When is somebody going to say "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OVER THERE?"
The Washington Post printed a story on page A15 yesterday by Ellen Knickmeyer, reporting from Iraq. HERE'S THE STORY. (thank you, Grassroot!) The story, first picked up by Editor and Publisher, claims that the "woman" raped and killed in the most recent allegation of abuse by US troops was in fact only 15 years old.
The Washington Post article quotes a neighbor, who said he counseled the girl's mother, who claimed that her daughter expressed fear regarding excessive attention paid to her at a checkpoint: 'I told her that 'the Americans would not do such a thing'.
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Apparently, the military claims the age of the woman was
20.
While I am open to the fact that 'sources' in Iraq may indeed be trying to make the incident seem worse by falsely claiming the girl was younger than she was, the track record of our military where lying is concerned leads me to believe the neighbors.
In my mind, the question is long past due, regardless of the age of the victim involved. But, if indeed these crimes are true, and the victim indeed only 15 years old, it's time for everybody to stand up and ask:
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OVER THERE???!!!
UPDATE I know its a dichotomy to say that 'It doesn't matter how old she was',( the fact that it happens AT ALL is enough atrocity for us to stomach), and at the same time say 'it is indeed somehow worse if in-fact the article by Ellen Knickmeyer proves true.'
But it just is worse.
And, if this story proves true, I will rain 'blogger hell' on the first apologist who starts talking about how young girls routinely get married much earlier 'over there'.
Second update: Her name was ABEER QASIM HAMZA.