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jeff house
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 518

posted 13 January 2008 09:25 AM      Profile for jeff house     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
NEW YORK (AP) — At least 121 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have committed a killing or been charged in one in the United States after returning from combat, The New York Times reported Sunday.
The newspaper said it also logged 349 homicides involving all active-duty military personnel and new veterans in the six years since military action began in Afghanistan, and later Iraq. That represents an 89-percent increase over the previous six-year period, the newspaper said.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-13-veterans-killings_N.htm


From: toronto | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Tommy_Paine
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 214

posted 13 January 2008 09:54 AM      Profile for Tommy_Paine     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
A military spokesman, Lt. Col. Les Melnyk, questioned the report's premise and research methods, the newspaper said. He said it aggregated crimes ranging from involuntary manslaughter to murder, and he suggested the apparent increase in homicides involving military personnel and veterans in the wartime period might reflect only "an increase in awareness of military service by reporters since 9/11."

I suspect the Colonel is generally wrong. I believe we saw the same phenomena with returning soldiers from the Vietnam war.

But, I also think the statistics don't compare what this demographic is against that of the general public, or similar demographics in age, gender and military service to those in the military that haven't served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and again compared to the same age and gender demographic to those who have never been in the military.

Having confused all that, my sneaking suspicion is that it all goes back to military training.

There's a lot of time and effort and research devoted to getting a person ready for military combat, but very little spent on getting a military person ready to transition back to civilian life, or out of a combat setting.


From: The Alley, Behind Montgomery's Tavern | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
KenS
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1174

posted 13 January 2008 10:39 AM      Profile for KenS     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
As Tommy pointed out, the same thing happened after Vietnam.

I don't know any homicide numbers. But 50,000 US soldiers died in combat- and it did not take that many years until 50,000 Vietnam Vets had commited suicide.

The US military could certainly do more, but it has done a lot about the transition. But this still is the consequence.


From: Minasville, NS | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged
jeff house
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 518

posted 13 January 2008 11:42 AM      Profile for jeff house     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
He said it aggregated crimes ranging from involuntary manslaughter to murder

The CONSEQUENCE is the same in each case.

These crimes differ only in the degree of intentionality, or "mens rea" which can be proven.

If the prosecution cannot prove an intention to kill, something lesser than murder may be the correct charge.


From: toronto | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged

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