Gen. Sanchez ordered cover-up of women who died to avoid rape

[G_j]

THE FEAR THAT KILLS
Marjorie Cohn, TruthOut.org

Appalling new evidence reveals that female soldiers
serving in Iraq made fatal decisions in their
attempts to avoid rape.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/31584/

In a startling revelation, the former commander of Abu Ghraib prison testified that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former senior US military commander in Iraq, gave orders to cover up the cause of death for some female American soldiers serving in Iraq.

Last week, Col. Janis Karpinski told a panel of judges at the Commission of Inquiry for Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration in New York that several women had died of dehydration because they refused to drink liquids late in the day. They were afraid of being assaulted or even raped by male soldiers if they had to use the women's latrine after dark.

The latrine for female soldiers at Camp Victory wasn't located near their barracks, so they had to go outside if they needed to use the bathroom. "There were no lights near any of their facilities, so women were doubly easy targets in the dark of the night," Karpinski told retired US Army Col. David Hackworth in a September 2004 interview.

It was there that male soldiers assaulted and raped women soldiers. So the women took matters into their own hands. They didn't drink in the late afternoon so they wouldn't have to urinate at night. They didn't get raped. But some died of dehydration in the desert heat, Karpinski said.
..more..

[xultar]

1. Ruh Ro. I don't mean to joke but I'm frightened for the CSM reporter.

[MountainLaurel]

10. They should avoid small planes

And hotels in Baghdad.

[Warpy]

2. Yeah, and some of the idiots even on this board want to

draft women. Phooey on that, fellas. When you men start having babies, then we can talk about drafting young women. When you men find a way to keep young males off our daughters, we'll talk about it. When the military finally starts taking this stuff seriously, we might even tell our daughters who want to join voluntarily that it could be good for them (if they survive this administration).

Having women die of dehydration because that's the only way to avoid rape is obscene.

[SharonAnn]

3. These are "Failure of Leadership" issues.

I wish I could say that it's unbelievable. Unfortunately, it's not.

These are similar to what one sees in civilian organizations where women have little power or status and management doesn't consider their concerns to be important. The important difference here is that the women are much more vulnerable and they cannot file 'criminal" complaints like they could in a U.S. civilian organization. Also, they don't have the same ability to organize and file a 'sexual harassment" or "discrimination" suit.

However, any organization which has adequate leadership can do a lot to eliminate this type of criminal activity.

If General Sanchez "has the confidence of the military", then the military concurs with his actions (or lack of actions), and is just as guilty.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Jesus Christ!

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: I won't say what I really want too say, my brush is too broad at the moment.

[Just Me]

5. Horrifying.

OMG!!! :cry: I'm speechless.

[pocket]

6. but SUPPORT THOSE TROOPS!

.

[MountainLaurel]

9. Someone cue up the Lee Greenwood

And the images of waving flags in the background.

:puke:

[Caoimhe]

7. I heard about this on Ray Taliafero last night

Absolutely disgusting. Please, everyone spread the word about this. Not one more girl should die because she is afraid of hydrating herself.

[FloridaPat]

8. Proud to be an American.

Does sound a little strange. I got locked into my hotel room once in a bed & breakfast without bathroom facilities. We found ways. I find it hard to believe female soldiers couldn't come up with lots of ways around this.

[never_get_over_it]

11. I heard about this just now listening to archive of last night's

Bernie Ward program. He said this story was in San Francisco Chronicle yesterday - I can't find the link - anyone have it?