Precisely so. I am thinking this whole thing might just be a staged act, to make it appear we are taking the Iraqi goons seriously, knowing the prosecution will not win a single case, should the alleged charges stick and require court martials.
I hope.
I'm thinking it is more dangerous for our troops now that Iraq has its own government in place. Previously, we were part of the provisional government and protected by their authority. Now, it is a foreign government and we are part of the Coalition present in Iraq due to the U.N. mandate, which I understand the PM has requested be extended for another year.
At any rate, our government is now behaving in light of the long-term goal of winning (and maintaining) Iraq as an ally. Every one of these cases depends on hearsay from "Iraqi civilians" and usually, the "crime" is detected a few to several months after the alleged incidents. So, yes, I would suspect political motivations and negotiations going on.
I suggest finding scapegoats other than our honorable troops, however.