I think Head Turner summarized it perfectly. I agree that punishment was warrented, but since it was such an obvious failure of HIS commander - I'm not sure the punishment fit the crime. From where we sit, we'll never know all the circumstances that led to the decision.
In my opinion, we are asking for a heck of a lot from our young troops who spend most of their time learning how to wage war. They just weren't built to fill this kind of role. Add battle fatigue, axiety, heat, and the growing number of post-war casualties... it takes an ENORMOUS amount of discipline to maintain the level of restraint and cultural sensitivity that the world is calling for. In THAT respect, we aren't prepared.
Even with proper "sensitivity" training, we (as outsiders) will never be able to understand the inter-personal, religious, and political ramifications amplified by the past hundred years of a volatile and complex history. Just don't expect us to "win the hearts and minds" with limited resources and good intensions alone. Our best faith efforts over a few months won't wash away the memory of a history where emotions run high in such a diverse society - mostly alien to the average U.S. soldier.