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U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty in Iraqi Abuse Case, Receives Maximum Sentence, 5/19/04
Reading Comprehension Questions:
1. What was the outcome of the first court-martial in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal?
2. When in U.S. history did a soldier face a court-martial?
3. What is a court-martial?
4. What kind of court-martial did Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits have? Explain possible consequences of this kind of trial.
5. What is a "plea bargain" and what role did it play in the Sivits case?
6. How are courts-martial and civilian cases different?
Discussion Activity (more research might be needed): 1. Research more about why military personnel are tried in military courts rather than civilian courts. How might the outcomes be different? Explain your answer. 2. Do you agree with Eugene Fidell's assessment of the importance of these courts-martial? Why or why not? Explain. "I can't think of a more important set of courts-martial," Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, told The Washington Post. "[Given] the extraordinary volatile climate in which these cases are going to play out domestically and internationally, in political terms, in legal terms and in military justice terms, this is kind of a perfect storm." Write a 300-500 word essay on either of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.
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