Rape as a War Tactic: Alive and Well in Iraq July 4, 2006 Jill I’m not going to excerpt this story because I can’t bring myself to read it again. The general idea: U.S. soliders rape an Iraqi woman, and then kill her and her family. It’s an incredibly disturbing story, so proceed with caution.
Disturbing as that much of the story is, the rest is really hideous. It isn’t a story anyone probably wants to read twice, but we will as more info comes. Not going to the link, I don’t know if it mentions this, but one soldier already charged was released from the military because of a personality disorder. The US military is creating these monsters with their continual rotations and sending troops with diagnosed mental problems back to Iraq.
Stress does not create rapists. He’s in a macho unit; the guys in those unit tend to be more sexist and macho than guys who actually serve with women. He ended a fifteen-year-old girl’s life after raping her. She was twleve when the US invaded. She survived all that. She couldn’t survive us.
There’s more and more here that doesn’t make sense, unless, of course, a lot more people were in on it. 1. They were drunk. Drinking is not allowed, but of course lots of people do it. However, the only thing available is liquor, wihch is very obvious. 2. Five or six guys should not have been allowed to leave the base. 3. There are spotters looking for foreigners to kidnap in Iraq. If they were dressed in civvies, they would have been made for americans right off the bat. Also, the M-16 rifle has a distinctive shape and profile. That alone would have ID’s t hem. The lower ranks don’t get issued sidearms. 4. These were low-ranking guys. They should not have been allowed off post. 5. Did I mention it’s impossible for five or six guys to leave the base? Period, end of subject, that’s it? 6. How come nobody noticed? If they’re drinking during the day, it should be noticeable. Obtaining booze on post is a big deal. How come nobody noticed? What kind of civvies were they were wearing? 7. What kind of vehicle did they drive?
Okay, let’s try and be coherent, okay? 1a. the smell is noticeable. 2. Can’t say why but this is absolute. 3. They wouldn’t be mistaken for Iraqis because Iraqi men don’t have high and tights. Sidearms are easy to conceal, too. 4. Who was in command? Who led them? No gate guard would have allowed a bunch of low ranks to leave the post without an OIC. 5. Can’t be stressed enough. 6. Was eveyrone else drunk, too? 7. If it’s a military vehicle, the civvies make no sense. If civlian, it would have been searched coming and going. EVen so, what ID did they use? All of these things can of course be explained by incredible, willful negligence, collusion, or outright criminality on the part of more than just these five or six rapist/murderers.
Not going to the link, I don’t know if it mentions this, but one soldier already charged was released from the military because of a personality disorder. The US military is creating these monsters with their continual rotations and sending troops with diagnosed mental problems back to Iraq. According to the Washington Post, being discharged for a personality disorder does not necessarily indicate a mental disorder. Such a notation can be used to document willful disobedience or a personality that does not mesh well with military life.
I’m waiting for an asshole apologist to start talking about how ‘war is hell’ and, you know, ‘these guys were only trying to unwind.’ That’s what happened with Abu Ghraib, after all.
I’m waiting for an asshole apologist to start talking about how ‘war is hell’ and, you know, ‘these guys were only trying to unwind.’ Personally, I’m expecting the “but we’re prosecuting them which proves that we’re superior god-bless-the-USA” defense to come up more often. Like this sort of thing doesn’t happen all the time and we’re only prosecuting the one instance that can’t be denied. Not that I have any sympathy for the assholes rapist/murderers*, but they are being made scapegoats of. I’m somehow reminded of the scene in The Handmaid’s Tale where the handmaids get to tear appart a random rapist (if he really is.) *Assuming that the people being prosecuted are even the guilty ones, which I don’t actually know.
My opinion – This had nothing to do with sex. This was similar to what serial killers do. They/He targeted someone in advance. They planned to violate her. They carried out the plan with deadly force. They didn’t hesitate to kill people who stood in the way or could have ID’d them. They violated her and then when they were finished they disposed of her. They did it because they could get away with it. If they could have gotten away with it here, they would have tried it too.
To clarify my above statement about the resemblence to The Handmaid’s Tale. What I mean is that if these assholes are convicted, it will make people in the US feel better, like we’ve done the right thing and all, maybe provide a nice “we punished the bad guys” feeling. But it won’t prevent the next rape/murder by a US soldier in Iraq and it won’t change the situation for women in Iraq.
One article I read about the murders stated that the family’s three sons were in school at the time. I wonder if the two girls were at home because there was too much risk of kidnapping; yet another example of our country destroying the lives of women and girls in Iraq. I’m normally against the death penalty but I’m in favor of an exception for these bastards.
ginmar, Couldn’t survive us!!! You talk like we are all bad cuz that’s what us means. And where is the presumption of innocence here you flat out say he’s guilty. All the while preaching to us about how we need to treat these barbarians that we capture. Live in the real world. And where is your proof anyone was drinking, he hasn’t even had his day in court come on. You’ve definitely jumped on the F team America bandwagon.