Yeah, war is pretty awful. It can really mess with your head. He needs to pay for what he's done though, even if he may have been failed by his superiors.

We should of handed him over to the Iraqis. Don't care how much war screws with your head. You don't get to rape a 14 yr old then kill her and her family.

I fully agree that justice was not served and reflects poorly on America.. This is a very sad day when someone can do what he did and get away with it.

Athena, Drakkonis,Tim Pheil and Ritchie

What we have here is the classic example of American Exceptionalism that the rest of the world sees but we refuse to see. In fact, we had rather just sweep incidents like this under the carpet like we did Iraq's WMD.

this wasn't swept under the carpet. I'm pretty sure making national & international news doesn't qualify as "sweeping under the carpet".

and we are exceptional. We air our dirty laundry. The reason that Iraqis believe that ABU Graib was a thousand times worse than it was is because they are used to getting very filtered news. So when they see huge stories like this one and Abu Graib they think it is going on in every prison and every unit.

This person deserved death but apparently someone lied on their Jury questionair when asked. (could you hand down a death sentence if it was warranted.)

Dont give me that crap about believing bad command had anything to do with this other than not spotting any signs this guy was trouble.

In addition to the Iraqi Family and the poor girl that had to endure this animals wrath. Other American Soldiers have died specifically because of this mans actions. My guess is there are a few soldiers that would end this guys existence if given the opportunity without a second thought. He made every soldier in Iraqs Job that much harder.

1st this man deserves the death sentence, no doubt about it, shame on the weak jury. its shameful he tried to blame his actions on the stress of war and bad leadership, my husband and father have both been to iraq and yes its stressful, yes they both came back with depression etc but not once did they ever think about raping and murdering civillian kids!!!!!

just in response to the justice was not served, reflects poorly on america etc etc - at least we have condemned his actions and have punished him, the iraqi's who captured, tortured, mutilated and murdered 2 soldiers after the death of this iraqi family have been hailed as heroes in iraq, they will never have to face a court even after dragging their mutilated bodies through the street. this civillian family did not deserve what they want through and its horrific, but other iraqi's are just as evil, with their public torture of captured soldiers, at least we have the decency to charge ours with a crime

What this story fails to mention is that this was not a family randomly chosen. These troopers had seen this girl and knew where she lived, so I don't buy stress as being a part of the causes for this horrendous crime. This, I believe, was planned as a rape, after drinking and talking about sex. When they realized what they had done, they were forced to attempt to hide their identities with murder. If you believe all American service personal are good all American boys and girls you are in for a huge surprise.

Liviticus 1566, you are disgusting! You are no better than any of God's human creatures. Come back with one of your hateful, Racist remarks :A.s.s H.o.l.e.!

Sorry tyler, have to agree with John Smith. There were no "issues and arguments" to "address". Disgusting racial hatred should be called out for what it is.

lilly, I agree with you 100%. This reflects so poorly on America as a whole. He needs to be put to death, and soon. Wish I had been on his jury.

It is appalling that the first two were provided an opportunity for parole. Hopefully the board will identify that a crime such as there's deserves no parole. It's horrendous what these three did. If this was an American 14 year old girl and her family were killed would we have the same verdict. Couldn't the same argument be used on the streets of our larger cities. Growing up in American can be war and there are few leaders who are providing the support our teens need. I'm glad all three have been sentencced. And while we are out it, let's lock up this war that is so harming our troops.

Maybe now that they missed the chance to hand down a verdict of death, they can at least make sure he has a belt and some shoe laces to accompany a cell with pipes in the ceiling. He may decide to end his own life rather than live a life in prison. That would at least save taxpayers some money. A belt and shoe laces don't cost much. This is definitely a case that proves the usefullness of the death penalty. In most cases I don't agree with the death penalty. It's too hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in most cases. DNA evidence frees people on death row at a staggering rate. This is, however, and open and shut case.

can we have all of the men who have tortured, mutilated and murdered our soldiers after capturing them, dragging their bodies through the streets. our soldier deserved the death penalty for sure but at least we have held our criminal accoutnable for his actions, iraqi's applaud there criminals and make them heroes

how would you like it if someone lied to you and based on that lie, invaded your precious american democracy? and destroyed your infrastructure and killed your civilians( until today, the only weapon of mas destruction found in IRAQ are depleted uranium shells and bombs dropped by YOU).
and built Abu Ghraib and raped your mama and sister and fag brother?

TELL ME ???
do you really think that the rest of the world is gonna let this go by?
and everyone of us of the rest of the world is watching America LIE and LIE LIE. for what? gas?

this man has done an evil thing and sadly no justice was done... IRAQI'S should applaud their freedom fighters.

Third World Man,

Just want to let you know that America didn't build Abu Ghraib. Actually, the British built Abu Ghraib a long time ago, and it was operated by the Iraqi's up until the '03 invasion when Saddam ordered all the prisoners in Iraq be released. America then took over Abu Ghraib to house all of the "detainees" that would be captured from then on.

On another note, I agree that this man should die four times for what he did. There is no reasoning that should allow a man (functionable enough to join the military) to get life in prison for such a digusting crime. I am pretty sure that after age 18, people are tried as adults in America, but maybe I am wrong.

True, that sentence served in Iraq's jail would have not lasted nearly as long as the U.S. sentence sadly will. They would have hastened his end considerably, and that would have been better justice.

thats a horrible thought I hope you are wrong. This man killed a 6 year old girl a mother and a father and then he raped a 14 year old child. When he finished he shot her in the face and set the body on fire to destroy any evidence.

The Jury saw that and chose not to execute this monster. If there is one case I have ever heard that deserved the Death penalty for it heinousness, disregard of the consequences, and utter selfish destruction of another human being for 5 minutes of sexual relief this is it. He deserves death but instead he will have 45 years or so to try and reclaim his soul.

Since the jury did not see fit to have this animal executed, he should be placed in permanent solitary confinement and have pictures of that poor girl and her family covering all space on the walls of his cell. That way he is forced to have to face the consequences of his act every waking moment! Even that probably is not punishment enough.

jamey i dont think there is anyone in the country who does not think he deserved the death penalty, everyone here is condeming his actions, all of my military friends are horrified by what he did and think he should have been put to death and at the very least served his sentence in a military prison which is much worse since he committed the crime whilst serving the military. you are wrong to bring up racism here, no one thinks this iraqi family is worth anything less than an americans.

ed navdoc- Unfortunately pictures of a victim are not punishment to a predator they would become trophies. I wish we could put a conscience into his body and make him feel what a normal person feels but that is not possible.

You are most likely right Brad. It is just that, like most people here, what this animal did make my blood boil. This monster will pay for his crimes one way or the other, either at the hand of man or a higher power.

prboss - read the article before you start badmouthing Texas. The trial wasn't in Texas, it was in Kentucky where the 101st is based. And, altho the article didn't state it, I guessing it was a military trial which means there were no civilians on the jury - only active duty military personnel. I do have a question for you however. This crime was unspeakably horrible on its own, so why are you trying to play the race card?

not a military trial. murder under the UCMJ is automatically death. article said he was discharged before he was arrested. it was out of the army's hands.

as much as I am sadden that he went through so much in war....I have to say that there have been many other soldiers from the civil war to the VN war and before, that went through just as much as he did, and didnt find it necessary to rape and kill.

Im not saying it didnt happen during any of these other wars.....its just.....there are many, many, many thousands of men and women who didnt commit this type of crime.

The sentence doesn't fit the crime.

the other soldiers involved did not recieve death. And they were all tried by the military. But generally your right the military is a lot harsher on criminals than the civillian courts.

how is it possible than any of them could recieve parole?

because 'techically' all the other soldiers did was rape the girl, we dont give out life sentences for rape, we should but we dont, you know a good lawyer will get people off on technicalities. the main culprit, the one who raped and murdered the family has been given life by a civilian jury not a military jury, if it was military he would have gotten the death penalty for sure. this isnt just because it was an iraqi family, justice in america is never served, it doesnt matter the colour of the skin of the victim, look at the news, child killers, pedophiles, murderes rarely get the sentences you and i believe they should, the reality is our country is full of bleeding heart liberals and religious people who simply dont believe in the death penalty no matter what the crime and unfortunatly these people get on juries.

well i'm a bleeding heart liberal, who says if you don't apply the death penalty here, you can't apply it anywhere. This is the type of crime is why we have it in the first place.

Altho I honestly think lifein prison is a much worse punishment, especially for a kid this age. He could spend the next 50 years in a small box 22 hours a day. There's some kind of justice in that, I guess.

There ARE worse things than death, eh?

xlor, it's POSs like you that find a way to twist the discussion on a topic like this into a pathetic rant about your displeasure for Obama. Go post your pea brained political barfs on a more appropriate forum like the "Republicans-Good, Democrats-Bad" board.

jsteve - the comment made is absoulutely true. when was the last time you saw a story on this website about all the good things the military has done. im suprised that you didnt blame bush in your reply. what the guy did was horrible and unexcusable. now leave your parents basement and get a job

"go suck an egg u piece of crap, the discussion is about a scumbag, oh, ur one too, now u get a life u piece of crap"

using language like that doesn't make you any better. Everyone has their own opinions however skewed it might be. But that doesn't constitute the use of namecalling. Can we all please act like responsible adults?

And yes I agree, msnbc sure has a way of depicting the military from a biased view, but I still happen to like the news. This particular article though.. stress can be handled in many different ways, and this "soldier" handled it very badly. Stress doesn't justify the brutal rape and murder of that young girl and her family. It seems as if attorneys these days are willing to do anything for money.

xlor82 and amused-533781,

Why don't either of you post some "good" coming out of Iraq?

Since the liberal media can't seem to find anything good in Iraq to show the American public, why don't you two step up to the task? Post proof of the representative, democratic utopia that our troops have installed in Iraq. Surely you've got some pictures or video?

The Iraq war is a complete, stage-managed lie. When US officials visit Iraq, they're only shown a limited, heavily guarded area, and the military pays off Iraqi locals to come outside and smile for the cameras and get patted on the head by US generals doing public relations photo ops. They did the same thing when they televised the Iraqis tearing down the Saddam stature after the invasion. So the only "good" you're going to see coming out of Iraq is the scripted and rehearsed kind. It's not a war, it's an illegal invasion, occupation, and brutal oppression of innocent civilians in their own country.

This incident, and hundreds more like it committed by US troops in uniform, under the American flag, in the name of the American people are an example of the ugly truth of this so called war.

Come on tyler...Lot's of personal attacks on in this thread... Carol Smith-1119447 should be censored...Her post was a personal attach..

". . .but military bashers will use a story like this. . ." A quick civics lesson xlor: President Obama is the commander-in-chief of the military. You don't get to have it both ways.

Bravo, Tyler!

Robert Stone, truer words were never spoken. Unfortunately, thanks to the US media and it's complicity with our real enemy, the truth will never be revealed to even a majority of Americans.

Sad fact is that what we see and hear in the media shapes most Americans' view of the outside world.

Those that control the media, control the minds of the masses.

Ms J in Dallas where do you get your info? You were in Iraq when? You are in the military and worked side by side with other soldiers when? I really want to know this because as a Iraq Veteran you are spilling absolute LIES about the men and women who are doing their job and fighting to allow people like you the freedom to spill such hate.

Does that poor girl and her family get any semblance of life? I have absolutely no pity for Green whatsoever! He deserves everything he gets.

at least the iraqi family got some justice, we have locked him up for life and condemned him as a nation, now where is the justice for the families of the 2 soldiers captured, tortured, mutilared, murdered and paraded through the streets of iraq as revenge for the iraqi family, there families will never get justice!

they should have never gone there in the first place.... and they are getting justice as we speak in hell actually....

Exactly!!!

All in favor of a life sentence for this monster leave your name for we will be billing you for his incarceration costs. All of those who do not believe in the death penalty will have to pay. It is only fair- put your money where your beliefs and convictions are. It won't be much-probably a dollar a month at most since perhaps 250 million do not believe in the death penalty.

I paid $19,000 in income taxes last year and i pay towards lots of things i don't agree with,one example is social programs..

I don't know what real world you are living in,most certainly not this one...

anyone given a life sentence might as well be executed, we have already deemed them as unable to return to society EVER so whats the point, a life sentence should automatically equal the death penalty, whats the point is jailing someone for life, all it is is a drain on money!

Did that 14-year-old girl behead anybody, Liviticus?

In fact, NO Americans, soldiers or otherwise, have ever been reported beheaded in Iraq. Much less by a 14-year-old girl and her civilian family.

How can one be so non-reflective as to make these leaps? Sadly, people like you are fodder for the fear 'n anger machine of certain political "leaders," and even more sadly you voted them back in after disconnects like yours had already been exposed for the double-talk they are.

If you condone raping and killing an innocent teenage girl in Iraq because someone in Asia was beheaded by a twisted terrorist group, YOU are un-American. YOU do not subscribe to American values.

The torture and mutilated stuff I really expect from those backward countries who pray not for peace but for death and destruction to their enemies (whoever is on their "sh!tlist for the week, pick one).

But I expect more from America, higher standards for the conduct of our soldiers - and while the death penalty is not much to make up for his horrible crime, he should have gone to the head of line for a firing squad or whatever.

The case was tried in Kentucky, genius.

Agreed and agreed, german. There is no chance for rehabilitation for someone who can murder an entire family just to rape and murder a 14-year-old child!