Were the torture and beheadings of the 2 GIs a couple of weeks ago....?

...connected to today's story about the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman and 2 more adults and a child about 3 months ago? The reporter for MSNBC reported on Hardball that the GIs accused of the rape and murder of the Iraqi girl and family were with the 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne, out of Ft Campbell, Kentucky. Would the Iraqis look for revenge for such acts? Probably.

Then we heard a couple of weeks ago how the 2 GIs were brutally tortured and beheaded by the Iraqis or the al Qaeda. It is now reported they were with the same unit that reportedly raped and murdered the young girl. Violence does not seem to be happening in a vacuum...

The reporter, Jim Miklazewski, reported that the unit had requested counseling for the troops after the horrendous event of the beheadings. And at that counseling session, another GI reported what had happened back in March with the young girl and her family. The military is investigating the story. One thing is for certain - atrocities happen in war. It is messy and cannot be controlled by general rules of society, as much as we might think it should.

the post truama counseling sessions will now cease.

and possibilities and dire consequences I had thought were likely to happen regarding this tragedy--that's the only one I hadn't considered. And it's so damned obvious due to its cruelty and craveness. :-(

Apparently the GIs had seen the girl when they were out on patrol and perpetrated the rape and murders after. I don't know if the soldiers tortured and beheaded were among the rapist/murderers. But it certainly was done as a retaliation killing and I believe to send a message to any other GIs who might do the same thing.

Oh God, we need to get out of there!

the bridge came out two years ago? I remember at the time being horrified that this crowd of people in Iraq could have done this. But in the back of my mind I intuitively had this feeling that the only way that such mob rage could have been brought out had to have been because of something that they perceived these Contractors with.

Months later, we learned about Abu Gharaib and the torture and even what Sy Hersh had told us about regarding rapes of women and children. When this was revealed, I immediately had a sense that these contractors may have been a) recognized and identified as being associated with Abu Gharaib or similar events and/or b) revenge for what they knew just due to their being Americans.

When the two soldiers were kidnapped and then later found gruesomely tortured and mutilated beyond recognition, I had the same feeling. I figured it related to the Haditha Massacre or even something else. Now we find out about this rape and murder of a girl and her family and that the VERY SAME COMPANY that these two kidnapped and killed soldiers belonged to had been the alleged perpetrators of a rape and murder.

What is happening in Iraq and what is happening to our soldiers is sheer madness and chaos and we need to get the the hell out of there and save our kids souls (and our country's soul!) while we still can!

:cry:

but were they assigned to the same Battalion? I haven't found a link mentioning a connection to the actual unit (slain soldiers were from the 1st Battalion, 502nd). I believe the investigation may originate at the Regiment level and that's why we hear the 502nd being mentioned, but the criminal soldiers might be from another unit. Waiting for more information.

It will be BAD if there is a connection.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060630/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

BEIJI, Iraq - A group of American soldiers in an insurgent-riddled town allegedly noticed a young Iraqi woman when on patrol and later returned to rape her, according to U.S. officials Friday. In an apparent cover-up attempt, she and three members of her family then were killed and her body was set on fire.

Five U.S. troops are being investigated, a U.S. military official told The Associated Press. It was the sixth known inquiry into alleged slayings of Iraqi civilians by U.S. troops.

The suspects in the killing, which took place in March, were from the same platoon as two soldiers kidnapped and killed south of Baghdad this month, said the official, who is close to the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Thats a good link, thanks

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

and I don't place much credence in coincidences.

From the AP report:



Is "believed to be?" This monster now walks among us?

We're "fightin' da terrists over there" so we can have highly-trained murdering rapists sent back over here?

--

:grr:

WTF

It's difficult to imagine anyone less deserving. The others are confined to a base. I wonder how close the confinement is?

What a horrible, horrible way to live the last moments of your life. If the two episodes are connected somehow, even if we don't agree with the manner of revenge, we can certainly understand the underlying motive.

All the facts of this unfathomable crime need to be brought out into the light, the sooner the better. My concern is that the soldiers who were tortured may have had nothing to do with the crime but were the unfortunate targets of revenge fueled by a deep dark hatred.

may have done is always wrong. Those who are made to pay seldom are the ones who committed the crime to begin with. This is why we need courts, jurys and judges to try those accused of committing a crime.

Now this brings me to the Iraq invasion. A whole nation of people is being punished for what some Saudis allegedly did on 9-11. This is why we need to demand that the prisoners in Gitmo be given their day in court and in public where all can see the proceedings.

I distinctly got the impression that she was a minor. Indeed, if these charges are true, it definetly explains motive. I wonder how the grieving families of the tortured soldiers would feel about these soldiers if they are found guilty?

:sarcasm:

:cry:

Just consider this post a kick up the page. All of us who opposed this war just need to keep working harder and smarter to end this horror.

These stories even if they are true or not would tend to take on a life of their own. The Iraqis need very little to stir hate and anger at the occupation, but go ahead and suggest that troops are raping their women.

It's a breaking point, with this story wide open we better prepare for even more flag draped coffins.

This might have been a more personal vendetta.

What kind of hell have these bastards brought us into?

I have read that the two soldiers had their penises cut off and stuffed into their mouths. If this is a fact, which is unconfirmed at this time, this would lend to the concept of revenge of the rape of the girl. It seems that the situation may have connection. The problem of who is investigating these atrocities is troubling.