I
have not been posting about this case, because I have been seeing alot
of different information on what really happened and how it came to be
known. It is looking more and more likely that these US soldiers
committed a horrible crime. There is no excuse for such behavior and
if found guilty, they should be given the death penalty. This has put
a blemish on the outstanding work that the US Military is doing in
Iraq. The US military should be doing a better job of weeding out the
criminal element that has enlisted in the military. I have seen
stories that gang grafity has been seen in many Iraqi towns. Gang
memeber should never be in the military and should be weeded out. This
is just a disgraceful act and if the men are found guilty the book
should be thrown at them. This is not an accident like the Haditha
story. This is a cold calculated crime against innicent people.
FACTBOX-Iraq rape-murder case against U.S. troops
Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:43pm ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military named five soldiers on Monday
who are charged over the murder of an Iraqi family and the rape of a
female victim.
Following are key elements in the case:
THE ACCUSED AND CHARGES
-- Steven Green, 21, pleaded not guilty on July 6 in a U.S. federal
court in Kentucky, home of his former unit the 502nd Infantry Regiment,
to four counts of murder and one of rape over the deaths of four people
near Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, "on or about" March 12. Green was a
private first class for under a year before being discharged for a
"personality disorder".
-- Private First Class Bryan Howard: conspiracy to commit rape and
pre-meditated murder (under Article 81 of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice), conspiracy to obstruct justice (Article 81), pre-meditated
murder (118), rape (120).
-- Specialist James Barker: same as Howard, plus violation of a general order (92), arson (126), house breaking (130).
-- Sergeant Paul Cortez: same as Barker
-- Private First Class Jesse Spielman: same as Barker and Cortez plus indecent acts (134) and obstruction of justice
(134). Continued...
H/T to the Californnia Conservative
Another Traffic Jam at Outside the Beltway.
Stix