Ilario Pantano
Posted on 07/03/2006 8:33:43 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Discharged Army solider Steven D. Green has been charged in U.S. District Court with murder and rape in a March 12 attack on an Iraqi family in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.
The media started with 5 guilty soldiers now we see one charged. It's all a bunch of garbage.
Several soldiers brought this to the attention of the military and one has already confessed...according to reports.
Support for the military should not include support for rapists or murderers.
Absolutely correct. We of course should be ever vigilant against the troop haters, but by using common sense we can always seperate fact from fiction, unfortunately this smells like fact. If he is guilty hang him high in that towns square.
Agreed. There are always a few bad apples in the barrel. If they did it, then they will pay. If they didn't, they will go free.
Trouble is, the confession story is according to an anonymous source. Don't be so quick to assume guilt in this case. Several others have been proven to be false accusations, and it seems to be their latest battlefield tactic. In fact, documents found in Zarqawi's "safe" house have mentioned this exact tactic, so it's not coincidental.
MORE:
Ex-soldier facing criminal charges in rape, killing of Iraqi
Eds: UPDATES with charges filed and Green appearing in court; CHANGES dateline and byline; Will be led.
By TIM WHITMIRE
Associated Press Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Federal prosecutors charged a veteran of the Iraq war on Monday with murder and rape in connection with the killing of an Iraqi woman and members of her family.
Steven D. Green, a 21-year-old former Army private first class, appeared in a federal magistrate’s courtroom in Charlotte. Prosecutors said Green and other soldiers entered the home of a family of Iraqi civilians, where he and others raped a member of the family before Green shot her and three of her relatives to death.
The U.S. military has investigating up to five soldiers in the March attack on the family in Mahmoudiya.
Green is being held without bond, pending a transfer to Louisville, Ky.
Well, there's this minor detail called a trial that we need to go through. And as far as the alleged confession, who said? The AP? CNN?
Come on, guys. All you have to do is follow the Duke Lacrosse case to see how this stuff works. Accusations are made all the time. If the AP told me today was Monday, I would check the calendar...
This smells, alright, but not of fact. This story, like the others that have been proven false, has changed several times. At least one article mentions a terrorist-linked "source" for this story. All others list anonymous sources, including for the so-called "confession."
"Don't be so quick to assume guilt in this case."
That is why I wrote "as reported". If the military has charged this soldier, their must be some evidence of guilt. They would be the first to nip this in the bud if it was propaganda.
Most of us prefer to wait for a jury verdict or a plea of guilty lest we appear Murtha-like. Media "reports say" don't count.
Now if you are just making a broad statement, then I don't think anyone supports rapists/murderers - military or not.
All innocent until proven guilty....
Implicated, Accused, Indicted, Alledged.... are all liberal words used to hypnotize Americans...
Then people also need to stop being so quick as to assume it didnt happen.
Not really. They have charged others, only to have them completely exonerated. I repeat, this is the lates battlefield tactic, and it's being aided and abetted (as usual) by our Bush-hating, war-hating, US-hating media.
Did you read the article? It says the soldier has been charged. We're far beyond the accusation stage.
Well you seem to be forgetting a very important facet of the story, screw the terrorist's etc they just want it to look as bad as possible...however soldiers from there own unit came forward and said it was one of them who raped the girl.
actually charged and accusation are pretty much interchangeable....
Correct. It's dismaying to see so many people here (even long-time, respected Freepers) being so quick to jump on the media bandwagon. We have been watching this battlefield tactic in several cases now, and most have fallen apart even before charges were made. Some fell apart afterwards, and after, I might add, honorable men were made to endure a living hell to prove their innocence and honor.
You are factually incorrect. A charge is nothing more than an accusation. Again, see referenced Duke Lacrosse case where a politically motivated DA is running amok...
This man is innocent.
So are you.
According to whom? Every article I've read has listed anonymous sources. Such allegations should at least be worthy of using the source's name before we take their word for it.
Absolutely, believe NO "reports" from the DNC/MSM "sources", none.
The fact that this crap is highlighted at anti-American bastions like Yahoo News! is disgusting.
I am amazed at the people here who, on one thread, will scoff at the inaccuracy of the MSM, then when it comes to our own military being accused of something, take it as the gospel truth.
And it seems some here are being well trained by the MSM to fall incoherently in support of any soldier, guilty or innocent as long as the MSM reports a negative story about them.
Now this OP conveniently left out the entire story where soldiers from this guys own unit came forward and fingered him...why would they do that? Are they all leftist wanting to bring down the US and to bring shame and dishonor? Think outside and universally for yourself.
That's right.
And willingness to condemn the guilty should not include condemning those who have yet to be proved guilty.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659567/posts
You didnt read this one did you?
"But on June 23, three months after the incident, two soldiers of the 502nd came forward to say that soldiers of the unit were responsible, a U.S. military official said last week. The U.S. military began an investigation the next day, the official said."
Even more disgusting that someone takes it as gospel before any actual facts have come out--right now all we know is that some anonymous sources have told a story, changed that story, and the MSM is reporting on it.
HOW do you know these soldiers came forward? WHO is your source? Or is it anonymous?
NAME that "military official." Until someone is willing to stand behind his statement with a NAME, we should be suspicious. Do you realize that in a case like this in Afghanistan the "military source" turned out to be, in fact, a terrorist "news stringer"?
Correct.
However the media likes to spin these occurrences.
What was undoubtedly an act undertaken by one criminal will be portrayed as a conspiracy by a group of servicemen which was tacitly supported by their commanding officers.
Oh my,, nevermind. Not all investigations have people come forward have the identity exposed. Soldiers especially have this right to protect them from persecution from higher ups.
But on June 23, three months after the incident, two soldiers of the 502nd came forward to say that soldiers of the unit were responsible, a U.S. military official said last week. The U.S. military began an investigation the next day, the official said.>>>
Yet the same people for example pick and choose what they wish to believe from the MSM as well.
I will tell you something I served in Iraq and I take these cases very seriously because I will not let the few destroy the good work of the many.
Let me ask you are you going to be saying the same blithering statements if this guy is found guilty and yet you still won't and will never know who accused him in the military?
"...all we know is that some anonymous sources have told a story, changed that story, and the MSM is reporting on it."
A soldier has been arrested by the military police. Why do you insist on ignoring/misrepresenting what everyone here knows?
"What was undoubtedly an act undertaken by one criminal will be portrayed as a conspiracy by a group of servicemen which was tacitly supported by their commanding officers."
Can't argue with that. BTW - You forgot they will also try to lay this at the feet of Rumsfield.
We will see how the case turns out, but as I continue to point out, other cases have ended up with a not guilty verdict. To assume guilt when we're relying on anonymous sources and terrorist sympathizers (including the media) for what we know just seems wrong to me. Maybe at one time I would have been saying what you and Aft is saying--but after watching so many of these cases fall apart, and then reading about the documents they found in Zarqawi's possesion, it will take more to convince me--at LEAST someone standing behind their statements by using their name, that would be a start.
THe MSM has forced some of these posters into the corner of constant deniability, the MSM reports they have to deny because its a trained reflex in them. They in reality, not us, are the ones falling into the trappings of the MSM.
People seem to have forgotten another member of the military who was fingered by one of his own and then aquitted.
Ilario Pantano
No, I won't stand behind someone who did what is alleged here. But we don't know that he (or they, according to other reports) did it, do we? No, I'm just saying that so many other cases have turned out to be utterly false--and we should wait before getting out the pitchforks.
Just because you join the military does not automatically make you a hero that can do no wrong. Your conduct and moral values are what defines you, not simply wearing a uniform.
You can dismiss as many news stories and sources as you like if it's not what you want to hear. The fact is, these guys have been there for extended periods of time, under extreme stress, and you can't tell me that out of 100,000 there aren't some mentally unstable individuals, not to mention a few thugs. These guys are the ones hurting the war effort and making the US military look bad... I have reservations about the press too, but I would rather get these "bad apples" out before they cause any more harm.
They just can't see the irony.
Since June 27, 2006...
Ilario Pantano
People seem to have forgotten another member of the military who was fingered by one of his own and then aquitted.
Ilario Pantano
He was charged in a U.S. District Court?
Isn't the investigation still on going ??
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.