Alan, I think the truth is that, as described, it is an especially heinous crime that will do great damage to the trust that our men and women serving in Iraq have worked so hard to build. Henceforth, when American soldiers attempt to enter private homes for whatever legitimate reason, the occupants cannot fail to recall this story and wonder if the same is about to happen to them. Such fears may have been present before, and most will believe that most American soldiers wouldn't do such a thing, but, now that it has demonstrably occurred, in some part of their brain, they can't help but fear it might be about to happen to them as well, however unlikely that is.
This is not a story about prisoner abuse, that someone can rationalize as not being about themselves but "those other guys" or "those bad guys." This is about their home, their one safe place.
No, it isn't the worst crime ever committed but it definitely makes the job for the good men and women of our armed forces more dangerous and unpredictable. |
