FWIW, Steven Green's statement about Abeer's rape/murders in Iraq

[uppityperson]

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090529/NEWS01/90528034/1008

What I am about to say is completely my own. No one told me what to say. No one wrote this for me. Not my lawyers, not the government, not anybody. My feelings of remorse are directed solely towards the victims, and towards the family of the victims, who I do not deny are victims themselves. I am truly sorry for what I did in Iraq and I am sorry for the pain my actions, and the actions of my co-defendants, have caused you and your family. I imagine it is a pain that I cannot fully comprehend or appreciate. I helped to destroy a family and end the lives of four of my fellow human beings, and I wish that I could take it back, but I cannot. And, as inadequate as this apology is, it is all I can give you.

I know you wish I was dead, and I do not hold that against you. If I was in your place, I am convinced beyond any doubt that I would feel the same way. And, if I thought it would change anything, or if it would bring these people back to life, I would do everything I could to make them execute me. I also know that you think I am evil, and I understand that as well, and even though I do not think that you want to hear this, I have to tell you that despite the evil that I have done, I am not an evil person.

Before I was in the Army, I never thought I would kill anyone, and even after I was in the Army, but before I went to Iraq, I never thought I would intentionally kill a civilian. When I was in Iraq, something happened to me that I can only explain by saying that I lost my mind. At some point while I was in Iraq, I stopped seeing Iraqi's as good and bad, as men, women, and children. I started seeing them all as one, and evil, and less than human. When that happened, any natural, learned, or religious morality, that normally would have stopped this, was gone. But I see now that I was wrong, and that Iraqi's are human beings, and that despite differences of race, religion, culture, and language, they are still human. And that at their core, they have the same feelings, emotions, and needs as Americans. It was wrong to kill Iraqi's, just like it was wrong to kill Americans, just like it is wrong to kill anyone, and I am very sorry.

Most of all I am sorry for the deceased, but aside from them, I am the most sorry for the boys whose family are gone. I know what we did left a hole in their lives, and scars on their minds, and that there is no making up for that. I only hope for them that they can somehow, and I don't know how, move forward, and have a good future despite the nightmare in their past that I helped create. They have my apologies and my prayers, as meaningless as they must seem.

The Government is not going to execute me, as I am sure you wish they would, but there is really no chance that I will step foot outside of prison for as long as I live. I know that if I live one more year or fifty more years that they will be years that Fahkriya, Kassem, Abeer, and Hadeel won't have not matter where I am. And even though I did not learn their names until long after their deaths, they are never far from my mind. But in the end, whether in one year or fifty, I will die, and when I die I will be in God's hands. In the Kingdom of God where there will be justice, and whatever I deserve, I will get. On the day of judgment, God will repay everyone according to his works, and affliction and distress will come upon every human being who does evil. I know that I have done evil, and I fear that the wrath of the Lord will come upon me on that day. But, I hope that you and your family at least can find some comfort in God's justice.

I see now that war is intrinsically evil, because killing is intrinsically evil. And, I am sorry I ever had anything to do with either.

[alstephenson]

1. There are no words for what I feel....

[NashVegas]

2. The Bush / Cheney Cabal Is Also Responsible For This

They sent our soldiers out land-grabbing in Iraq for no honorable reason.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. I'll probably get flamed for this but....

The paragraph below is telling of how the right-wing culture wars influence many individuals (or hopes to via hate radio/TV/books) who are easily led and who are angry and afraid and need an easy target for their fear and anger.

We know this dehumanization occurs in combat. But the same dehumanization approach occurs in hate groups which are thriving even today in the U.S., be it the white supremacy groups, militant anti-abortion groups...the anti-everything-except-white-heterosexual-Christian groups.

This is why so many of us are concerned -- deeply concerned -- with the current influence and air time given to Coulter, Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, etc. It is a concerted effort to dehumanize many of our citizens, and the natural end result is increased violence against those being dehumanized.


"Before I was in the Army, I never thought I would kill anyone, and even after I was in the Army, but before I went to Iraq, I never thought I would intentionally kill a civilian. When I was in Iraq, something happened to me that I can only explain by saying that I lost my mind. At some point while I was in Iraq, I stopped seeing Iraqi's as good and bad, as men, women, and children. I started seeing them all as one, and evil, and less than human. When that happened, any natural, learned, or religious morality, that normally would have stopped this, was gone. But I see now that I was wrong, and that Iraqi's are human beings, and that despite differences of race, religion, culture, and language, they are still human. And that at their core, they have the same feelings, emotions, and needs as Americans. It was wrong to kill Iraqi's, just like it was wrong to kill Americans, just like it is wrong to kill anyone, and I am very sorry."


On Edit: Adding that I have no compassion for this person. Regardless of external influence, people do have a choice, and heinous acts can't be excused. I'm simply making the point that I'm personally observing this attempt to dehumanize (it's gone on forever, but many don't see it still exists), must as it exists during war.

[uppityperson]

7. I don't believe what he writes, but agree with you about dehumanizing people

It exists in war and in other times of fear, like now and here

[JI7]

4. he is lying about the part about losing his mind

Steve Green the rapist is the same Steve Green before he went into Iraq.

he did not suddenly snap and commit those crimes. they had planned this and had been going to the home of the girl to do searches before. they kept telling the girl's mother how "good" her daughter was.

[uppityperson]

8. I agree. It is a partial apology at best, and an attempt to pass off responsibility

[canetoad]

5. Amidst the breast beating about killing human beings

He seems to have forgotten that he raped a young girl.

[uppityperson]

6. Abeer as a girl. My guess is about 8

[Withywindle]

9. I hope he's really capable of remorse.

I've always found it a really cruel irony that true sociopaths aren't. People who commit deeds like this need to be haunted by them every minute of their miserable lives.

I never bought the "fog of war" crap. This was a premeditated, planned conspiracy to commit an atrocity.

Most war veterans I know are haunted by the men they had to kill, enemy soldiers, in a fight. Though they know they had to, and might have been glad at the time, there is remorse too. Complicated, mixed feelings.

This is a man who raped and murdered a child. He and his associates also shot a tiny child (6 YEARS OLD, right? Or five? I've read conflicting reports) in the face and slaughtered the parents too.

I hope he's sincere. I hope he's really feeling what he says he is. I hope Abeer's face comes back to him when he lays dying.

[Astrad]

10. Sincerity is irrelevant

It's probably impossible to truly know if he's sincere about this or not. And even if he were it makes no difference. Nothing he could say would make a difference. Perhaps if he committed suicide he would at least demonstrate that the guilt is too much to bear and therefore he does have some conscience left. There would be a small honour in that.