New York Times Special Report: 121 Veterans Of Iraq And Afghanistan Charged With Killing Upon Returning Home

New York Times:

Late one night in the summer of 2005, Matthew Sepi, a 20-year-old Iraq combat veteran, headed out to a 7-Eleven in the seedy Las Vegas neighborhood where he had settled after leaving the Army.

This particular 7-Eleven sits in the shadow of the Stratosphere casino-hotel in a section of town called the Naked City. By day, the area, littered with malt liquor cans, looks depressed but not menacing. By night, it becomes, in the words of a local homicide detective, "like Falluja."

Mr. Sepi did not like to venture outside too late. But, plagued by nightmares about an Iraqi civilian killed by his unit, he often needed alcohol to fall asleep. And so it was that night, when, seized by a gut feeling of lurking danger, he slid a trench coat over his slight frame -- and tucked an assault rifle inside it.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[balance]

Just read through the entire article.

It wasn't mentioned there, but it might be useful to point out that there may be a connection between head trauma and the decreased ability to control and suppress violent impulses. -- Not that this may excuse, or apply to all or most cases of these crimes.

Just google: brain injury violence

In Iraq, it is particularly relevant because of the high incidents of IED's. Explosions cause head injuries.

There are programs underway to monitor traumatic head injuries.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3617465&page=1

Maybe data from this will be compared to violent crime rates, in order to study any links.

Also, being able to measure head injuries would be helpful for doctors to treat brain injuries, that would otherwise be unrecognized, sooner in order to decrease inflammation and reduce long term permanent damage.

However, this program isn't a cureall for the need for psychological counseling for PTSD, and deprogramming war instincts.

[johnpherson]

They've seen too much, been, have participated in behavior that has subjected some to who knows what kind of dehumanizing experience, they are victims too...

[johnpherson]

Not even a whole battalion of shit eating grinned Tom Brady types, no f-ing way...

[johnpherson]

I'm sorry but I've always thought even the most ardent of "support the troops" types wouldn't let anyway near a majority of their "beloved heroes" into 'their homes.'

[lovethesinner]

WE BECOME OUR ENEMIES.

We return home, and the terrorist comes with us. We aren't "fighting THEM over there so we don't have to fight THEM over here. WE'RE FIGHTING THEM OVER THERE AND SUFFERING WITH THEM HERE AT HOME.

[Mort]

8 pages so far. Mostly spam and backbiting. Such a thrilling, enlightening, progressive thread!

[ZHarris]

There ain't no place in America, I AM AFRAID. Not downtown Detroit, not Chicago, not Washington DC, not LA. I've walked these streets, seen plenty of "big" people and not been AFRAID.

Then again, I've never been to a stupid war...

[johnnycanuck]

War. What is it good for ? Absolutely nothing . Say it again .

[lovethesinner]

Sit through this short film and ask yourself, why is this man speaking in 1974 sounding like he's talking about today? Ignore who's speaking, just listen to the topic, and the names of the media outlets.

A candid moment with the (former) Shah of iran: (tagline: it's not easy being a puppet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQgZ3oLp_WY&NR=1

[BWonka]

Not to worry - Blackwater will hire them. They love their fellow criminals.

[PuffAndStuff]

Damned shame.

After what they've experienced they come back to 'civilization' totally fucked up in the head.

WAR ... what's it good for .. absolutely nothing.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the real blame for all of this is Bush. If he hadn' sent those men to a war we didn't need, want, none of this would be happening now. Its further proof of Bush's need to be impeached, jailed for war crimes. Those men while in iraq saw the kinds of violence our vietnam vets witnessed. Mentally, its made them emotionally unstable, and as they didn't get post traumatic stress treatment upon thier return? They are now time bombs waiting to go off. In no way should they have committed crime, but they need counselling along with legal aide. You cannot throw men into hell and not expect problems.
This is why we must end this war now. Not down the line, or in years, NOW. We cannot afford more economic hardship, dead soldiers, over ups. Its time for all of the politicans running to denounce this war, ad demand it ended. For the good of our soldiers and our people.

[MikeMidCity]

And do we even want to get into the shameless treatment that the vets have received at the hands of the BUSH REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION.

One of the many reasons to be against this shameless, illegal, unjustified, preemptive war that the warmongers Bush/Cheney started with the help of an easily manipulated congress.

BUT THE TROOPS DIDN'T START IT. They are just going back to the combat theater with PTSD for the 2nd and 3rd time. It's like driving a car that is about ready to stop running, but since it still starts ..... well we are driving this into the ground and all this is a sign.

[Rubiconski]

They want approval, appreciation and honors for terrorism, torture, and murder. They want a university degree so they can get an even higher salary terrorizing more people around the world with security companies such as Blackwater or Halliburton.

They want that appropriately named “sheepskin” so they can join the CIA, FBI, and other police and track down and terrorize US residents here.

These military and mercenary terrorist-students are trained in terrorist training camps all over the USA, funded by American taxpayers.

In fact, people under the USA are “sacrificing” their health care and their children’s educations while donating their tax dollars to these terrorist training camps.

These terrorist camps train money hungry working class stiffs to murder, steal and plunder for the power hungry US corporate war lords.

There is a saying that “if you do the crime, you do the time”. My response is that “If you do the war crimes, you will do time in hell."

Whether the hell of war trauma and shock, of diseases such as those caused by depleted uranium, or the old-fashioned traditional hell, fire and brimstone assigned to malefactors…

[Rubiconski]

The rhetoric of fighting for freedom and democracy is a lie that cannot blanket the horror and guilt of the terrorism.

US soldiers do not want to hear that participation in invasion and occupation, murder and pillaging, is logically inconsistent with any legitimate concept of freedom or liberation.

Their Arab victims are nothing more to them than collateral damage, incidental to their receipt of some money and an education.

They sacrificed their lives, limbs and sanity for money, some education and the thrills of the violence for which they are socially bred.

Their position is supported by many, who, vegetating according to the American Plan, believe they should “support their troops”.

To be fair, some intentions have been honorable at the time that they joined the military. They wanted to “help other people”. A few join the military so they would be working to “free and defend” people here and abroad. However, for the most part and by their own admission, personal financial gain is their main focus in signing on.

Many join the US military upon completion of a degree because with the degree they get a bigger “sign on” bonus of ten to fifty thousand dollars. Their bottom line is getting the money and their thrills by joining and belonging to the biggest terrorist organization in the world, the USA.