3 U.S. soldiers charged with murder in Iraq deaths - Los Angeles Times

3 U.S. soldiers charged with murder in Iraq deaths - Los Angeles Times

In recent news, three US soldiers were charged with pre-meditated murder of Iraqis. The nature of the "victims" relationship to the triggering event has not been disclosed at this point. As the spouse of a disabled Iraq veteran, this action by the United States is disturbing.

Treating PTSD involves recalling and processing the traumatic event(s) instead of avoiding the trauma, to basically desensitize yourself from the trauma. In many cases, the fear of prosecution prevents soldiers, particularly Iraq veterans, from ever confronting the particular traumatic event.

Stories abound of soldiers returning from war and harmlessly telling war tales only to later be prosecuted for murder or other war crimes. While I generally agree that these acts should be curtailed in Iraq, I also believe that knowledge is the key to preventing the problem, not prosecution. Often, the acts committed by the soldier was done in a threatening situation where the soldier had no time to react otherwise or where the soldier was actually told or encouraged to do these acts by a superior officer or other agency (CIA), which would later denounce the act if made public. These prosecutions, and their effect upon returning soldiers, need to be curtailed so that veterans can receive the help they need to deal with their debilitating problems. Otherwise, we are perpetuating the problem.

As the spouse of a disabled veteran, the need for treatment outweighs the preventative nature of prosecution. The acts occurring in Iraq will continue, and our returning soldiers will continue to keep the traumatic thoughts buried out of fear of prosecution, whether real or imagined.