The U.S. military has cleared a soldier of unlawfully killing an Iraqi civilian after investigators concluded Specialist Nathan Lynn had reason to believe the man was carrying a gun when he opened fire. Charges were brought against Lynn last month at a time when several murder investigations into U.S. troops in Iraq have prompted questions about their behavior and complaints from the new Iraqi government about a culture of impunity among soldiers. I am glad to see that this soldier is pardoned because convicting him would have done nothing but cause problems.
~Bo Barfield
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Keep in mind that other soldiers, notably those from the infamous Abu Ghraib photos, have been prosecuted and convicted of crimes while serving in Iraq. This issue is not about the use of force -- that's why this soldier was found innocent -- it's about the use of unnecessary force and/or illegal force, both of which are clearly defined under American law.
I'm so thankful for what our soldiers are doing for us and I hate to think that they're committing crimes over there but I'm sure it happens on occasion. Part of me can't blame them for using excessive and/or illegal force. If I had seen things that soldiers have seen in combat such as friends and fellow soldiers being killed I think I would have a hard time controlling my emotions the next time I saw or got my hands on a suspect. I believe that other crimes like rape or the actions from the Abu Ghraib photos, which I just looked up and are pretty disturbing, are obviously unexcusable and should be punished to the full extent of the law.
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