Friendly fire they told the parents.  Shot in the chest during a firefight, friendly fire, that is what parents of Kamisha Block were told.  But she was shot FIVE times, including once in the head and her mother got suspicious at the funeral.  A fellow soldier named Norris killed her and then shot himself.  Her commanders knew at once that she had been murdered by Norris.  He had been harassing her and the 1200 page Army report that her family finally succeeded in wresting from the Army confirmed he had “abused” her.

What does that mean?  Is it a euphemism for “raped” the way Victorian age Americans used to say “outraged”?  Does it mean he beat her up and the Army did nothing about it, and left him in place to become her murderer?  What, in Iraq, the troops don’t have enough enemies firing rockets, RPGs and rifles at them?  IEDs and car bombs aren’t dangerous enough?  Now female soldiers have to worry about being abused and murdered by their own comrades at arms, too?

I can’t help but feel outraged myself, in this neo-Victorian age of euphemisms.  That would be lies and bullshit, for those of us less inclined to gild the lily.   I cannot imagine the heartbreak and anger her family must feel, and my sincere sympathies go out to them.  I hope they make someone in that chain of lies pay dearly.