Posted on 09/04/2006 6:43:39 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD, Iraq A U-S Army investigator in Iraq is recommending that four American soldiers face a court-martial. The soldiers are accused in the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl and the killing of her family.
Military prosecutors allege the four soldiers also set the girl's body on fire to hide their crime.
Colonel Dwight Warren, the investigator, says in a report that "reasonable grounds exist" for the case to go forward. The report was obtained by The Associated Press from the lawyer of one of the defendants.
The soldiers, from the 101st Airborne Division, could potentially face the death penalty. They are Specialist James Barker, Sergeant Paul Cortez, Private First Class Jesse Spielman and Private First Class Bryan Howard.
A fifth soldier is accused of failing to report the attack but is not alleged to have been a direct participant.
All I've found is this. Anyone have any more?????
God and one of them is an NCO. If this is true they deserve the DP. They are a total disgrace to the uniform they wear.
Looks like they haven't bothered to get copies of the article 32 transcripts...
I believe they tell a bit different story.
Sorry, but I'll stick with our American military before I'll believe Iraqis. God Bless our American Military.
I'm thinking there should be a special section of FR that houses all these accusations against military. That way none of them get overlooked and we can keep an eye on how things are going with each one of them.
I'm holding my opinion on all of these cases till they actually begin to make court transcripts available so we can get a better idea of what actually took place instead of the way it's being hyped in the media.
This was out earlier today.. from ap
Rape-slaying courts-martial recommended (Mahmoudiya)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695461/posts
kuma in his reply to a thread I put up had a pretty good idea. He said --
I'm thinking there should be a special section of FR that houses all these accusations against military. That way none of them get overlooked and we can keep an eye on how things are going with each one of them.
I'm holding my opinion on all of these cases till they actually begin to make court transcripts available so we can get a better idea of what actually took place instead of the way it's being hyped in the media.
6 posted on 09/04/2006 7:57:50 PM MDT by kuma
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Wahat do you think????
My understanding is that at this stage of the proceeding the govt lawyers take as truth the reports of the Iraqis, most of whom are lying partisans. At trial, the men will be judged on a fairer basis. Since the Iraqis have not permitted any autopsies, the case is flawed.
I am fairly certain that most of the information provided in the hearing came from American soldiers, not Iraqis.
These soldiers are innocent until proven guilty, but given what was presented, and the fact that it came from our soldiers, I would say the case against these guys is pretty solid. They will have a trial, and we will find out what happened then. To say that the Iraqis are responsible for any of the evidence so far is inaccurate.
best idea I have heard in a while. it is hard to keep up with the cases/events sometimes.
ANY of the evidence? how the hell do you know? NOBODY knows at this point.
I think the movement towards court-martial is probably politically motivated based on that.
Yes, in part the charges in these high profile cases are taking local sensibilities into account (sensibilities largely manipulated by propaganda, I'd say.) In this case as I recall the reporting indicates one soldier confessed but his attorney is challlenging that confession as having been obtained thru improper coercion.
These accusations did NOT come from Iraqis. They came 100% from American soldiers. After the soldiers spilled the beans (one during a stress debriefing), the higher-ups launched an investigation, during the course of which relatives of the deceased said they had believed Iraqi insurgents were responsible. Unfortunately, it is painfully clear that these soldiers are guilty. No doubt some details to be cleared up -- exactly which of the soldiers present did and didn't rape the girl, etc. -- but the event happened, none of them reported it, and the soldier who knew about it as it was happening, but wasn't present or participating (the one who ultimately talked in the stress debriefing, after the two US soldiers from the same division were kidnapped and murdered as apparent retribution), was warned/threatened to keep quiet about it, and quite reasonably feared for his life.
What "reports of the Iraqis"? All the accusations against these soldiers have come from US soldiers.
If you had followed the media coverage of this case, you would know about the evidence in quite a bit of detail. And ALL of it comes from US military personnel, not Iraqis.
I'm finding it more than a little scary how many FReepers are completely clueless about this case.
I have followed it. I guess you believe what "the media" tells you huh?
"I'm finding it more than a little scary how many FReepers are completely clueless about this case."
I am finding it more than a little scary that you did not know that the Iraqis made the first accusation about this on the day before it happened.
It was investigated and found that US troops were not involved. What you indicated regarding the second investigation (3 months later), that 1 person, who was not there, said it did involve US troops, after 1 was killed and 2 more were captured, has not been concluded yet.
I do not know what did happen here, but I am willing to listen to the evidence before making any judgement.
You have made up your mind without all the facts.
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