Posted on 07/20/2006 11:09:32 PM PDT by KantianBurke
By Josh White Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, July 21, 2006; Page A10
"Attorneys for Army soldiers accused of raping an Iraqi teenager and killing her and her family in March are planning to argue that the men were under extreme emotional distress because of the horrors of their combat assignment and will probably challenge the alleged confessions some of the soldiers gave to investigators in Iraq.
David Sheldon, a civilian lawyer who is representing Spec. James P. Barker, said yesterday that B Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment was devastated by numerous combat casualties and repeated violent attacks in and around Mahmudiyah before and after a group of soldiers allegedly attacked the Iraqi family March 12. Sheldon said the men were placed at a traffic checkpoint "in one of the most stressful environments imaginable" and that commanders failed to recognize the damage that was being done to the soldiers.
"While the government wants to say that this was somehow a planned event, it's clearly the result of a tremendously stressful environment where soldiers are subjected to the most horrendous acts of violence by the insurgency," Sheldon said, describing a unit that was in disarray, with leadership problems and outside threats. "They were extremely young soldiers who suffered repeated traumatic attacks and saw unimaginable carnage. This was not a crime of opportunity but the result of extreme pressure."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Well, if anything we have learned over the years is that juries are retarded.. never mind murder, rape, etc.. as long as you are sorry, but don't even think of giving them the finger cuz oh boy now they're mad.. you show no remorse! yeah yeah.. they killed and raped but the coldness and the audacity of them giving the jury a ** finger!.. this is fiction based on reality btw...
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Just because you are soldiers you don't follow the same rules as civilians?
Death row is what these guys need. Of course, DU will say that the Bush admin was to blame for this.
If they are guilty, hang them high, publicly. If they are innocent, discharge them.
I gave these soldiers every benefit of the doubt when they were first accused. Now, having heard that they confessed and their BS defense, I can say with a clear conscience that they should dance "Danny Deaver".
Okay
Nobody hugged me tonight so point me in the direction of who I get to rape to resolve the situation.
If the courts determine he is guilty........ to bad. Although I support the troops it doesn't look too good for this one
U read the article? They admitted to the charges. They're just trying to evade responsibility now with inane excuses. Its no longer a question of guilt or innocence.
ping. Some folks owe you an apology.
Is their trial over already? Were they found guilty?
There are certain things about the Iraq war that I don't want to hear about. This is one of them. And unfortunately, we will continue to hear it day after day after day after day after day after day.
"I gave these soldiers every benefit of the doubt when they were first accused. Now, having heard that they confessed and their BS defense, I can say with a clear conscience that they should dance "Danny Deaver".
Not just because of the horror they put on that family they murdered, but also because of the unit they disgraced, I would like to see them quickly tried, and if guilty (which it seems they are), executed.
same response, 'cept for the laughter
oh, and nice tagline!
yeah. they think Bush is like an evil anti christ.
these are just a few sick individuals who were sick in the eat before they entered the military.
They raped and killed a young woman and killed a little girl and her parents and they admitted it. They are just as evil as the terrorists. Their lives are over, ruined disgraced though their own deliberate actions. This is mass murder and they should get the death penalty.
If they did this they are going down, death penalty for the shooter.
Civilian lawyers have little understanding of the military court system. If this is their strategy... then they will be convicted. You might get away with this kind of BS on the civilian population but courts martial are composed of seasoned military officers. And I HIGHLY doubt they will accept this excuse.
Amen. If they had a shred of honor or decency they'd've offed themselves before the court-martial...but they obviously don't, do they?
these guys need to hang.
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