She was 15
This story just keeps getting worse with every new detail. The Iraqi girl who was allegedly raped and killed by US soldiers was apparently 15 years old.
UPDATE: (AFP) Court documents (FBI) put the age of the vistim at 25. (In the same article, it cites the WaPo's reporting above that she was 15 according to Iraqi hospital records.)
UPDATE: (AFP) Court documents (FBI) put the age of the vistim at 25. (In the same article, it cites the WaPo's reporting above that she was 15 according to Iraqi hospital records.)
posted by mikevotes at
9:46 PM
5 Comments:
Yet another example of us winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
And much as I try to be sanguine about this, and wouldn't imply that I'm by nature a bloodthirsty vixen, let me just tell you that I have a teenage daughter, and were 'occupying forces' to come in and do that to my family, I would be thrilled to see a couple of heads on a pole. I'm sorry. I know that's a pretty harsh statement, but what was done to that girl and her family is beyond hideous.
By
Anonymous, at 1:11 AM
Rachie, I don't think that's harsh. The details from the Wapo story I linked seem to paint this picture.
Her family were held in one room while their 15 year old daughter was being raped multiple times in the next room. And then, when that was over, they killed everyone including a 7 year old girl.
Tele, I've heard that, too, and I'm not sure of that connection, BUT....
I do think that the situation in which these troops currently are, is leading to all of these breakdowns in discipline, but I think the "morality" of sending them is somewhat inconsequential to this breakdown.
The methods by which this war was sold were indeed immoral, and thus the responsibility of the breakdowns in discipline does pass up the chain on that initial decision, however, I'm not sure that the morality of that initial decision is necessarily directly causal to the breakdown in discipline.
For example, if the Iraq war decision was moral, and the soldiers were still stuck in this anti insurgency fight, the breakdowns would probably still exist. Anti-Insugency campaigns, by their very nature, tend to generate horrible incidents by the occupier.
I don't know if that makes sense. Just my opinion.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:05 AM
I'm with you Rachel. I'd feel the exactly the same.
The point here is that these incidents eventually have a cumulative effect. As an example, many Greeks still hate the Germans for what was done to them during WWII. It wasn't just the occupation, because the Italians occupied first and were fairly benign. But when the Germans took over, there were many incidences of brutality that have not been forgiven to this day.
So despite the fact that 99% of the soldiers are good, the cumulative effect of all of the incidents of the 1% can amount to a lot of resentment over a period of many years.
By
Praguetwin, at 11:24 AM
Not that it's of any real relevance, but the Pentagon is claiming the girl was 20, not 15.
Like that matters.....
By
Greyhair, at 12:01 PM
Tele, Right.
That "x percent never fired their guns" has been rattling in my head for months, but I couldn't seem to find a way to get it out.
And to your second point, that's why a lack of military service in all the policy making positions is a big deal. I do not believe that battlefield experience is necessary for a leader, but he does need to have those voices around him.
Praguetwin, Right on. And let me add that those indictments don't even really have to be true to have a powerful effect. So long as they're held as true....
Sometimes these things dissipate over a couple generations, but other times they become a mythical representation of a larger problem and can exist as an element for a thousand years.
For example, the Muslims still cite Saladin because that story, part myth, part real, resonates within the culture.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 12:03 PM
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