2 US soldiers accused of raping teenagers in Korea

[NoGOPZone]

Source: Associated Press

Two U.S. soldiers have been accused of raping teenage girls in South Korea in separate incidents, prompting U.S. military officials to apologize Saturday as they tried to ease growing public anger.

Army Brig. Gen. David Conboy, who supervises the U.S. garrison in Seoul, issued a statement apologizing for "pain" caused by allegations that a U.S. soldier raped a girl in her rented room in Seoul on Sept. 17. That solider — a private in his early 20s — is being questioned by police but has not been arrested.

Another U.S. private has been arrested on suspicion of raping a teenage girl on Sept. 24 in a city north of Seoul.

The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, apologized Friday for what he called a "tragic and inexcusable rape that took place about a week ago." It was not clear which of the two incidents he was referring to.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/2-us-soldiers-accused-raping-teenagers-korea-081158624.html

[Tikki]

1. ...an inexcusable act of violence and degradation that took place....

Tikki

[Auntie Bush]

2. What the hell is the matter with some soldiers? That's what

happens when you scrape the barrel due to a shortage of soldiers. Keep these types at home if they can't keep their zippers closed! I'll bet if anyone bothered looking at their criminal records they would have found some warning of possible violence! How sad that the US and it's good soldiers have to take the blame for some stinking rotten apples.

[COLGATE4]

7. They've been lowering the standards for recruits (espcially the Army)

for years now, and are more than willing to overlook some criminal history. This type of thing is inevitable and is probably only going to get worse.

[hack89]

8. Its exactly the opposite - standards have never been higher

it is hard to get into the military. A combination of a bad economy, high retention and a smaller military means the Army can be very selective. They no longer waive even minor criminal records and a HS diploma is none negotiable.

All the services have met their recruiting quotas with no problem.

[U4ikLefty]

11. link?

[hack89]

13. Here you go

Last year, 99.7 percent of Marine recruits had graduated from high school with a traditional diploma and 72.9 percent scored in the upper half of the written military entrance exam. “The quality of our applicants is higher than ever before,” said Maj. John Caldwell, a spokesman for the commanding general of Marine Corps Recruiting Command.

On the Army side, the number of recruits granted waivers dropped from 19 percent two years ago to 11 percent last year, most of them for medical issues, Campbell said. And out of more than 90,000 active and reserve soldiers enlisted in 2010, only two were granted waivers for major misconduct issues, such as adult felony convictions and none was allowed to enter basic training after failing an initial drug test.

Fewer than 3 in 10 Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are currently eligible for service due to a lack of education or aptitude, criminal background, or health problems, including “an increasing number of overweight youth stemming from the nation’s obesity epidemic,” according to the Army

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/16/combat-forces-meeting-their-recruiting-goals/



http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-army-waiting-list-record-levels-high-unemployment/story?id=12495054

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2011-04-08-1Arecruits08_ST_N.htm

[U4ikLefty]

18. So they are better than in Bush's term...that's not "never been higher"

[hack89]

20. The standard before 911 was lower

the army is smaller.

[U4ikLefty]

30. link?

[drdtroit]

17. Gang Activity in the U.S. Military

Mar 18 2010
According to a recently released FBI report, Gang-related activity in the US military is increasing and poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.

The report, Gang Activity in the U.S. Armed Forces Increasing, dated January 12, states that members of nearly every major street gang have been identified on both domestic and international military installations. Members of nearly every major street gang, including the Bloods, Crips, Black Disciples, Gangster Disciples, Hells Angels, Latin Kings, The 18th Street Gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Mexican Mafia, Nortenos, Surenos, Vice Lords, and various white supremacist groups, have been documented on military installations. Although most prevalent in the Army, the Army Reserves, and the National Guard, gang activity is pervasive throughout all branches of the military and across most ranks, but is most common among the junior enlisted ranks, according to the report. The extent of gang presence in the armed services is often difficult to determine since many enlisted gang members conceal their gang affiliation and military authorities may not recognize gang affiliation or may be inclined not to report such incidences.

Since 2004, the FBI and El Paso Police Department have identified over 40 military-affiliated Folk Nation gang members stationed at the Fort Bliss Army Installation in Texas who have been involved in drug distribution, robberies, assaults, weapons offenses, and a homicide, both on and off the installation.
Fort Hood, Texas, Army Installation officials have identified nearly 40 gang members on base since 2003. Military-affiliated Gangster Disciple members at Fort Hood have been responsible for robberies, assaults, theft, and burglaries on and off base.

(more)

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/gangs.htm

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tempest]

24. You're a day late and a dollar short

The lowering of the recruitment standards happened during the last administration and the bad apples are already in the barrel.

[octothorpe]

12. I think that's changed as of late. They were a lot lower in the mid-2000's

but they have been raising them back up again. I think a lot of it has to do with the poor economy, so they can be more picky.

[hack89]

25. You need to catch up - read post 13. nt

[octothorpe]

29. That seems to confirm what I thought...

That they lowered the standards but have raised them much higher in the recent years.

[hack89]

31. But those lower standards were still higher then the standards in 1991

remember that military force that destroyed Iraq's army in Desert Storm? Lower standards is a relative term - since the post Desert Storm down sizing, the military is so much smaller - those "lower standards" were still very high by historic standards.

[hack89]

9. There is no shortage of soldiers - it is hard to get into the Army

bad economy, high retention, a smaller force have allowed the army to raise their standards to the highest they have ever been. They don't waive criminal records anymore - especially violent crimes.

[Spider Jerusalem]

27. Same thing that's always been the matter with some soldiers

they're men. Which means unfortunately that some percentage of them are going to be rapists. Nothing new here, sadly. There have been many cases of rape committed by American soldiers, sailors and Marines stationed in Japan, Germany and elsewhere over the past 60 years. (Want to know why some of the bars and nightclubs near Atsugi and Okinawa say "no gaijin allowed"? Because a lot of American servicemen are violent binge drinkers and because two Japanese women a month, on average, are raped by American servicemen. That's why.)

Edit: see here, gang-rape and murder of a 14-year old girl by US soldiers in Iraq: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5253160.stm

And here, kidnapping and gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl in Okinawa in 1995: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Okinawa_rape_incident

Rape and murder of an 11-year old girl in Kosovo in 1998: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/18/wv.04.html

It's been estimated that as many as 10,000 women in Okinawa were raped by American soldiers during the postwar occupation, see here: http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/01/world/3-dead-marines-and-a-secret-of-wartime-okinawa.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm (which also details the inhabitants of one village forming a vigilante group to kill US Marines who were repeatedly returning to their village to rape the women).

This has always happened, much more than you like to think.

[otherlander]

22. Yeah.

It's pretty horrible.
Although, what I've been telling myself is:
Destroying people is easy. There are guns and knives and back alleys and reactionary mobs for it, and lots of money in it too. Almost anybody can destroy lots of people, if they put their mind to it.
But the only person who you can ever actually DEGRADE is yourself.

[ellenfl]

3. wtf? 'an inexcusable rape'? doesn't that pre-suppose that the

speaker believes some are excusable? if the allegations are true, and the military's response suggests they are, then those soldiers should get the maximum penalty allowed by korean law.

ellen fl

[ZombieHorde]

10. He is just saying the rape was inexcusable. In other words, we are not going to excuse this away.

The statement may not be elegant, but I don't think he is necessarily saying some rapes are excusable.

[ellenfl]

15. 'inexcusable' is the counter to 'excusable', which should not

have been used in the first place. very poor choice of words, imo. freudian slip, perhaps? they need a better spokesperson.

ellen fl

[Odin2005]

4. Horrid! throw those monsters in jail and throw away the key!

:grr:

[jwirr]

5. Shouldn't surprise us - read "Blowback" by Chalmers Johnson. nt

[bemildred]

6. Bring them all home, now. nt

[DeSwiss]

14. Out, out, out!!!

- I hate fucking evil empires.





K&R

[hack89]

16. You do realize that the South Korean government wants our soldiers there?

when you have crazy neighbors with nuclear weapons, being under the protection of an "evil empire" may actually be a good thing.

South Korea knows that if we pull out of Korea and Japan, it will trigger a massive arms race - an arms race that will most likely involve nuclear weapons. Do you think Korea and Japan acquiring nuclear weapons is a good thing for world peace?

[U4ikLefty]

19. such crap

[hack89]

21. Because world history starts and ends with America

The fact that China and Korea and Japan were fighting wars before America was a country is completely irrelevant. Once we pull out it will be peace like it was for the preceding 500 centuries - right? You have studied history right?

[Cool Logic]

26. You are right about the high standards of the US' armed forces and your points regarding...

China, Korea and Japan are dead on. However, I believe that the recent economic growth in east Asia is on the side of peace. The trader and the warrior have been fundamental antagonists throughout history. Trade does not flourish on battlefields, factories do not produce under bombardments and profits do not grow on rubble. South Korea and Japan are certainly not antagonists, and while China's state "capitalism," is in need of much further evolution with respect to free-markets and individual rights, a war would would not serve their interests either.

Now, that brings me to the ruler who has destroyed his own country's economy. Kim Jong-il is the wild card. For I believe he would attack his neighbors if he thought it was his only means of postponing internal collapse and prolonging his rule. The question is whether or not China would intervene and block that action.

In any case, I think the time has come to redefine the nature of our Asian foreign policy.

[hack89]

28. China's actions and policies do not support your view

the 100 years from the 1840s proved one thing to the Chinese - you pay an enormous price in lives, treasure and sovereignty if you are weak. Not only will China will never let itself be weak, but it will make sure that its neighbors are weak or under under their control. Look no further than their territorial disputes with Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines - their goal is absolute control of the waters around them. Look no further than their expansion into the Indian Ocean - their goal is to control the economically vital Straits of Malacca and to block the eastward expansion of Indian influence. Look no further then their antagonistic and bullying behavior towards Tawian - they are not the actions of a country that put peace and economic action above everything else.

They are not aiming for war - their way of avoiding war is absolute military superiority over their neighbors. They will, as they have done in the past, will then use that military power to bully and threaten their neighbors. It is in their DNA - it is what Chinese leaders have done for centuries. The only way for Korea and Japan to not fall under the influence of China is to build up their militaries - nuclear weapons for both would be an absolute certainty. I would also foresee a military alliance between the two. Such things would not impact economic development on any of the countries.

Changing any balance of power is dangerous - regardless of your intentions, the potential of serious unintended consequences is great.

[Cool Logic]

32. I share many of the concerns that you cited...,

particularly the one that many people tend to overlook: "the potential of serious unintended consequences."

The issue that has caused me to reevaluate my position is Hong Kong's role as a leader of China's economic reforms. I thought the end of the last century would see the end of Hong Kong's freedoms. However, it continues to have more political freedoms than mainland China, including freedom of the press. Thus, its role as leading political development toward a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic China is for me, an unexpected and encouraging sequence of events.

However, the Chinese elites dominate and rule the mainland. Whether they accept and/or promote majority rule is crucial to China's transition to democracy. Individual freedom and self-determination may have evolved earlier in the west; however, the source of an individual's rights is not divine law or congressional law, but the law of identity. It took thousands of years of philosophical evolution to supplant the powers of church and state with the powers of logic and reason; however, the basic and crucial lesson to be learned, is that you cannot give humans a little taste of freedom and expect them to be satisfied. Once the cat is out of the bag, it is only a matter of time before they will demand the recognition of their self-evident inalienable individual rights.

Eventually, China will learn this lesson.

PS: I am mindful of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989; however, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."