Posted on 06/30/2006 10:24:17 AM PDT by presidio9
The American army in Iraq suffered a fresh blow to its image today as it emerged that five soldiers were being investigated for allegedly raping a woman and then murdering her and three members of her family.
The soldiers are accused of burning their alleged victim's body, according to sources quoted by the AP news agency.
Major General James Thurman, commander of coalition troops in Baghdad, has ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged killing of the family of four in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, in March.
"The entire investigation will encompass everything that could have happened that evening. We’re not releasing any specifics of an ongoing investigation," said military spokesman Major Todd Breasseale.
"There is no indication what led soldiers to this home. The investigation just cracked open. We’re just beginning to dig into the details."
A US official close to the investigation said that at least one of the soldiers, all assigned to the 502nd Infantry Regiment, has admitted his role in the attack and been arrested.
It is believed that one of the soldiers has already been discharged and returned to the United States. The others have had their weapons taken away and are confined to Forward Operating Base Mahmoudiyah south of Baghdad.
Two soldiers from the same regiment were killed this month when they were kidnapped at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah.
The official said the killings appear to be unrelated to the kidnappings. He said those involved were all below the rank of sergeant.
He said senior officers were aware of the family’s death but believed it was due to sectarian violence, common in the religiously mixed town.
The killings appeared to have been a "crime of opportunity," the official said. The soldiers had not been attacked by insurgents but had noticed the woman on previous patrols.
Meanwhile, the US Army has reported the deaths of four personnel in the past 24 hours.
A Marine was killed in fighting in the Anbar provice, west of Baghdad today, and three American soldiers died in combat yesterday. One was shot in Mosul, a second killed by a roadside bomb near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, and the third killed by a bomb on foot patrol south of the capital.
The deaths raised to at least 2,533 members of the US military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003.
The accusers need to produce a semen-stained dress.
Wait, this isn't the 1990's ?
Never mind............
This reads like a press release by an Iraqi Baathist front group.
The Times felt compelled to add this even though it has 0% bearing on the rest of the article. Actually, I'm suprised that the article doesn't say anything about "Mission Accomplished."
The ABC news radio report said that one of the soldiers went to his commander and reported the incident and his role in it "because his conscience was bothering him."
Now they raped killed and burned her? The BS is getting pretty deep.
If guilty they need to pay the ultimate price. Thoughts on this anyone?
If guilty, yes. And they will, if guilty.
For the time being they are innocent until proven otherwise (except in media accounts of course). No need to start speculating on a punishment.
A very big IF.
The Left continues to employ one of their favorite tactics.
Accuse your opponent constantly of heinous deeds, no matter how absurd or unfounded, using anonymous sources and quoting quotes that can't be sourced yet sound as suspiciously unreliable as urban legends.
Even after each is disproved, a year later you can point a condemning finger at their opponent and say, "they are corrupted. Just look at all they have been accused of..."
This sounds like just another item in a catalog of false accusations.
The expected reaction is guaranteed.
Anyone who believes this story is too stupid to be considered a fully functioning human.
"five soldiers were being investigated for allegedly raping a woman and then murdering her and three members of her family. "
To me five soldiers doing something is just a crime, catch'em, try' em, sentence' em, execute' em, it's all just part of the human condition.
The only crimes that are significant are those that reveal a larger problem reflecting on the military in general.
How many days till a retraction and/or apology?
There is also a rumor that they turned her into a newt.
Like I said it's a very big IF there. I'm doubting the veracity of this story big time. Until I see something different I'm considering this b.s.
If one of them has already confessed, and I know this is hearsay at this point, then it doesn't look good. Anyone guilty of such a thing should pay the ultimate price. It's just that I've gotten suspicious of these types of reports out of Iraq. But the answer to your question is an unqualified--IF found guilty--yes.
There has been an accusation, and confession, by one of the participants. He has been "proven" guilty by his own word.
The others, however, are innocent until proven otherwise.
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