The Death Penalty... Foreign Relations... What do you Think?

[JMU DJ]

So there are varying opinions on the death penalty issue, a lot of them have to do with culture, religion, upbringing, etc. Personally I feel that if we are "punishing" someone by putting them to death, wouldn't a better punishment be solitary confinement to a cell for 23 hours a day with solitary exercise in the "yard" an hour a day for the rest of their life? Take this soldier for example, Iraqi's want this guy dead, which is justice in their minds. That's fine with me, it's their culture and their country and that's how the law and justice works for them. But this guy was found guilty in America and now the question is whether or not he should be put to death. I just think it would be more just for this guy to have to sit alone for the rest of his life and live with what he has done, which could be a really long time since he's only 24.

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — A former soldier's life will be in the hands of a western Kentucky jury after the panel convicted him of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl and killing her family in Iraq.

The 12 jurors were scheduled to reconvene Monday to weigh the penalty in the case of one-time Army Pfc. Steven Dale Green, 24, of Midland, Texas. Green was convicted Thursday in federal court in Paducah in the March 12, 2006, attack on Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and her family in a village about 20 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.

One of Green's defense attorneys, Darren Wolff, said the strategy all along was to focus on the penalty phase and avoid a death sentence.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD981UBK80

This decision in general, is going to be big in the American Foreign PR department either way it goes. With all the negative/hurtful things our soldiers have done to the Iraqi people, I wonder why they feel there's no justice. Convicting this man is a step, but I think the only way Iraqis will believe justice has been served is if this soldier is put to death.

...So I guess this is more than just a death penalty discussion, but take it as you please.

[dbackjon]

Even with a death penalty verdict, unless he waves all appeals, it will be years before an execution - which will infuriate the Iraqis.


But, we have to give him the American Justice system (although why is this a civilian, not a military trial?)

[JMU DJ]

From the same Article:

Charges were brought in civilian court under a 2000 law allowing the government to charge former soldiers with alleged crimes committed overseas. Green was charged in June 2006, a month after being discharged from the Army with a personality disorder before the military investigated the murders and rape.

[Wedgebuster]

Ok, if this is being prosecuted as civilian, he should be extradited back to Iraq to stand trial there.

[AZGrizFan]

With all the negative/hurtful things our soldiers have done to the Iraqi people.....

You just lost all credibility with that statement.

[JMU DJ]

Ok, if this is being prosecuted as civilian, he should be extradited back to Iraq to stand trial there.

That's how some of the Iraqi people feel...

"If American court has convicted the American soldier I will consider the U.S. government to be just and fair," said Mohammed Abbas Muhsin, 36, an employee at a municipal electricity department. "This verdict will give the rights back to the family, the relatives and the clan of the victim Abeer."

But Ahmed Fadhil al-Khafaji, a 32-year-old barber, said, "The American court and government are just trying to show the world that they are fair and just." He added, "If they are really serious about it, they should hand the soldier over to an Iraqi court to be kept in Abu Ghraib prison and tried by Iraqis."

Civil servant Qassim Abed, 45, said, "Even if this court convicts him, I don't believe he will go to prison," he said. "The court should sentence them all to death for their horrible crimes."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... 1&catnum=1

[JMU DJ]

With all the negative/hurtful things our soldiers have done to the Iraqi people.....

You just lost all credibility with that statement.

Are you kidding? This guy raped and murdered a family... not to mention Abu Ghraib and the interrogation methods that have been used. Yeah, we've done a lot of great things for the Iraqis and they were happy with us at first... but then you get D-bags who go and fuck up and then have people like you who try to brush it under the rug and say every thing is honky dory.

[Cleets Part 2]

With all the negative/hurtful things our soldiers have done to the Iraqi people.....

You just lost all credibility with that statement.

You are the one losing credibility my friend...

try to remain open to updated information
It's not good nor bad... it's just data points
Existentialism shows that one thing and no-thing are all good or all bad...
they are simply as they should be

As a good existentialist knows:
"Everything is as it should be, otherwise it would be different..."

The holy Cleetus has spoken - revel in his brilliance - his dispassionate honesty

Where's OL FU to smack me around

[BlueHen86]

So there are varying opinions on the death penalty issue, a lot of them have to do with culture, religion, upbringing, etc. Personally I feel that if we are "punishing" someone by putting them to death, wouldn't a better punishment be solitary confinement to a cell for 23 hours a day with solitary exercise in the "yard" an hour a day for the rest of their life? Take this soldier for example, Iraqi's want this guy dead, which is justice in their minds. That's fine with me, it's their culture and their country and that's how the law and justice works for them. But this guy was found guilty in America and now the question is whether or not he should be put to death. I just think it would be more just for this guy to have to sit alone for the rest of his life and live with what he has done, which could be a really long time since he's only 24.

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — A former soldier's life will be in the hands of a western Kentucky jury after the panel convicted him of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl and killing her family in Iraq.

The 12 jurors were scheduled to reconvene Monday to weigh the penalty in the case of one-time Army Pfc. Steven Dale Green, 24, of Midland, Texas. Green was convicted Thursday in federal court in Paducah in the March 12, 2006, attack on Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and her family in a village about 20 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.

One of Green's defense attorneys, Darren Wolff, said the strategy all along was to focus on the penalty phase and avoid a death sentence.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD981UBK80

This decision in general, is going to be big in the American Foreign PR department either way it goes. With all the negative/hurtful things our soldiers have done to the Iraqi people, I wonder why they feel there's no justice. Convicting this man is a step, but I think the only way Iraqis will believe justice has been served is if this soldier is put to death.

...So I guess this is more than just a death penalty discussion, but take it as you please.

I am against the death penalty. I have no problem with this guy serving life in an Iraqi prison.

[BlueHen86]

You just lost all credibility with that statement.

Are you kidding? This guy raped and murdered a family... not to mention Abu Ghraib and the interrogation methods that have been used. Yeah, we've done a lot of great things for the Iraqis and they were happy with us at first... but then you get D-bags who go and fuck up and then have people like you who try to brush it under the rug and say every thing is honky dory.

You make it sound as if all of our soldiers have misbehaved. My guess is that the vast majority performed in a way that we can br proud of. I have no problem with severly punishing those that didn't.

[JMU DJ]

You make it sound as if all of our soldiers have misbehaved. My guess is that the vast majority performed in a way that we can be proud of. I have no problem with severely punishing those that didn't.

Did not mean to come across that way, sorry if I offended on that basis... I have plenty of friends who have or are currently serving in Iraq and they are all men of good character and I do support our troops, but I agree with you. Those who do wrong, especially to those we are trying to protect, should not be tolerated, which comes back around to the point I was trying to get at. In Iraq this guy would have been tried and executed by now, our legal system is different and there are many who oppose the death penalty. Either way, I have no problem... in my eyes if the person has done something despicable enough to garner a death sentence then that's fine, but I feel life alone in a cell is probably a harsher punishment.

[ASUMountaineer]

I am against the death penalty. Government should not have the power to carry out an execution, and a jury of 12 should not have the power to order an execution. It's scary to me, that 12 people could have that power.

[Grizalltheway]

I am against the death penalty. Government should not have the power to carry out an execution, and a jury of 12 should not have the power to order an execution. It's scary to me, that 12 people could have that power.

Especially considering some of the people who end up on jury duty.

[ASUMountaineer]

I am against the death penalty. Government should not have the power to carry out an execution, and a jury of 12 should not have the power to order an execution. It's scary to me, that 12 people could have that power.

Especially considering some of the people who end up on jury duty.

Yup.

[AZGrizFan]

You make it sound as if all of our soldiers have misbehaved. My guess is that the vast majority performed in a way that we can be proud of. I have no problem with severely punishing those that didn't.

Did not mean to come across that way, sorry if I offended on that basis... I have plenty of friends who have or are currently serving in Iraq and they are all men of good character and I do support our troops, but I agree with you. Those who do wrong, especially to those we are trying to protect, should not be tolerated, which comes back around to the point I was trying to get at. In Iraq this guy would have been tried and executed by now, our legal system is different and there are many who oppose the death penalty. Either way, I have no problem... in my eyes if the person has done something despicable enough to garner a death sentence then that's fine, but I feel life alone in a cell is probably a harsher punishment.

I took it the same way as 86 did....and apology accepted.