Report on Iraq deaths depicts troubled soldier

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Report on Iraq deaths depicts troubled soldier
Army sergeant accused of killing five fellow troops at counseling center

updated 34 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - An American soldier accused of killing five fellow troops at a counseling center in Iraq had been unraveling for nearly two weeks but the U.S. military lacked clear procedures to monitor him or deal with the deadly shooting spree once it began to unfold, a military report found.

The shooting at a U.S. base in Baghdad in May was the deadliest case of U.S. soldier-on-soldier violence of the six-year Iraq war. Sgt. John M. Russell, 44, was arrested and is the only person charged in the incident.

The shooting deaths drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale as troops have to increasingly serve multiple combat tours because the nation's volunteer army is stretched thin by two long-running wars.

Witness statements
The 325-page report, released Friday and obtained by The Associated Press Tuesday, included detailed witness statements and describes a soldier less than two months from ending his third deployment who began to show obvious signs of unraveling before the shootings.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33399678/ns/world_news-conflict_in_iraq/

[Hissyspit]

1. U.S. Military Releases Iraq Clinic Shooting Report

Source: Associated Press

US military releases Iraq clinic shooting report
(AP) – 56 minutes ago
BAGHDAD — A U.S. military investigation into an incident earlier this year in which an American soldier seeking counseling killed five troops says that security at mental health facilities in Iraq can be improved.

A report of the military's findings concluded that procedures designed to prevent such a tragedy were adequate, but that security at the clinics could be improved.

Sgt. John M. Russell is accused of shooting and killing five soldiers following an altercation at a military counseling center at a U.S. base last May. The incident drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale among troops serving multiple tours in Iraq.

The report says new procedures — designed to address issues such as attempted suicide — are already being implemented.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giOgpWzpvdaGR_Ul2B6LHQFUVaugD9BEO41G0