War crimes unreported & ACLU

[bos1]

ACLU has dug up a couple "unreported" cases. How many more are there?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/04/world/middleeast/04ACLU.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The lawsuit seeks to compel the military to produce all documents related to all civilian deaths since January 2005. The A.C.L.U. contends that the materials may be released under federal law.

...

Among the files released were the court-martial records for two soldiers convicted of assault in the drowning and three soldiers convicted in the “mercy killing” of an injured teenager in Sadr City.

The boy had been severely injured; one soldier explained that he shot and killed him “to take him out of his misery.”

In two previously unreported cases, Pfc. James Combs was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for shooting an Iraqi woman from a guard tower in what he said was an accident, and Sgt. Ricky Burke was charged with murder for killing a wounded man alongside the road after a firefight.

[hootinholler]

1. kick

[bos1]

3. thanks for the kick. it's my first.

more seriously, when I read about such things as this -- convictions "unreported" -- it really makes the alarms go off. How can such things be unreported? Military justice operations on this level should be total public record. And HOW MANY MORE are "unreported"?

[annabanana]

2. They are legion, I expect.

When the rules of civilization are suspended for the occasion of war... LOTS of rules go by the wayside.