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Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn Why would top brass want to cover up? |
I am not about to jump to conclusions, but I think a formal investigation is warranted- when you add the racial element to the apparently somewhat stonewalling attitude of the Army, especially so.
It is the above question that interests, and puzzles me most. Military cover-ups are nothing new however, and certainly not a US phenomenon. Without speculating guilt, some theoretical reasons-
Public opinion 'back home'- an increasingly unpopular foreign war certainly would not be made more popular after an incident of this nature. And black americans make an inordinately high number of recruits.
Morale on the ground- maybe it was thought the effect on troop morale within Iraq would be too bad, although this sounds weak to me.
'Esprit de Corps'- Military prefer to handle disciplinary matters themselves, plus there are issues like the shame to the regiment, and the 'protect ones own' ethos- if the charge were to apply to a senior officer, both of these factors would be enhanced powerfully. It would be an example of esprit de Corps gone bad.
There is also the matter of whether any cover-up, if indeed there was one, was necessarily at Top Brass level.