Something odd is happening in courts-martial involving allegations of detainee abuse by American Soldiers and Marines. One takes no pleasure in noting that courts-martial in Iraq and Afghanistan seem to be acquitting individuals with unusual frequency. In courts that do convict, military juries sometimes appear unwilling to impose sentences commensurate with the crimes of which Soldiers and Marines have been convicted. "[D]espite strong evidence and convictions in some cases, only a small percentage resulted in punishments nearing those that civilian justice systems routinely impose for such crimes," the Palm Beach Post reported in October 2005. 1
