More US servicemen Charged with Murder in Iraq

The US marine corps has charged seven marines and a navy sailor with murder over the death of an Iraqi civilian.
All eight would also face kidnapping and conspiracy charges, a spokesman told reporters at the Californian camp where the accused were being held.

They are alleged to have shot a man in Hamandiya in April - and covered up the circumstances of his death.

news.bbc.co.uk...

What's going on? Either this is just the tip of a very bloody iceberg or the US administration is trying to make a point - the question is what & for who's benefit?





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Big thanks to alienanderson for the tip on sorting the signature image out


[edit on 21-6-2006 by Strangerous]

I think the point theyre trying to make is:

Murder is wrong, wether your a soldier or not. So pack it in.

The reason is because those soldiers seem to be doing the things the iraqi insurgents are doing. The US Govt says thats wrong, so they couldnt justify letting their own people getting away with it.

If these guys are guilty, they should be shot.

Everytime the US does somethign stupid, it fuels the insurgency, and nothing can fuel it more than US troops actually acting like stupid brutish animals.

Those idiots killed one guy personally, but they just signed the death warrants for an untold number of other joes.

Talk about Aiding and Abetting the enemy.

One of these soldiers is from my hometown and our mothers share a book club.

Her account is that her son was held in solitary confinement for months, shackled.

He was not a murderer before he went to Iraq. She said that all of the soldiers are totally innocent.

I am not going to share my opinion on the subject, just wanted to share the little bit of info I have.



[edit on 25-6-2006 by LaoTzu]

The truth is if you take any young person and train them to kill and put them in a situations where it is kill or be killed, where their best friends are wounded or killed in front of them, where every step they take might be their last, then don't be surprised if they begin to blur the lines of who the enemy is and start kiilling anyone suspect.

I'm not saying that every soldier will do this, most won't but in a situation like that everyone has their mental breaking point, especially when you got a government with leaders who are clearly backing torture.

I personally believe that they are being encouraged from the commanding officers to be brutal to command respect. I see these soldiers to be as much of a victim as the people of Iraq. Below is one soldiers experiences in Iraq, a former marine corp recruiter with many years in the military, a vet who is speaking out.

www.wsws.org...

Massey entered Iraq as part of the initial US invasion in March 2003. He witnessed—and in some cases participated in—the killing of innocent civilians. During a single 48-hour period, he says, he saw as many as 30 civilians killed by US gunfire at highway checkpoints.

Massey said that the hostility of the Iraqi people to the presence of the US military grew exponentially over the time he was there in direct response to the brutal methods employed by American troops against the entire Iraqi population.

“As far as I’m concerned, the real war did not begin until they saw us murdering innocent civilians,” he said. “I mean, they were witnessing their loved ones being murdered by US Marines. It’s kind of hard to tell someone that they are being liberated when they just saw their child shot or lost their husband or grandmother.”

goose, I Understand what you're saying but you do know that SSgt Jim Massey was a proven liar...do you? His stories did not match, he had no proof and noone to back up his claims....some of the Marines he claimed to be with were not even in the same unit as him and were at different locations other than what Massey claimed.

Massey

Originally posted by SportyMB
goose, I Understand what you're saying but you do know that SSgt Jim Massey was a proven liar...do you? His stories did not match, he had no proof and noone to back up his claims....some of the Marines he claimed to be with were not even in the same unit as him and were at different locations other than what Massey claimed.

Massey

Do you have a link to this since I have not heard it. Since his info is so damaging wouldn't it make complete sense that they would seek to discredit him? I would assume they would see him as a bigger danger than just the average soldier since he had more time in and was a former recruiter and drill instructor.

Plus I can't see any reason why this marine speaking out serves him. Also I have read similar stories from returning vets. As someone married to a former marine I completely understand the loyalty to the corp, uh-rah and (I can say it better than Bush) the truth is I don't think you could force hubby to bad mouth the corp. There is that loyalty that always stays no matter how long one has been a civilian.

Since Massey served for so long I just can't see him coming out against the corp unless he was devastated by what he saw and particpated in. Also remember he got an honorable discharge. The fact that no one is backing him up currently does not really surprise me especially knowing that you go screwing with the gov. all they have to do is lose your files and you just will not ever get any VA benefits. Not to mention the fact that even speaking out at all would label him a traitor by some even if what he says is true.

Sometimes you just have to weigh the, who loses the most by his speaking out and the truth is IMO, he does. I believe him unless you can provide me with some documentation proving beyond a shadow of a doubt he is a liar.

Not trying to argue but he is doing more damage to himself than anyone else by speaking out. No one sticks their neck out and lays it on the chopping block unless they have either strong convictions and a message they must speak to truth, or they profit greatly by doing so. Massey will not profit, even if he writes a book and makes money off of it he still will be the loser in all of this, this man does not sound like an idiot he has to know that no matter what, he will lose by speaking out.

www.wsws.org...


In the end, the Marines backed down and agreed to his honorable discharge. He is currently working on a book and plans on using whatever proceeds there are from it to start a post-traumatic stress disorder foundation.

Originally posted by LaoTzu
Her account is that her son was held in solitary confinement for months, shackled.

Well, when your accused of mass murder, that tends to be where you end up.

She said that all of the soldiers are totally innocent.

And how can she possibly know this??

Thank you for the information, even if you can't answer these questions for her (you could also point her out to this site where she can discuss it? Would that be likley do you think?)

This is just another episode of the current American political correctness. America is growing weak in its ability to prosecute wars...We do not want to offend others particularly the Arabs . We want to win "hearts and minds" so we offer up some of our valorous fighting men to sacrifice in order to show the enemy we are caring and kind nation. I do not shed one tear for any of the enemy killed over in Iraq. That is a result of war. War should not be declared lightly but if you elect to go to war then victory must be the only outcome. Cities must be laid to waste and alas poor enemy civilians must also become casualties. This has to happen... you must destroy the enemy's will to fight. America had no problem during World War Two of killing 100,000 German civilians during the one night bombing raid on Dresden. Fast forward to today and the sissies out there want to bemoan the deaths of a few Iraqi civilians. Well, the Iraqis should have overthrown Saddam themselves and then they would not be getting killed now. I think that for every American that is killed in combat or by the cowardly terrorists a village in Iraq should vanish into the sands of time.

Originally posted by irontyrant
I think that for every American that is killed in combat or by the cowardly terrorists a village in Iraq should vanish into the sands of time.

Hey - that's kind of like Schutzstaffel!

Let's not forget, that US and Coalition troops are Still on Foreign Soil, under the "protection" of an Illegal Invasion of a Soverign Country.

Kind of Like Polish September Campaign of 1939.

Only that the Boys have better Killing Toys.

gee I wonder where the words went from tv ads,Usa soldiers #1