Posted on 07/09/2006 1:05:38 PM PDT by Kaslin
When U.S. Army privates Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker were abducted from their checkpoint near the town of Yusufiyah on June 16 and later found mutilated and beheaded, their killing by insurgents was seen as retaliation for the death of al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi two days earlier, but now residents from a neighboring town are claiming the kidnap was carried out in retaliation for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl by an American soldier.
U.S. Army prosecutors say Steven Green, 21, a recently discharged private, and others entered the home of Abeer Qassim Hamza on March 21, killed her parents and younger sister, then raped the teenage girl and shot her in the head. The bodies were burned in what investigators believe was an attempt to cover up the crime and put the blame on insurgents.
Four other soldiers stationed in Iraq are under investigation for the incident.
While Army officials have considered the possibility the murder of the family and the brutal killing of Menchaca and Tucker could be related, they say it is only "speculation" at this time.
"We are trying to find out if this hit on these ... soldiers was a retribution for the rape and murder," a military official involved in the investigation said earlier this week. "I cannot fathom the audacity it would take to do such a complex attack. What sort of rage exists in the populace? Are they saying we aren't going to take this from people who do this to our women?"
According to Iraqis who knew the dead girl's family, that may indeed be the case. They have told the London Telegraph that relatives with ties to insurgent groups requested they exact "blood for blood" revenge.
"We knew about this crime but the mujahideen brought revenge when they kidnapped two American soldiers in Yusufiyah," said Saba Shukr, a Sunni sheikh at al-Aziz mosque in Mahmoudiyah. "They are still waiting to kidnap and kill another eight soldiers, as the price of the death of the girl should be the death of 10 Americans. I am sure about this. The mujahideen promised us revenge."
Because of Muslim reluctance to report sexual crimes, relatives and friends were unwilling to contact the U.S. Army or Iraqi police.
"We went to visit the cousin of the family who lived about half a mile away to tell them the news," said Abu Hazem, a neighbor of the family. "He said, 'Please keep it secret and we will take revenge on the Americans the quiet way'."
Capt. Ehsan Abdul Rahman, a police officer, said that he had told Abeer's cousin there should be a proper investigation but he did not want media attention."
Residents of Mahmoudiyah said that Abeer had caught the attention of soldiers while working in her family's garden at their isolated farmhouse.
"She had been told by her parents not to go to school any more because of poor security," said Hazem. "She spent most of her time at home cleaning and in the garden so the American forces saw her many times. She was a beautiful girl, and my wife told me that the Americans kept watching her. When I told her father, though, he said it was no problem and that she was just a small girl."
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday demanded a role for his country in the investigation of the rape and murders.
"I promise the Iraqi people a transparent investigation into this case," he said
""Because of Muslim reluctance to report sexual crimes, relatives and friends were unwilling to contact the U.S. Army or Iraqi police.""
How convenient. No sale!
Lies are all it is!
How very convenient for them.
Muslims are only bount to tell the truth to other Muslims.
How can that be the case when the family said they thought it was "insurgents"?
Too much speculation with few facts.
---U.S. Army prosecutors say Steven Green, 21, a recently discharged private, and others entered the home of Abeer Qassim Hamza on March 21, killed her parents and younger sister, then raped the teenage girl and shot her in the head. The bodies were burned in what investigators believe was an attempt to cover up the crime and put the blame on insurgents.----
Haven't they arrested 5 soldiers for this? It doesn't compute that you could get 5 US soldiers to go along with something like this. It does sound exactly like something some jihadis would do. It sounds like some Saddam's sons would do doesn't it?
Well .. this statement doesn't sit well with me ..
"... relatives with ties to insurgent groups requested they exact "blood for blood" revenge."
So insurgents were involved in this mess .. and for my money it was the insurgents who killed this family for their cooperation with our soldiers .. or other reasons .. perhaps a relationship of the daughter with one of the soldiers ..??
It's only speculations. Unlike like Saddam's hoods who were rewarded by him, the soldiers are being infestigated as they should be and if they are found guilty will be punished.
"Because of Muslim reluctance to report sexual crimes,"
makes me think of all the publicity afforded uday and qusay and other saddamists re rape....oh yeh, murder afterward, too.
This kind of speculating doesn't serve getting to the truth. It's a shame they're doing it.
How do we know this wasn't some sort of honor killing made to look like murder?
".. and for my money it was the insurgents who killed this family for their cooperation with our soldiers .. or other reasons .. perhaps a relationship of the daughter with one of the soldiers ..??"
very likely.
I don't believe a word of it. It's waaaaaay too convenient.
Agreed. It don't pass the smell test : )
So the Muslim way to pay back for rape is to capture two people innocent of that rape and behead and mutilate and torture them?
I guess thats about right for these rabid POS terrorist emefers, but for anywhere else in the world thats a sack of dog crap.
It makes a good story but its a lie. Told by a pack of liars. We made our biggest mistake in not bombimng Iraq into submission destroying every city in the country until the begged to give us Saddam.
Mahmoudiya (or Mahmudiya or Mahmudiyah) pinglist--if you want on or off, please let me know via freepmail.
I really hate to think our guys would do this, however, our forces are made up of various people, and we know there are bad guys in this country who would do something similar, so I don't think it's impossible. It IS hard to imagine 5 being willing to do it. If it's true, they need to really pay a high price, because not only was the crime heinous, it puts our country in a bad light, and our other soldiers (and perhaps civilians) in even more danger.
In addition, I noted this quote:
"We went to visit the cousin of the family who lived about half a mile away to tell them the news," said Abu Hazem, a neighbor of the family. "He said, 'Please keep it secret and we will take revenge on the Americans the quiet way'."
It reminds me that it will be extremely difficult to get this part of the world what I would consider civilized. I also wonder how many immigrants we have taken in who have that same mindset. Hopefully that dissipates within a generation, however it does not meld well with our system.
Really have to be careful what you listen to in a country that uses the vendetta system.
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.