Breaking - U.S. Soldiers Arrested For Rape/Murder

There's breaking news that the US military has opened a probe into the alleged killing of an Iraqi family by US soldiers. The BBC reports that "Five soldiers are being investigated for allegedly raping a woman and killing her and three members of her family." AP has more - including the possibility that the kidnapping, mutilation and execution of two soldiers from the same platoon last month may have been in revenge for the rape and murder!

For the sake of completeness I'm including the whole AP report.

BEIJI, Iraq

Five U.S. Army soldiers are being investigated for allegedly raping a young woman, then killing her and three members of her family in Iraq, a U.S. military official told The Associated Press on Friday.

The soldiers also allegedly burned the body of the woman they are accused of raping in the March incident, the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of coalition troops in Baghdad, had ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged killing of a family of four in Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, the U.S. command said. It did not elaborate.

"The entire investigation will encompass everything that could have happened that evening. We're not releasing any specifics of an ongoing investigation," said military spokesman Maj. Todd Breasseale.

"There is no indication what led soldiers to this home. The investigation just cracked open. We're just beginning to dig into the details." However, a U.S. official close to the investigation said at least one of the soldiers, all assigned to the 502nd Infantry Regiment, has admitted his role and has been arrested. Two soldiers from the same regiment were slain this month when they were kidnapped at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah.

The official, however, said the soldiers were from the same platoon as the two slain soldiers, whose bodies were mutilated. He said the mutilation of the bodies of the two soldiers stirred feelings of guilt and led at least one of them to reveal the rape-slaying on June 22.

At least four other soldiers have had their weapons taken away and are confined to Forward Operating Base Mahmoudiyah south of Baghdad.The official said the killings appear to be unrelated to the kidnappings. He said those involved were all below the rank of sergeant. He said senior officers were aware of the family's death but believed it was due to sectarian violence, common in the religiously mixed town.

The killings appeared to have been a "crime of opportunity," the official said. The soldiers had not been attacked by insurgents but had noticed the woman on previous patrols.

At what point are we allowed to wonder if the bad apples are already spoiling the whole barrel? I'm just asking.