A US soldier has agreed to plead guilty in the rape of a 14-year-old girl and the murder of her and her family in the Iraqi town of Mahmudiya last year.
Sgt Paul Cortez will no longer face the death penalty and has agreed to co-operate in the trials of three other soldiers, his lawyer said.
A fifth soldier, Spec James Barker, pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to life in prison.
The case is one of several in which US troops are accused of killing Iraqis.
Prosecutors say the five plotted the attack on the girl and her family.
This is good news. Any U.S. soldier found guilty of crimes like this should be punished to full extent of the law. It harms their fellow soldiers and brings dishonor upon the unit in question.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
what i wanna know is when are they gonna prosecute the guys that bombed baghdad and other iraqi cities at the begininning of the war - and killed countless men, women and children?????????
what i wanna know is when are they gonna prosecute the guys that bombed baghdad and other iraqi cities at the begininning of the war - and killed countless men, women and children?????????
The real justice will come on the Final Hour - The Day of Ressurrection.
you know, these are jst a few out of hundreds of rapes. they get caught out...thats all good...but its like theyre guilty charges are set up jst to shut us up and make it look like the good guys are making sure justice is served...
"'Cause I hear the whispered words
In your masterpiece beautiful
You speak the unspeakable through
I love you too"
it is only when the local people took statements and evidences they forced the iraqi government to act so they started to investigate, there have been many other rapes not reported and not prosecuted and it was only the fact that local people forced and published the evidence to the media that forces the US to act against these men.
and where were they prosecuted? in the 'free' land of iraq they have created and where they committed their crimes? or did they get tried in a US court by US judges due to the laws passed into effect by the US pro-consul of iraq before he left office that grants immunity from prosecution for occupying forces?
they not that what the islamic soft spots are...our prophet, women...so they only prosecute the "rape" charges. is that their only crime...rape? what about violence, tresspass, ruining a country? hello...a few rapes out of tonnes of rapes and other offences is nothing...and we are being blinded by it. we shud be happy..but its all a part of their regime.no matter what happens, they are still the good guys right...:rolleyes:
"'Cause I hear the whispered words
In your masterpiece beautiful
You speak the unspeakable through
I love you too"
there was a story in the press last couple of days on how only 5% of rapes reach court in the UK. but the occupying authorities arent even reaching that level in iraq and afghanistan.
I see very much a twist of US military policy here. Some subtle changes over the years. When I was in the Service, if any of us committed a crime on foreign land we were tried for the criminal offence by the laws of the country and then we were tried by a military court for the violation of military laws. Two seperate sets of law for 2 different crimes.
Plain English. An American GI Raping an Iraqi woman back then would have been tried by an Iraqi court and face the sentencing for that, then be tried in a Military court for bringing disgrace to the uniform. The exception Would be if the incident only involved GI's or ocurred on a Military base.
i think they should be tried where it happens. every american knows that rape is not a heavy crime here as it should be. you will serve more time in prison for selling pot than you will be for raping someone. how does the government of this country possibly think that 3-5 years in prison is enough punishment for doing that? for me rape is right next to murder. they are killing the innocence. they are killing the belief of good people in the world.
Imagine that, a lonely 14 year old, being abused in such a way by men who are meanto be there to help.
Imagine if that was your daughter, or your wife or mother. Man imagine what she was thinking.
SubhanAllah, what words can be said...Persecution, oppression, can be worse then death...I hope I never have to find out the whole truth of such a statement myself.
The path is long but I hope we meet,
After the grave and the Day, in paradise in bliss upon a reclined seat.
A traveler traveling - travelled from shirk to tawheed,
If I'm remembered for anything - let it be the Mercy I seek.
Maybe sexism is a reason for light rape punishments...They are called the Founding FATHERS for a reason. Sexism...>=(
You guys are a regular laugh riot. A US soldier comits a terrible crime. His own buddies turn him in. He is prosecuted very aggressively. He pleads guilty to bargain down to likely life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. There is already one conviction in the case and his is serving a life term. The military is prosecuting the other soldiers. Updates are released to the press. The full transcript of the trial is available for review.
"Light sentence"???? Are you kidding me? This is what an open judicial system is like. I know it may be a difficult concept. Many of you are filled with such hatred you can't see the ludicrousness of your claims or demands.
BTW.....exactly how many rapes was Uday prosecuted for? Hmmm? Where is the call for revenge for the thousands Hussein killed when he gassed the Kurds? Weren't those muslim women and children?
How about opening yourselves up to a little broader perspective instead of making ridiculous, unsubstantiated claims. Rumor is not very becoming.
You guys are a regular laugh riot. A US soldier comits a terrible crime. His own buddies turn him in. He is prosecuted very aggressively. He pleads guilty to bargain down to likely life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. There is already one conviction in the case and his is serving a life term. The military is prosecuting the other soldiers. Updates are released to the press. The full transcript of the trial is available for review.
"Light sentence"???? Are you kidding me? This is what an open judicial system is like. I know it may be a difficult concept. Many of you are filled with such hatred you can't see the ludicrousness of your claims or demands.
BTW.....exactly how many rapes was Uday prosecuted for? Hmmm? Where is the call for revenge for the thousands Hussein killed when he gassed the Kurds? Weren't those muslim women and children?
How about opening yourselves up to a little broader perspective instead of making ridiculous, unsubstantiated claims. Rumor is not very becoming.
open your own eyes.
many of the mujahadeen that are fighting the US today fought saddam back then. ansar al sunnah, one of the main islamic groups fighting occupation in iraq was originally named ansar al islam and fought saddam from the kurdish region of iraq, not for an exclusive secular kurdish homeland but for an islamic iraq for all its people.
many of the mujahadeen that are fighting the US today fought saddam back then. ansar al sunnah, one of the main islamic groups fighting occupation in iraq was originally named ansar al islam and fought saddam from the kurdish region of iraq, not for an exclusive secular kurdish homeland but for an islamic iraq for all its people.
Abu Abdullah
These supposed "mujahadeen" must be a very small minority. The overwhelming majority of attacks in Iraq have been upon Shiite civilians at funerals and market places.
In any event, justice was done in this case, and I hope no more actions like these are repeated.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
many of the mujahadeen that are fighting the US today fought saddam back then. ansar al sunnah, one of the main islamic groups fighting occupation in iraq was originally named ansar al islam and fought saddam from the kurdish region of iraq, not for an exclusive secular kurdish homeland but for an islamic iraq for all its people.
Abu Abdullah
And the bombing of the mosque at Samarra? Can you explain to me how that will accomplish an "islamic iraq for all it's people"?
It appears somebody forgot to tell the Shia they were not part of Iraq.
There is more than a little hypocrisy here, Dawud. My sense is that the Sunni resistance in Iraq has a lot more to do with preservation of the wealth and privledge that was unfairly accumulated under Saddam. Many of the "holy warriors" seem to have less than holy aspirations.
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