Contractor in Iraq to be court-martialed

BAGHDAD, May 28 (UPI) -- An Iraqi contractor will be the first civilian tried by court-martial under a Uniform Code of Military Justice amendment, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

Alaa "Alex" Mohammad Ali is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at the Camp Victory courthouse in Iraq on a charge of aggravated assault for allegedly stabbing another contractor, the U.S. military said in a news release.

The amendment says civilian contractors working for the U.S. government can be punished for violations of the code. After a pre-trial investigation, the investigating officer recommended the charge be forward to the court martial-convening authority, the military said.

Since the incident at a combat facility in Hit, Iraq, Ali has been jailed at Camp Victory. Ali is accused of stabbing a fellow four times in the chest. Ali will be treated the same as a service member under court martial, the military said.