Posted on 07/06/2006 10:52:41 PM PDT by churchillbuff
President Bush, calling the alleged rape of an Iraqi girl and the murder of her and her family by a U.S. soldier "a despicable crime, if true," said Thursday that Iraqis will learn about the openness of American justice.
Steven D. Green, a former Army private with the 101st Airborne Division, pleaded not guilty to charges Thursday. Green and other soldiers were accused of targeting the girl after seeing her near the Iraqi town of Mahmoudiya earlier this year.
"These are very serious charges and what the Iraqis must understand is that we will deal with these in a very transparent, upfront way," Bush said during an interview broadcast on CNN's "Larry King Live."
"People will be held to account if these charges are true," Bush said. He later added: "People will be brought to justice. There will be absolute justice if this person is guilty."
The president said he was concerned about how the allegations might color perceptions of American troops.
"What concerns me is not only the action and, you know, if this is true, the despicable crime, if true. But what I don't want to have happen is for people to then say, well, the U.S. military is full of these kind of people. That is not the case. Our military is fabulous."
Bush said the Iraq government has the right to be concerned about how the case is handled. "But they've got to be comforted in knowing ... that we will deal with this in a way that is going to be transparent, above-board and open," he said.
Earlier Thursday, Bush questioned whether some of Iraq's neighbors were working against the fledging Iraqi government.
"We, of course, are concerned that some in the neighborhood may want to derail the progress of a free Iraq," he said. "And that is troubling and something that we'll work on."
The president spoke after meeting in the Oval Office with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, who gave him an update on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's first trip in office to visit his Persian Gulf neighbors.
The United States pushed hard for al-Maliki's trip to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. While al-Maliki received red-carpet welcomes, the leaders privately made clear they will help the Iraqi government only if he does more to reach out to Iraqi Sunnis. The Gulf nations are dominated by Sunni governments leery of Shiite and Kurdish dominance of Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Bush also expressed concern about foreign intervention in Iraq, an apparent reference to Iran and Syria. U.S. officials accuse the two nations of turning a blind eye to the influx of violent militants. Both Syria and Iran have denied the claims, saying it is difficult to fully patrol their porous borders with Iraq.
"Zal is concerned about foreign influences in the country, as am I," Bush said.
Bush said Khalilzad gave him a "realistic" briefing on the situation in Iraq.
"On the one hand, he said they've got a good government — goal-oriented people who are working to achieve certain objectives," Bush said. "And I know that you've been impressed by Prime Minister Maliki's determination to succeed and his willingness to lay out a commonsense agenda and then hold people to account.
"Zal also said it's still a dangerous place because there are people there that will do anything to stop the progress of this new government."
Khalilzad, who went on the trip with al-Maliki, called Iraq the defining challenge of the time. "What happens in Iraq will shape the future of the Middle East, and the future of the Middle East will shape the future of the world," Khalilzad said.
The full quote is less inflammatory.
Let the process go forward, as it has and is for others.
President Bush said IF true. He didn't say it WAS true.
ping
I say IF he is guilty of the crimes, he's guilty of the same crimes that Saddam's murderous kids were guilty of.
That isn't what people remember. He should have kept his mouth shut.
Garbage. Are you saying the President of the United States, when asked, should have said nothing? What he said was right. Tell me what part of what he said you are finding fault with?
And what did he say when PFCs Menchaca and Tucker were barbarically murdered?
Nothing.
Thank you for that one!
You did not refute my point. You did raise a (separate) good point, though.
What is your point...are you trying to argue that President Bush doesn't care about our troops?
This has nothing to do with the issue in question.
They died in the line of duty and the President like the rest of us mourn there passing.
But if a allied soldier British or American or any coalition commits a crime against a Iraqi civilian then they must be punished in full view of everyone.
Because not only have they disgraced there uniform and service but more importantly they have made the job that much harder for the rest of us out there.
If we are to win this war then we can only do it with the Iraqi population on our side.
Through our deeds and actions we show that we are the right side.
And we have had success with eliminating the foreign fighters through dividing them from the Iraqi people.
MAHMOUDIYA ping. Anyone wanting to be pinged to these stories, let me know in freepmail.
I agree with most of what you said, with just one "however"--I would have liked to have seen an expression of outrage for what was done to these men. When we make no official statement to that effect, it makes us look either uncaring about our own or weak--or both. Dying in battle is one thing--torture and mutilation (when we're castigated for putting panties on someone's head fer cryin' out loud) is quite another.
During the dark days of 1940, when there was a real or perceived threat of invasion by Germany, all over South England special stay behind units were set up. There role was to organize activity behind enemy lines.
One task was to waylay German soldiers sentries and such like, not just to kill them, but to mutilate their bodies.
In this way we would make sure that the German occupation was harsh, kill any cooperation and to frighten the enemy.
It is a recognized tactic.
If your President made mention of these privates, it would give heart to the terrorists that even the high command the President and Generals are recognizing the tactic.
Recognize a tactic but don't let the enemy know you recognize the tactic.
They must use the tactics that suit there aim the best.
We must use tactics that suit our aim the best.
Torture and mutilation are part of there tactics.
Winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people are ours.
It may have just been panties on the head but it sent the wrong message to the Iraqi people.
It showed us humiliating Iraqis who we controlled, whats that say about us controlling the whole of Iraq to the Iraqi people.
Yes Saddam and his organization was worse a lot worse, but we said we are better we are going to bring freedom democracy and most important of all stability.
Iraq is a important component in the WOT, we get this right we have almost won the whole war, and we can not let anyone get in the way that also means those in uniform such as those who ran the prison where the humiliation took place.
What are President Bush and Laura doing on Larry King anyway? Why support the Nielsen ratings for the mainstream liberal media elites?
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