Reply #6: No, problems were there before lowering recruiting standards ...

[flashl]

Iraqi newspaper accuses U.S. soldiers of raping Iraqi girls

11 Jun 2003
khilafah.com

Newspaper trades charges with coalition over:
Alleged rape of two Iraqi girls

An Iraqi newspaper run by Sunni Muslims traded charges Monday with the US-led occupation authority over the alleged rape of two Iraqi girls by US soldiers, a claim denied by the coalition.

According to the daily As-Saah, the girls, aged 14 and 15, were talking to American soldiers in Suwaira, 180 kilometers (115 miles) south of Baghdad, on Friday when the soldiers suggested they accompany them to their camp to take pictures but then collectively raped the pair.

This allegation is "absolutely false," the US Central Command said in a statement.

"We take any claim of this nature extremely seriously, have looked into the allegations and found nothing whatsoever to substantiate the accusations -- including checking local hospital records," it said.