blokes who were too busy making their first mil to get drafted a generation ago must be feeling pretty nervous and I'd say a lot of Jack Murtha's mates are also feeling like the troops aren't gonna take much more.

So BushCo is gonna start offing a few grunts pretty soon in the hope that will help them to concentrate and remember to only kill those they're told to and not those who they think deserve it.

The Gitmo gang will be safe until so many grunts have been offed that a certain section of the sheeple will be gettin agitated. Then they'll commit one of the worst, most abhorred and longest outlawed war crimes, that is taking the life of an enemy who is your captive and/or who has surrendered.

But that's OK cause these guys will be unlawful combatants.

Assholes are so predictable.