TurbineTooHot,
This is not siding with the enemy. This is important.
In many peoples eyes (and crucually Islamic eyes) we are losing the battle for hearts and minds. Our only justification now for invasion, occupation, death and destruction on a massive scale is that we are bringing something different from Saddam Hussein's regime.
We can't maintain that high ground if our soldiers are resorting to this kind of behaviour.
Unless we can distinguish ourselves from the enemy there is really no hope of winning the war - if there ever was.
The very act of an invasion and apparent occupation already puts US and UK forces on the back foot. If they want the support of the local populace they must uphold the very highest of standards. If these soldiers are indeed guilty as they seem then they have adhered to the worst possible standards, damaged the forces reputation and put their own forces in much greater danger.
Many also believe this kind of event is just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the media really should make a song and dance about this in order to get it in the open and help transparency. Hopefully that will also discourage any other yobs from resorting to the same.
Looking at the numbers arrested by US and UK forces who are then released it seems highly likely that many of these detainees are quite simply picked up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that results in being beaten to death then what claim do we have over Saddam's regime?