Reuters: Charges not imminent in Army rape-murder probe

[Eugene]

Charges not imminent in Army rape-murder probe

By Kristin Roberts
Reuters
Wednesday, July 5, 2006; 2:13 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has restricted the activities of soldiers suspected
in the rape and slaying of an Iraqi woman and killings of her family amid an investigation
but charges are not imminent, a defense official said on Wednesday.

The Army plans to interview former Pfc. Steven Green, 21, who was detained in the case
earlier this week in the United States, before deciding on charges against as many as four
soldiers still in Iraq.

Green might not be questioned before he appears in U.S. court, likely next week, an official
said.

"Why at this point do we need to charge anybody else until we've heard Green's version
of the story?" the defense official said. "We have these other individuals and they are
within our control. We now have Green back within the control of the United States
government."

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[lyonn]

1. My Gawd, our govt. can't get anything right

One female reporter from Iraq made mention of the hostility running rampant in Iraq over this alleged rape. Torturing prisioners, killing people with close range head shots, rape - Murtha seems to be warning the U.S. that we better shape up or ship out. At least charge the guy if there is decent evidence of guilt and let the courts decide if he is guilty. That is the American system, or so we thought until bush made these "New Rules."

[saigon68]

5. No problem there's plenty of time

The thugs in uniform will continue NEW outrages, this one appears tame to what is coming.

Just when you've seen it all, its Rusty Calley stage right.

[Igel]

6. Green was charged.

"Why at this point do we need to charge anybody *else* until we've heard Green's version of the story?"

The guys still in the army are essentially under house arrest; since they're not civilians, many of the reasons for charging suspects don't hold.

[daleo]

26. This leaves them free to possibly tamper with evidence or witnesses

It's not good practice.

"The official said the soldier suspects in Iraq had been restricted to their unit area but were not in confinement."

[ripple]

2. Have they recovered the girl's body?

I would think that DNA evidence would be a hell of a lot more reliable than whatever Green has to say.

[uppityperson]

7. NPR news said they are "working with the family" to get body

[The Stranger]

20. They burned the girl's body after they raped and murdered her.

Support the troops!

[ripple]

21. No, I know they tried to burn her

but from the reports I've read, they weren't successful. I'm not sure where I read it (Wash. Post, maybe), but the family member who came for the victims' bodies couldn't take them to a morgue or mosque, due to the cultural shame surounding the rape. I believe they were buried somewhat primitively. I hope they find them. DNA evidence is practically indisputable.

[catnhatnh]

3. This case has handed the administration a MAJOR shit sandwich...

...with urine au jus dipping sauce.....If the allegations are true and the crimes were committed under the UCMJ then there has been no case so deserving of the death penalty in decades.....this admin LOVES having a death penalty but this one is sure to shake the status quo-if not used against Green, who is charged with four murders and mutilation of a corpse in order to rip off a piece (whom may have been under aged as well),how can it then be justified anywhere??? Anyone ever in the military knows the UCMJ was written to be more Draconian than civilian law.And if it is applied for or worse actually imposed then a large portion of the Republican base will go ballistic (see:"supporting the troops" and "fraternity pranks").Of course charges are not imminent-this is one more thing Bush HAS to leave to future presidents...

[nealmhughes]

4. This case most definitely is death penalty material.

With no comment one way or the other on the morality of the death penalty, it most definitely is a death penalty case: premeditated murder and rape. UCMJ is pretty clear on those two.

[MissWaverly]

10. not only rape and murder, but murder of 1 child, and

murder/rape of her 15 year old sister and at this point how do we not know that the younger
sister was not also raped and murdered?

[jwirr]

11. I wondered about that right away. I see they are still calling her a

woman. Pigs.

[MissWaverly]

18. spin, spin, spin

next they will say that she flirted with him.

[MGD]

12. Crimes punishable by death under UCMJ

Currently, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 14 offenses are punishable by death. The following can receive this punishment at any times (with the article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice given):

94 - Mutiny or sedition
99 - Misbehavior before the enemy
100 - Subordinate compelling surrender
101 - Improper use of countersign
102 - Forcing a safeguard
104 - Aiding the enemy
106 - Espionage
110 - Improper hazarding of vessel
118 - Murder
120 - Rape and carnal knowledge

The following only carrying a death sentence if committed during times of war:
85 - Desertion
90 - Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer
92 - Failure to obey order or regulation
113 - Misbehavior of a sentinel or lookout

Interestingly enough, the method of capital punishment in the military has been hanging so far. The last execution carried out at the prison, which was also the last execution by the U.S. Military, was the execution of Army Pfc. John A. Bennett, on April 13, 1961, for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old Austrian girl. He was hanged. Recently, Sgt. Hasan Akbar was enetnced to death for the grenade attack at the beginning of the war. Green will share death row at the USDB with six others.

[catnhatnh]

24. Okay

What is USDB???

[KansDem]

25. "Desertion" the crime Pvt. Eddie Slovik was executed for...

“I, Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik, 36896415, confess to the desertion of the United States Army. At the time of my desertion we were in Albuff in France. I come to Albuff as a replacement. They were shilling the town and we were told to dig in for the night. The flowing morning they were shilling us again. I was so scared nerves and trembling that at the time the other replacements moved out I couldn’t move. I stayed their in my fox hole till it was quite and I was able to move. I then walked in town. Not seeing any of our troops so I stayed over night at a French hospital. The next morning I turned myself over to the Canadian Provost Corp. After being with them six weeks I was turned over to American M.R They turned me lose. 1 told my commanding officer my story. I said that if I had to go out their again Id run away. He said their was nothing he could do for me so I ran away again AND ILL RUN AWAY AGAIN IF I HAVE TO GO OUT THEIR.

—Signed PvI. Eddie D. Slovik
A.S.N. 36896415”

When Private Eddie Slovik was executed on January 31,1945, he became the only American put to death for desertion since Lincoln was President...

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/19...

[TXVNVt]

9. It's the Uniform Code of Military Injustice,

for the enlisted man. Pretty much guilty until pr oven innocent. Have it been noticed that these incidents of killing, raping, and prisoner abuse was performed WITH NO OFFICERS PRESENT OR EVER CHARGED. The only officer charged was one who killed an Iraqi general by suffocating him with a sleeping bag.

The incident in Haditha has mentioned that payments were made to the survivors to make restitution. An officer above a company commander had to make that decision.

As bu$h's War on Iraq drags on, the Enlisted will figure out that any little infraction, even under direct orders will mean stiff prison sentences. Has all the makings of fraggings again.

[saigon68]

22. Welcome to DU

[newyawker99]

27. Hi TXVNVT!!

Welcome to DU!!

[IndianaGreen]

8. Green is protected by Fifth Amendment right to remain silent

He better have an attorney advise him not to waive his rights under the Fifth. I don't want the Army to come over and screw things up so there is no trial.

[dflprincess]

13. Lest we forget

the "woman" was 15 years old. Not even old enough for a driver's license. They raped and murdered a child.

[saigon68]

14. In the military's view

That's OK

They are about to shift this whole ugly MESS to Federal court-- Thus taking them out of the line of FIRE

[gratuitous]

15. Well, you know how the U.S. respects the rule of law

We're a real law-abiding country, and all the due process Mr. Green is entitled to, he's gonna get. Now, if he'd been an "enemy combatant" or some other made-up ad hoc designation invented by the Bushistas to do whatever the hell they want to do, he'd be in a shit world of hurt.

[saigon68]

16. You are SO RIGHT

The Military is about to send this case away

MARK MY WORDS

[NYC]

28. What do you mean shift this whole mess to the federal court?

The four who are still in the army should be tried in a court martial.

Yes? No?

[MISSDem]

17. I saw a protester with a poster saying

"it's not murder if you kill the enemy". Does that mean "it's not rape if you rape the enemy". How outrageous.

[President Kerry]

19. yup, i guess in that guy's mind a 9-yr old girl and her 15-yr old

sister are the enemy. I shudder to think what percentage of population that troglodyte represents.

[saigon68]

23. several percent

The low hanging fruit the recruiters like to "sign up"