UPDATE: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 5:00 p.m.

Two soldiers face the death penalty for the rape and murder of a 14 year old girl and her family. A total of eight soldiers to be court-martialed.

The soldiers from the 502 Infantry Regiment allegedly raped a young women, killed her and burned her body to cover up the crime. They also allegedly killed a young her younger sister and two adults of the same family. If true this is a crime and should be treated as such. The military must show zero tolerance for this type of incidents.

There is no better way to lose the war and place other troops in danger than to have these individuals go unpunished.  In Afghanistan the Taliban used a similar incident to organize 15 Taliban who captured a local leader and hanged him. This act of  retribution with a small core group of 15 lauched the Taliban and they were able to seize power. " In a separate incident, two U.S. soldiers from the 502 Infantry Regiment were recently kidnapped, tortured and killed after their unit  was attacked.At least one of the soldiers was also beheaded. One member of the same platoon was overcome with feelings of guilt following the horrific death of his brother soldiers and approached his commanding officer.

Federal Prosecutors arrested Steven Green, a former soldier in connection with rape and murder of the Iraqi women and the murder of her immediate family. Four other members of the 502nd Infantry Regiment were also arrested and are being held in Mahmoudiya. If convicted of first degree murder the soldiers could face the death penalty under U.S. military law. It is alleged Green and at least two other soldiers plotted to rape the young women after noticing her at a security road check-point. The young girl became concerned and reported her fears to her mother who then confided to a neighbour.

The soldiers changed into civilian clothes and broke into the women's home. Green allegedly took her parents and younger sister into another adjacent room where he shot them with a K-47 he had found in the home. He returned to the other room and said to the other soldiers: "I just killed them. They are all dead". He then raped the women with another soldier and after Green finished having sex with her he is alledged to have shot her three times in the head. To cover up the crime he attempted to burn the young girl and the family home.

Compensation should forthwith be paid to the young kids who lost their immediate family.

The brutal deaths of the two American soldiers suggests they were targeted in revenge killings. Sunnis have the tradition of an "eye for an eye" and this fits this practice.

Such crimes empower the insurgency and add fuel to the fires. No decent person in any country would stand by and allow such crimes to continue. If this took place in Texas what would Americans do? The former regime still has men in the Sunni communities who come from the Republican Guards and other professional military units. They will not standby and watch such incidents go unpunished. The battle then becomes one brutal fight to the death with no prisoners. The Iraq-Iran war went on for 10 years with 1 million cassualties. Does the coalition want to go down this path?

With one billion moslems around the world watching justice must be seen to be done. We do not want thousands going to Iraq for a holy war or taking up arms in their home countries to avenge such outrageous. We also do not want American and coalition soldiers kidnapped, tortured and brutally killed because some idiots lacked moral values and commited criminal acts that do not serve any military or political objectives.

US troops should not be contributing to crime, anarchy, lawlessness and lack of security. The coalition is the only force in Iraq presently with the power to maintain security and law and order. Iraq has enough divisions, organized criminal gangs, sectarian divisions, foreign interference, hatred and suffering. It does not need soldiers preying on civilians and contributing to crime, anarchy, chaos and civil unrest. Discipline and professionalism must be instilled (or reinforced) and extreme measures adopted for those who commit crimes. The military police and military courts must first impose order on their own (including the death penalty if necessary)  if the coalition has any hope of creating law and order within a democratic Iraq.

The coalition can also learn from the Allies' occupation of Germany and Japan following WWII. The military leadership had strict, clear and detailed rules for dealing with the local populations in the military occupied zones. Discipline was strict. The same in the south following the American Civil War.

American and British commanders can also learn from their brothers in Afghanistan where US marines have helped Canadian armed forces establish a girls' orphanage and a school for disabled kids. Lt. Commander Albert Wong and the Canadian forces received an award of excellence from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The school for disabled kids was the FIRSt such school in Afghanistan and represents a model to role out more such schools. This is how you win the hearts and minds of the people!

Field Marshall Montgomery, in particular, set the detailed rules of fraternization that were realistic.

Theodore Tatsios, a retired US airforce general served in occupied Germany and Russia after the war. Theodore would always state how proud he was to serve in the US military. He stated that US troops were disciplined, professional and courteous to civilians. Today the Germans and Japanese are our friends and allies.

Moreover as troops return home their own physical and mental health will be detrimentally affected if they had to witness and cover up the crimes of fellow soldiers. In America most homeless are veterans. In Toronto there are several Canadian Vietnam veterans living in extreme poverty on the streets. Many have mental difficulties. The mental illness of many is directly connected to their war experiences. The horrors of war and the murder of innocent civilians will negatively affect the health of returning soldiers.

American soldiers are generally professional, decent and good people. The witnesses coming forward are other soldiers. The vast majority put their lives on the line for the good of the Iraqi people.

Soldiers returning from Iraq have been treated as hereos. Lima Company, covered extensively by Bill Roggio for "The Toronto Times" and Public Television, received a public parade, flowers, hugs and kisses from family and friends (not to mention all the beautiful girls lining the streets and waving American flags ). They defeated a brutal dictatorship and suffered the most casualties in Iraq and participated in the most engagements with the enemy.

We all want to make sure they continue to come home in good health and with a heroes welcome.