Remember those two US soldiers who were tortured and killed by insurgents a couple of weeks ago? Well, they belonged to the same unit as the rape/murder suspects. (Note that the New York Times is still calling her a "young Iraqi woman.")
The suspects belong to the same unit as two soldiers kidnapped and killed south of Baghdad last month, a military official said on condition of anonymity because the case was under way.
The military has said that one and possibly both of the slain soldiers were tortured and beheaded. The official said the mutilation of the slain soldiers stirred feelings of guilt and led at least one member of the platoon to reveal the rape-slaying on June 22.
Now, remember that the Mahmoudiya incident happened in March (we're only hearing about it now). And that in that part of the world, rape usually calls for an honor killing. I'm not condoning the torture/murder of the two soldiers. But at least it explains some of it (and dammit, the suspects participated in torture/murder as well, don't forget).
Why was Green discharged? Did anyone know about this and hope it would blow over? Why must these people (PR people? Military people, I don't know, ... the decision-makers) show the same idiocy over and over? It didn't work at Abu Ghraib, it didn't work in Hamdaniyah, it's not working in Mahmoudiya; IT JUST MAKES THE U.S. LOOK BAD.
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