Dishonorable Soldier
September 18, 2009 • Ashley Grummel
Filed under National News
On Friday September 4, in Paducah, Kentucky ex-soldier Steven Green received five consecutive life sentences for playing a role in the rape and murder of a teenager and the murder of three relatives in Iraq. Green was not the only one charged for the rape and murders; he was only the first charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. Three other soldiers were also investigated and were all charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice where two of the soldiers pleaded guilty and the other was convicted. Green was the one to shoot the mother, father, and sister of the raped teenager. After being the third to rape the teenager, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi he shot her in the face. On March 12, 2006 the soldiers set her body on fire outside of her home.
When the panel was trying to come up with the decision there was a struggle in deciding whether or not Green should get the death sentence. In conclusion, he wasn’t given the death sentence, but was sentenced to life in prison. He won’t be eligible for early release or any release from jail. The U.S. District Judge Thomas Russell said, “What the defendant did was horrifying and inexcusable. The court believes any lesser sentence would be insufficient”(MSNBC 2009). Green was convicted in May for rape, conspiracy, and multiple accounts of murder by the civilian jury. Unlike the other three who were also convicted, Green was convicted as a civilian due to the fact that when the army finally pressed charges, Green had already been discharged with a personality disorder and had been returned to the U.S.
Green told the judge that he was only following the orders given to him by the other soldiers. He said, “They planned it. All I ever did was what they told me to do”(MSNBC 2009). Green was repeatedly apologizing to the al-Janabi family during his May hearing. When describing the actions he performed he describes them as evil. He said, “When I die there will be justice and whatever I deserve, I’ll get” (MSNBC 2009). Green’s defense attorneys were only concentrating on keeping him alive by using witnesses that would testify that the military had failed to notice that Green was a troubled teen, didn’t recognize or help the soldier who was struggling emotionally, and didn’t provide the leadership Green needed. The defense attorneys never challenged that Green played a role in the killings. Green also stated, “You can act like I’m a sociopath. You can act like I’m a sex offender or whatever. If I had not joined the Army, if I had not gone to Iraq, I would not have got caught up in anything.” (MSNBC 2009).
Green should not be blaming the military for something that he did. He might have said that he was just following orders but he could have said no or tried to stop the other three soldiers who were also involved the rape. He didn’t have to kill the teenager’s parents and sister and he didn’t have to rape and kill the girl. The military is not responsible for what this man did; he is responsible for his own actions.
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I think this is so wrong. I mean the fact that soldiers, people who are supposed to be protecting our country from any kind of harm, being charged of rape. Can you imagine that? Green also had a very disturbing explanation of his actions. There should be absolutely no reason for a soldier to have forced sexual relations with anyone, especially not while on duty. The only up part of this whole thing is that he admits what he does is “evil.” I think its wrong that his defensive team blaming the military, for overlooking the fact that he was a “trouble teen.” For a soldier to do something oh so gruesome is disturbing.
-Funmi
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