Defense says stressed soldiers not responsible for murder-rape

Kzin · 08-09-2006, 02:06 PM

Coming soon to a Law & Order episode near you .....

Quote:

Defense ties killings to stress
Soldiers accused in the Iraq rape-slaying case were so worn down they are not to blame, attorneys said. The prosecutor rejected that.
By Louise Roug
Los Angeles Times

BAGHDAD - Soldiers accused of raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her and her family had been suffering from tremendous stress and ultimately were not responsible for what happened that day, defense attorneys said yesterday, as final arguments began in a hearing to determine whether the soldiers should face a court-martial.

A prosecutor disputed the assertion, saying the adverse conditions of war could not explain away crimes.

"Murder, not war. Rape, not war - that's what we're here talking about today," Capt. Alex Pickands said in final arguments. "Not all that business about cold food, checkpoints, personnel assignments. Cold food didn't kill that family. Personnel assignments didn't rape and murder that 14-year-old little girl."

Pickands' comments followed testimony describing sleepless nights and despair among soldiers assigned to patrol one of the most lawless areas in Iraq.

The teenager, her 5-year-old sister, and their parents were found slain in their house in Mahmoudiya, a southern Baghdad suburb, on March 12, a case that has enraged Iraqis and shamed the U.S. military.

"These soldiers are not robots," said Capt. Elizabeth Walker, an attorney for the defense. "They are humans with emotions, and a command structure that hung them out to dry."

Earlier, soldiers serving alongside the accused troops had testified that fear and relentless violence drove the defendants to mix painkillers, cough syrup and Iraqi whiskey.

Final defense arguments are expected to continue today, after which the tribunal's investigating officer will determine whether the five will face a court-martial.

Spec. James Barker, 23; Sgt. Paul Cortez, 23; Pfc. Bryan L. Howard, 19; and Pfc. Jesse Spielman, 21, are charged with rape and murder and could face the death penalty. Sgt. Anthony Yribe is charged with dereliction of duty and making a false statement.

Former Pvt. Steven D. Green, 21, discharged from the military earlier in the year because of a "personality disorder," according to court documents, faces a separate trial in federal court.

Soldiers testified yesterday that they sometimes spent several weeks without hot food, showers, or contact with home when assigned in Mahmoudiya. Constant foot patrols in search of roadside bombs, a fire that destroyed all their belongings, and the shooting of two U.S. soldiers contributed to a unit "full of despair," one soldier testified.

"You feel like every step you might get blown up," said Pfc. Justin Cross, who served in the same unit. "You just hit a point where you're like, 'If I die today, I die.' You're just walking a death walk."

Soldiers also related in testimony how Green set a puppy on fire and threw it off the roof of a building. Other accused soldiers have pointed to Green as the triggerman in the quadruple slaying.

David Sheldon, the civil lawyer for Barker, accused Green of being the sole culprit in the deaths.

"When you put an individual like that in a stressful situation, he becomes a canister of gas waiting to explode," Sheldon said. "Green - he's the one who should be facing capital murder [charges]. These soldiers here don't deserve that. Not one of them."

In closing arguments, Capt. Megan Shaw, a defense lawyer, asked: "Where is the evidence regarding the meeting of the minds?"

Prosecutors said all the soldiers were culpable.

They are "not kids who spilled milk on the floor because their parents aren't watching," Capt. William Fischbach said. "They knew what they were going to do. When they heard the shots, they kept raping the girl."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...n/15228968.htm

**Rodd** · 08-09-2006, 02:27 PM

P.S. Dont join the Army during war time if you dont want to be put in a war zone.

SAL 4000 · 08-09-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodFlanders

P.S. Dont join the Army if you dont want to be put in a war zone.

Fixed. This made me want to punch Cindy Sheehan in the face. STFU lady!

Famed · 08-09-2006, 02:40 PM

man there is just no excuse for rape and murder. In my oppinion, even insane people should be burned for that.

edit: though I have to agree that in war...these things happen and you have to expect them. Still just as bad though.

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:40 PM

Gah I need to go back to the good old days when rape was part of war, I'd join the military if that was the case. Also D8 might not be a virgin today if this was the case. Think of all the good it would have done!!

Kzin · 08-09-2006, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodFlanders

P.S. Dont join the Army if you don't want your life to be in the hands of government morons.

Fixed again.

btw, I'm not "shocked" or "outraged" that U.S. soldiers did this .... this is what some young men will do if you put them into the stress of combat, and it's ALWAYS been true. It's sort of why you only put them in these situations for really damned good reasons when you have no other choice.

Not to say you don't prosecute these idiots and throw away the key if they're convicted, you do ... but it's not even mildly surprising this stuff happens.

**Rodd** · 08-09-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Famed

man there is just no excuse for rape and murder. In my oppinion, even insane people should be burned for that.

Yeah seriously... "ohhhhhhhh the war mad me sad and I couldnt control myself!"

Imagine if thats how D8 loses his virginity...

SAL 4000 · 08-09-2006, 02:42 PM

What happened to the good old days of taking out your frustrations on dirty krauts? This is the reason we have such problems, all we need to do is make sure we're fighting the germans and we're good!

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAL 9000

What happened to the good old days of taking out your frustrations on dirty krauts? This is the reason we have such problems, all we need to do is make sure we're fighting the germans and we're good!

Or the even better good old days of taking it out on some red skinned bastard and then making his squaw your own play toy.....

Qwo · 08-09-2006, 02:45 PM

I'm sure she deserved it.

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:46 PM

She was probably a saddam-youth.

08-09-2006, 02:47 PM

death penalty plz

08-09-2006, 02:48 PM

Ah well, chalk up another atrocity on the long list of war time atrocities.

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikolai

Ah well, chalk up another atrocity on the long list of war time atrocities.

It is unacceptable war has to be moral and christian.... kekekekeke

Feedback · 08-09-2006, 02:52 PM

machine gun rape is the sloppiest sex.

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:53 PM

Feedback that was dumb.

08-09-2006, 02:55 PM

why do we get completely retarded new posters?

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:56 PM

I thought he was an alt.

Feedback · 08-09-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikolai

why do we get completely retarded new posters?

StarkofDoom · 08-09-2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feedback

You can't blame him, that was a really shitty post. Just be careful, he has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to banning.

Feedback · 08-09-2006, 02:58 PM

Sorry, just didn't think this was developing into a serious thread.

Pandaemonium · 08-09-2006, 02:59 PM

I approve of Feedback.

08-09-2006, 03:01 PM

most of gat is just as retarded anyways

Kzin · 08-09-2006, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikolai

most of gat is just as retarded anyways

"Yeah, but Rain Man retard or just Paris Hilton?"

Man I'm getting a lot of mileage out of that line today.

Feedback · 08-09-2006, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KzinKiller

"Yeah, but Rain Man retard or just Paris Hilton?"

Man I'm getting a lot of mileage out of that line today.

The defense team, along with anyone who buys that excuse is the one you should be playing that line on.

roszce · 08-09-2006, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodFlanders

Yeah seriously... "ohhhhhhhh the war mad me sad and I couldnt control myself!"

Imagine if thats how D8 loses his virginity...

d8 did lose his virginity that way, but it didn't count because the stress made him do it.

if this excuse flies expect mailroom-girl rape to be off the charts on Wall Street. "I'm sorry your honour, but the markets were down and the stress was too much for me."

D8alus · 08-09-2006, 03:32 PM

You guys have pretty much said everything I was gonna say, so I'll just throw my "WTF, over" into the mix and be done with it.

Corbu · 08-09-2006, 05:54 PM

I don't think rape is ever justified, even in the middle of a war.

"Oh, all these dead bodies, my best friend just caught a bullet in the head...IT MAKES ME SO HORNY"

BrentStargazer · 08-09-2006, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAL 9000

What happened to the good old days of taking out your frustrations on dirty krauts? This is the reason we have such problems, all we need to do is make sure we're fighting the germans and we're good!

I demand a game where you play as a German and go around killing dozens if not hundreds of Americans soldiers with random disregard for human life.

Sure, you can kill as many conscripted German soldiers as want, but some game developer out there needs to tell the GERMAN side of the story!

Guy_Incognito · 08-09-2006, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrentStargazer

I demand a game where you play as a German and go around killing dozens if not hundreds of Americans soldiers with random disregard for human life.

Sure, you can kill as many conscripted German soldiers as want, but some game developer out there needs to tell the GERMAN side of the story!

Sim Auschwitz

Graves · 08-09-2006, 06:48 PM

Wonder why they didn't rape everyone in the family. I mean, I thought we were at the least compitant enough to finish the job.

May they burn and rot in the foulest pits of HE-DOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS

08-09-2006, 02:27 PM	#2
Rodd EmoDadBuzzKill Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: on the ice Posts: 28,263 gXboxLive Leaderboard: 29^th	P.S. Dont join the Army during war time if you dont want to be put in a war zone. __________________ The Greatest Scientology Story Ever

08-09-2006, 05:54 PM	#28
Corbu In search of the Truth Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sesame Street Posts: 28,938 gXboxLive Leaderboard: 17^th	I don't think rape is ever justified, even in the middle of a war. "Oh, all these dead bodies, my best friend just caught a bullet in the head...IT MAKES ME SO HORNY" __________________

08-09-2006, 06:48 PM	#31
Graves Stalks ~FA~ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Inside ~FA~ Posts: 3,063	Wonder why they didn't rape everyone in the family. I mean, I thought we were at the least compitant enough to finish the job. May they burn and rot in the foulest pits of HE-DOUBLEHOCKEYSTICKS __________________

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08-09-2006, 02:40 PM	#4
Famed let nothing you dismay Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 17,054	man there is just no excuse for rape and murder. In my oppinion, even insane people should be burned for that. edit: though I have to agree that in war...these things happen and you have to expect them. Still just as bad though.

08-09-2006, 02:40 PM	#5
StarkofDoom Is scared because he lives less then 10 minutes away from a PSYCHO KILLER Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13,572	Gah I need to go back to the good old days when rape was part of war, I'd join the military if that was the case. Also D8 might not be a virgin today if this was the case. Think of all the good it would have done!!

08-09-2006, 02:42 PM	#8
SAL 4000 banned Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hotel California Posts: 5,626	What happened to the good old days of taking out your frustrations on dirty krauts? This is the reason we have such problems, all we need to do is make sure we're fighting the germans and we're good!

08-09-2006, 02:45 PM	#10
Qwo L'enfer, c'est les autres. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Posts: 29,828 gXboxLive Leaderboard: 32^nd	I'm sure she deserved it.

08-09-2006, 02:46 PM	#11
StarkofDoom Is scared because he lives less then 10 minutes away from a PSYCHO KILLER Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13,572	She was probably a saddam-youth.

08-09-2006, 02:47 PM	#12
4thwallulz Guest Posts: n/a	death penalty plz

08-09-2006, 02:48 PM	#13
not nikolai Guest Posts: n/a	Ah well, chalk up another atrocity on the long list of war time atrocities.

08-09-2006, 02:52 PM	#15
Feedback banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 380	machine gun rape is the sloppiest sex.

08-09-2006, 02:53 PM	#16
StarkofDoom Is scared because he lives less then 10 minutes away from a PSYCHO KILLER Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13,572	Feedback that was dumb.

08-09-2006, 02:55 PM	#17
not nikolai Guest Posts: n/a	why do we get completely retarded new posters?

08-09-2006, 02:56 PM	#18
StarkofDoom Is scared because he lives less then 10 minutes away from a PSYCHO KILLER Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13,572	I thought he was an alt.

08-09-2006, 02:58 PM	#21
Feedback banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 380	Sorry, just didn't think this was developing into a serious thread.

08-09-2006, 02:59 PM	#22
Pandaemonium Jump in My Car Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 11,967	I approve of Feedback.

08-09-2006, 03:01 PM	#23
not nikolai Guest Posts: n/a	most of gat is just as retarded anyways

08-09-2006, 03:32 PM	#27
D8alus Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 43,377	You guys have pretty much said everything I was gonna say, so I'll just throw my "WTF, over" into the mix and be done with it.