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Soldiers Take U.S. Rape of Iraq Literally
While the US rapes Iraq for her oil, some US soldiers got a little too literal with the interpretation, raping two teenage Iraqi girls. Welcome to the Mideast's second illegal occupation. Brought to you by "BushCo: Liars-R-U.S."
An Iraqi newspaper run by Sunni Muslims traded charges yesterday with the US-led occupation authority over the alleged rape of two Iraqi girls by US soldiers, a claim denied by the coalition.
According to the daily As-Saah, the girls, aged 14 and 15, were talking to American soldiers in Suwaira, 180km south of Baghdad, on Friday when the soldiers suggested they accompany them to their camp to take pictures but then collectively raped the pair.
This allegation is "absolutely false", the US Central Command said in a statement.
"We take any claim of this nature extremely seriously, have looked into the allegations and found nothing whatsoever to substantiate the accusations - including checking local hospital records," it said.
As-Saah said one of the girls died after she was raped by 18 soldiers while the other was killed by her family. Editor Naama Abderrazzak said two of the daily's reporters had talked to residents of the area and seen the bodies of the two girls.
"After conducting a thorough investigation into this supposed account, we know this report is inaccurate, irresponsible, and purposefully attempts to damage the credibility of our forces and our efforts to create a secure and stable environment for the people of Iraq," Centcom said.
But Abderrazzak insisted he had asked his staff to thoroughly check the story and it was definitely true.
"Let the coalition prove that our report is false and I will fire the two journalists (who wrote it). So far, they haven't," he said.
According to the daily As-Saah, the girls, aged 14 and 15, were talking to American soldiers in Suwaira, 180km south of Baghdad, on Friday when the soldiers suggested they accompany them to their camp to take pictures but then collectively raped the pair.
This allegation is "absolutely false", the US Central Command said in a statement.
"We take any claim of this nature extremely seriously, have looked into the allegations and found nothing whatsoever to substantiate the accusations - including checking local hospital records," it said.
As-Saah said one of the girls died after she was raped by 18 soldiers while the other was killed by her family. Editor Naama Abderrazzak said two of the daily's reporters had talked to residents of the area and seen the bodies of the two girls.
"After conducting a thorough investigation into this supposed account, we know this report is inaccurate, irresponsible, and purposefully attempts to damage the credibility of our forces and our efforts to create a secure and stable environment for the people of Iraq," Centcom said.
But Abderrazzak insisted he had asked his staff to thoroughly check the story and it was definitely true.
"Let the coalition prove that our report is false and I will fire the two journalists (who wrote it). So far, they haven't," he said.
For more information:
http://www2.iraqwar.ru/iraq-read_article.p...
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From correspondents in Tokyo
18jun03
UNDER intense pressure, US military authorities agreed today to allow Japanese police to take custody of a Marine suspected of raping a woman on the southern island of Okinawa.
The Marine would only be the second US serviceman turned over for arrest on Okinawa prior to formal indictment. The US military normally retains custody of personnel suspected of crimes until they are indicted but can turn them over sooner if the crime is deemed serious enough.
A court on Okinawa issued an arrest warrant Monday for the Marine, 21-year-old Lance Corporal Jose W Torres. He has been detained in a cell on base but has appeared for questioning by Japanese police on a voluntary basis.
US officials agreed to hand over Torres to Japanese police at a time to be worked out later, said Seichiro Taguchi, an official with Japan's Foreign Ministry.
The alleged attack took place around on May 25 in the Okinawan town of Kin, according to a statement released by the Marines. The woman suffered a broken nose and was sexually assaulted, local police said.
Crimes involving US military personnel are a sensitive issue on Okinawa, home to about half of nearly 50,000 American troops stationed in this country. Last week, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi urged the US military "to enforce strict discipline so this kind of incident does not take place."
The rape of an Okinawan schoolgirl by three US servicemen in 1995 triggered outrage on Okinawa and led the two countries to agree that Washington would give "sympathetic consideration" to requests for suspects to be turned over prior to indictment for serious crimes.
The first US serviceman on Okinawa to be turned over to Japanese police prior to indictment was an airman arrested for rape in July 2001. In that case, US military officials delayed transferring him for four days after an arrest warrant was issued, saying they wanted guarantees his rights would be respected.
Officials said today they decided to turn over Torres after being assured his rights would be protected.
"The government of Japan assured the US government that the service member will receive fair and humane treatment throughout his detention," the US military said in a statement.
The hearing will help determine whether Staff Sgt. Frank J. Ronghi, 35, a Fort Bragg, N.C., serviceman, will face a court-martial in the Jan. 13 killing of the ethnic Albanian girl, whose snow-covered body was discovered after troops tracked a faint trail of blood. Ronghi could face a death sentence if convicted.
The charges are the most serious against a peacekeeper from any country since the 50,000-person NATO-led force entered the Yugoslav province on June 12. It could be weeks or months before the 1st Infantry Division commander decides whether to court-martial Ronghi.