The supreme victory for the rapist is proof that his victim 'enjoyed' it. Though he may force his way into her property, demolish her home, murder her loved ones, pillage her belongings, though he may terrify and humiliate her, beat and batter her, break her bones and tear her flesh, spill her blood, wound her organs and lay waste to her very soul, if, in the midst of the rape, between tears and shrieks of agony, if his victim should, for a moment, for some reason, any reason, if she should smile, or, better yet, orgasm, the rapist is redeemed; he is even (in his mind) heroic.

The American rapist-murderers of Baghdad didn't even get that satisfaction.

The rape of Abeer was not an isolated incident. Up to 400 other incidents of rape by American troops in Iraq have been documented by human rights organizations, NGOs and independent media. How many more have been undocumented?

The same commentator who groused about how bullying was universal also groaned that my focus on it was nothing new. The only way the travesty of raping troops is going to stop is by bringing them home. Until that happens, the horrors of occupation need continued exposure.

Rose Aguilar has reported on rape of US servicewomen in the US military by American servicemen, saying “since the fall of 2003, the Miles Foundation has documented 518 cases of sexual assault on women who have served or are serving in Middle Eastern countries." How many of these have been prosecuted? According to the Miles Foundation, fewer than 3% of reported assaults result in court martial, let alone punishment.

Last year, Lance Corporal Smith was found guilty of raping a 23-year-old management accounting graduate in a van in a former US navy base while on shore leave. The US insisted that the rapist be turned over to the US military. The Philippines objected, as they depend on American support. Smith will get easier treatment.

The US military has become notorious as an institution reluctant to confront a culture of abuse. .The Navy’s Tailhook Scandal in Las Vegas in which the Navy elite aviators including the Navy’s senior most Admirals and DOD officials were involved in the sexual assault of 83 women, most were civilians. Not one of these assaults resulted in criminal charges. This is the way Americans take care of their own.

According to Veterans Administration statistics, over 200,000 US military women have been sexually harassed (79%, hazed and 30% raped by their own US military male counterparts); 60,000 East Asian Pacific civilians from Okinawa, Philippines, Korea, Japan, Thailand have been sexually harassed, raped, brutalized and murdered with virtually no accountability by US military men.

One of the gang rapists was recently sentenced to 100 years in prison—a showcase to the world — after making a plea agreement that will allow him to be paroled after ten years. Poor fool! If only they hadn’t murdered the whole family, including the rape victim they would have simply been reassigned in keeping with US military practice of ignoring, forgiving, condoning rapists. It’s macho male policy.