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| Iraq |
| GI Murder/Rape/Revenge? |
| 2006-07-02 |
| I'm still not sure if was revenge for a lost buddy where they went gangsta, or they randomly victemized some poor family. BEIJI, Iraq -- Investigators believe American soldiers spent nearly a week plotting an attack in which they raped an Iraqi woman, then killed her and her family in an insurgent-ridden area south of Baghdad, a U.S. military official said Saturday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said the attack appeared "totally premeditated" and that the soldiers apparently "studied" the family for about a week before carrying out the attack. According to the official, the Sunni Arab family had just moved into a new home in the religiously mixed area about 20 miles south of Baghdad. The Americans entered the home, separated three family members from the woman, then raped her and set fire to her body, the official said. The three others were also slain. A senior Army official who also requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing said one of the victims was a child . U.S. officials said they knew of the deaths but thought the victims died due to sectarian violence. A local police official, Capt. Ihsan Abdul-Rahman, said Iraqi officials received a report March 13 alleging that American soldiers had killed the family in the Khasir Abyad district about 6 miles north of Mahmoudiya. ---- The satellite channel Al-Jazeera gave wide coverage to the alleged rape-slaying, which threatens to stoke public anger in the wake of a series of other cases of U.S. troops allegedly killing and abusing Iraqi civilians. ---- The U.S. official said at least four soldiers were being investigated. Two other U.S. officials said Friday that five were under investigation but one already had been discharged for unspecified charges unrelated to the killings and was believed to be in the United States. The U.S. command has said only that Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. forces in the Baghdad area, had ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged slaying of a family of four. Those troops under investigation are from the same platoon as two soldiers kidnapped and killed south of Baghdad this month, another official said Friday. Their mutilated bodies were found June 19, three days after they were abducted by insurgents near Youssifiyah, southwest of Baghdad. The military has said one and possibly both of the slain soldiers were tortured and beheaded. The official said the mutilation of the slain soldiers stirred feelings of guilt and led at least one member of the platoon to reveal the rape-slaying on June 22. The senior Army official said the alleged incident was first revealed by a soldier during a routine counseling-type session. The Army official said that soldier did not witness the incident but heard about it. A second soldier, who also was not involved, said he overhead soldiers conspiring to commit the crimes and then later saw bloodstains on their clothes, the Army official said. |
| Posted by:Jesing Ebbease3087 |
| #8 Wasn't this a recent movie or tv plot? When I 1st heard of this 'event', I thought: "Oh, yeah. I saw that too. This scandal won't last and be just another anti-US smear propogated by the MSM. Find rope. Find journalist. Attach. |
| Posted by: Brett 2006-07-02 23:04 |
| #7 The official, speaking on condition of anonymity... It had better be a embassy official cause if its uniform he/she is going to Ft Leavenworth if it is found out. I pretty sure the orders have gone out more than once not to talk UCMJ cases with any media. |
| Posted by: Gravick Fliter7022 2006-07-02 20:44 |
| #6 Anyone who thinks it's impossible for American servicemen to commit crimes is an idiot. The difference lies in our investigating, trying, and punishing crimes. Our enemies, lest we forget, celebrate their crimes. The traitors in our ranks (press, Democrats) spend their days making sure we hear little of our enemy's crimes, and little but our servicemen's crimes. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-07-02 19:40 |
| #5 Hard to believe that four would go off the deep end at the same time in the same way, and that one unrelated guy would sit on it. But it should be looked into. We'll see. |
| Posted by: grb 2006-07-02 18:38 |
| #4 It must be true otherwise they wouldn't put it on the telly or write about it in newspapers. Besides nobody would make something like this up. |
| Posted by: Mr Gullible 2006-07-02 18:36 |
| #3 Corporal Murtha has direct third-hand knowledge of it. They're guilty! Cold blood, I say! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-02 18:17 |
| #2 As with Haditha, this "story" is evolving. The first report said that one of the participants had confessed. Now it's someone who wasn't there, but heard about it. Is it too much to wait until they have something more than rumor? Are they so desperate to slime the US Military? It appears the answer is yes. I would ask what the WaPo Editors would do if one of their sons or daughters were involved, would they do this? But, of course, none of their spawn would likely be serving. WaPo has nothing on The National Enquirer. |
| Posted by: Grilet Churong2981 2006-07-02 17:41 |
| #1 or maybe it didn't happen at all and this is just another propaganda piece that the MSM suckered into without real confirmation. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-07-02 17:29 |