List of Military Accusations Gets Longer

US soldiers inspect the scene of a massive suicide car bomb explosion targeting a US military convoy, in this Aug. 9, 2005, file photo, in Baghdad, Iraq. The recent flurry of accusations against U.S. servicemen has stunned military analysts and experts. One view is that, if proven true, these crimes reflect the toll this conflict has taken on the troops. Since 2003, U.S. troops have dealt with blurred lines between civilian and enemy, constant heat and filth, kidnappings, roadside bombs and suicide bombers. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim/FILE) (Karim Kadim - AP)

Some say that's to be expected, but criminal behavior still must be prevented: War crimes are an indictment of leadership.

"It's symptomatic of a combat stress management system that has failed," said John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, a Washington-based military think tank.

"Anybody who contemplates a decision to use force, anybody who contemplates putting boots on the ground has to understand that part of what they're assuming responsibility for is stressed-out soldiers are going to massacre civilians. It just comes with the territory."

Still, Pike said that even if true, the number of abuse cases isn't shocking, given the number of troops and three-plus years of combat: "If this is the worst that the troops have done, the chain of command would appear to have done a pretty good job."

Others see a more emphatic message from military leaders to the troops and their field commanders.

"The system which tended to turn a blind eye is now looking harder," said Anthony Cordesman, a former Pentagon analyst. "Incidents which in the past might've been covered over or dodged are now leading to formal accusations."

Others closer to the accused are bitter over what they see as a shift from the leaders in Washington.

"There seems to be a rush to judgment," said Charles Gittins, an attorney who successfully defended former Marine Second Lt. Ilario Pantano, who was acquitted of murder after he shot two Iraqis and left a warning sign on their corpses. He argued self-defense.

"The war's being run from the Pentagon and the Pentagon's moving with the 24-hour news cycle. There's a tendency to charge first and let the facts play themselves out later," Gittins said. "Back the soldiers!"

Pantano warned against sweeping conclusions. "Nobody's running amok and being barbarians. That's so inaccurate," he said. "The real jeopardy is there's so much blowback every time you use force that troops are dying from hesitation."

And the latest accused soldiers have yet to be fully heard.

In Charleston, S.C., the mother of 21-year-old Pfc. Corey R. Clagett _ one of four charged with killing prisoners last month _ said she spoke to her son by telephone. "He said, 'Mom, this is Corey. I didn't do those things the way they said,'" Melanie Dianiska said.

Almost by definition, war creates chaos. Last week, Australian troops shot a civilian and a bodyguard to an Iraqi trade minister when they thought they were threatened. Two newly trained Iraqi policeman have been accused of shooting American troops. Meanwhile, two American soldiers were captured, brutalized and slain.

The uncertainty over the troop accusations only adds to the confusion.

"I wonder whether people have lost faith in the military because of this kind of incident," Cordesman said, referring to the allegations against American troops. A classic terrorist strategy, he noted, is to force the enemy into atrocities, turning the local population against the opponent and sapping its support at home.

Already, this war's mistakes are being taught as cautionary tales. The failings at Abu Ghraib are now part of a West Point leadership course, alongside Vietnam's My Lai, where some 300 villagers were killed.

The military courts and public opinion will determine whether Haditha, Hamdania and Salahuddin join them.