Former Soldier Accused of Brutal Rape and Murder of 14-Year Old Iraqi Girl Starts Trial »
Posted By dissent 9 months, 2 weeks ago in News23-year-old Steven Green is accused of bragging 'that was awesome' after the premeditated killing of Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi and her family.
It was called one of the most horrific crimes by U.S. troops against Iraqi civilians: In March 2006, a group of whiskey-fueled soldiers, their faces concealed and wearing black long underwear, descended upon a farmhouse some 20 miles south of Baghdad, gang-raped a teenage girl and shot her in the head, killing her along with her younger sister and their parents. The soldiers then tried to burn the bodies, setting fire to the house.
The grisly crime was initially blamed on insurgents -- "This is what happens when you harbor terrorists," a military translator told a relative after the bodies were found -- but three months later, the truth was revealed, when a fellow soldier from the unit told combat-stress counselors about what had happened.
Initial reports claimed that the girl, Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi, was in her 20s. But her Iraqi ID card, obtained by Reuters, showed her date of birth is confirmed to be August 19, 1991, making her 14 years old at the time of her death.
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dissent
we live in a culture of war.
let's make it a culture of peace.
"my country is the world. and my religion is to ...
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Natureboy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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BB649 months, 2 weeks ago
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What a load. Don't blame an entire nation for the actions of a bad soldier. Is that the line of bull you're trying to sell for Islam? In the last 20 years our military has done more for Islamic nations than anyone else. Ignoring taking Saddam out, how about freeing Kuwait and protecting the rest of the Middle East in 1990. How about after the Tsunami? How many Islamic governments sent aid? None! Even though we're fighting their brother Muslims, we send billions in aid and recovery assistance. We've even tried helping nations like Burma when trouble happens because it's the right thing to do.
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No don't blame the many for a few. I don't fully know this case but if there was evidence, then send him to trial. If found guilty, then punish him for the crime. -
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cushi9 months, 2 weeks ago
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It is also what you get when you create a so-called "volunteer" army by lowering your standards to admit criminals, drug addicts, mentally ill, and sex offenders! No terrorist has ever victimized this country to the extent that G W Bush and his crime family has.
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Codi69349 months, 2 weeks ago
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Natureboy
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The hating on islam, the carping on terrorists, the mindless flagwaving - this is where it leads
If your comment caused is the cause of this. That what sparked this story and were was the outrage when it happened.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the...
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Will13139 months, 2 weeks ago
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i gave you a pos.. .. but he's American.. and needs to get American justice.. while I don't necessarily oppose the death penalty.. I'd rather he suffer the rest of his life in a small cell with a large person who had a sister of family member raped and killed..
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sonofreasonComment removed: Hard Banned
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AnteUp9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Talk about an absence of morality:
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From his attorney,"They couldn't tell the village people and the farmers from the insurgents and the terrorists," he said.
As an excuse in a civilized society that pretty much reeks!
Like - we only rape children and kill their families if they
belong to the enemy camp? That war is insane and drives some to
madness is understood - but that's not what he is saying.
Maybe he thought they were the enemy - meaning they were
free to do what ever they WANTED to them? Dear God.......... -
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BB649 months, 2 weeks ago
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As most of you know, I'm about as big on law and order as you can get. I am surprised most of you have already convicted him. He deserves a full trial. You're willing to release terrorists in Cuba because they failed to read them their rights but when you have an American soldier, you're ready to simply hang him. He needs to stand trial. If convicted, I'll lead the charge for a death penalty, if he's guilty of what they're claiming. But until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, I will protect his rights.
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willottica9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Does Bush deserve a full trial?
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Do terrorists deserve a full trial?
If you answered 'No' to either of those questions, then you are not "as big on law and order as you can get;" you believe in selective justice (which is not justice at all).
I don't know of anyone who "wants to release terrorists in Cuba." I just know that most liberals think they deserve a trial, and they deserve to have their rights defended until they are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
(And personally, I think that letting a criminal off because their rights were trampled is an abrogation of justice. They are still guilty, and should still be punished according to the law. In such a case, those who trampled their rights are also guilty, and should also be punished according to the law. Two wrongs -- committed by then against the criminal -- do not make what the criminal did alright.) -
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aceofspades19 months, 2 weeks ago
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I have to agree with most of BB64's statements on this thread - the greatness of America is it's legal system & when we try to short circuit it we are no better than the right wingnuts who lurk about here. When this guy is found guilty the harshest of penalties are called for, but we must allow our legal system to work.
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dissent9 months, 1 week ago
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i agree, however it's not likely there's going to be any surprising about turns in his case. he's the last small piece of the full story. it's almost complete. 4 other soldiers that accompanied him have already been convicted. his goose is as good as cooked. but yes, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
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fta
"Green was arrested in North Carolina in June 2006, days after the real story came to light, Because his role in the massacre was uncovered following his discharge, he is being prosecuted in federal, rather than military court. (Four other soldiers involved in the massacre have already been court martialed, sentenced to five to 100 years in prison.)
Green, who, despite having told an Army investigator "I did that; I killed them," is pleading not guilty to the charges against him, which include conspiracy, rape, murder, unlawful use of a weapon and obstruction of justice. He is reportedly the first former soldier to face trial in a civilian court for conduct during war. He faces the death penalty." -
PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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canadianrancher579 months, 2 weeks ago
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This is a horrific crime but it can and does happen in other places even our own countries. The underlying motive could be hatred that is invoked by being in a war zone and looking at others as the enemy but alcohol likely played a large part in this crime, not knowing the blood alcohol levels of these people makes it hard to actually give the reason why they did this.
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I'm sort of with BB64 on this we don't hang anyone until proven guilty. -
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Mutainia9 months, 2 weeks ago
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If this former soldier can say that he was Muslim at the time, and that this girl was married, yet, was secretly his slave (allowing him to have sex with her acording to Quran 4:24), then said he killed her because he FEARED this INNOCENT girl would later disappoint her parents and "show ungratefulness toward Allah" (thanks to Quran 18:74-81), hey, he MIGHT get off lighter.
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smithichie9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Lets not forget he could also say he was a Christian at the time and God told him to kill this child in a test of faith, like he did with Abraham in Gen. 22:2.
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Or he could say this girl was a witch and he was just following the orders found in Exodus 22:18, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Or maybe he saw these children "curseth" their parents and he was just following Exodus 21:17.
Or maybe he caught her "defiling" the Sabbath day. Exodus 31:14 left him little choice. -
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Global_WarmerComment removed: Abusive7 Replies
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canadianrancher579 months, 1 week ago
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This comment is to Global_Warmer. Most of the comments to this story have been about the outrage that people feel towards Steven Green, of course as always politics and religion seem to have been dragged in and then there are all the personal attacks which accomplish nothing. I read in one of the comments that you were a member of a police force and from your comments I wonder if you read the article, I find it very hard to believe that a person who was a policman could defend the person that is described in the article as well as the actions that he carried out, and actions that he admitted to. The comments have nothing to do with being a liberal or hating the country, they have to do with a person, [and I use that term with out really meaning it], who with four others carried out a brutal crime and the others have already been found guilty but this person feels that he can weasle his way out of it by using every loophole he can.
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Just for a moment put your hatred aside, read the article, and ask yourself if this is a man that you wish to defend.-
PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive1 Reply
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mellboss19709 months, 1 week ago
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Gee I wonder what we did, before this scumbag raped an Iraqi girl, that made them hate us so much. We were hated in the middle east years (decades) before we ever went there. How many bombings did we endure? Beheading of our citizens?
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The Iraqi's were picking up AK-47's before Green committed this act. And not just aiming them at USA, but anyone who does not bow to allah. What they have done to their own children is just as bad as what he did. Just like the mothers and fathers who send their children in strapped with bombs, right after they tell them how much allah loves them. Yeah OK!! And just what does an 8 year old boy want with 72 virgins? lol-
PsychoHosebeastComment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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nan4canada9 months, 1 week ago
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In any society, regardless of religion, there are sick and twisted people. The sad thing is that war at times acts as a cover for these people to commit crimes and have a higher likelihood of getting away with them. It happens in every war, on both sides, and aside from the crime itself the worst is that it tarnishes the country, and the decent soldiers who make up the vast majority. This has given them something to point at, to further incite the terrorism we fight against. They'll use this as a recruiting tool. As for the convicted soldier, if it wasn't for the other soldier coming forward, per my statement above, they would likely have gotten away with it. He deserves a trial to determine the facts, but if he's found guilty, I'd vote for handing him over to the terrorists for torture/death. He deserves to get what he gave.
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ohCanada2 weeks, 6 days ago
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well nan4canada, if you think that they should be handed over to the terrorist because he deservers what he gave out, then maybe we should take all the prisoners of this war and shoot them or bomb them, they are getting better treatment then half our soldiers, and theve commited even worse
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AbuAmirahComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned
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