American troops in Iraq can’t seem to catch a break lately. At present, the Navy is investigating the latest allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq involving Navy SEALs. While the images are not as shocking as Abu Ghraib, they do raise serious questions about U.S. methods of detaining prisoners of war. Additionally, embedded journalist Kevin Sites reported earlier this month the killing of what appeared to be an unarmed and wounded Iraqi insurgent by a U.S. Marine during the retaking of Fallujah. Other images have surfaced on the Internet of burned insurgent corpses and the mangled bodies of wounded children.

All of these show the horrible and sickening results, and no one can deny the cause of them is our troops. What’s more, anyone searching hard enough can find similar images showing the cost of freedom for Iraq. Or is this the real cost?

Some people would pity the detained prisoners. I do not. Unlike Iraqis, we don’t behead our prisoners.

Some people would pity the wounded insurgent shot dead by the Marine. I do not. The terrorist wanted nothing more than to kill U.S. soldiers.

Some people would pity the injured Iraqi children. I do not. My sorrow is saved for the U.S. soldier who dies bringing democracy to Iraq.

People might feel sorrow for dead Iraqis, but I’d rather save my empathy for dead Americans. The cost of this war shouldn’t be measured in dollars or by injustices suffered by Iraqis. The real cost should be measured by the sacrifice of U.S. lives.

When it comes to protecting the freedom of U.S. citizens, the image always has been that of the U.S. soldier who ensures our way of life. There have been no greater defenders and enforcers of such ideals and values than those who serve in our military, and that is why I consider the lives of men and women in uniform to be worth more than any other.

I still think it is awful that U.S. soldiers might be violating the Geneva Conventions in Iraq, and seeing children missing limbs and digits makes my heart sink a little lower. Yet, these images and reports shouldn’t be the focus of all our attention. Our primary concern shouldn’t be placed on a few rotten apples.

When our troops beat prisoners or deprive them of sleep, a court-martial ensues and our troops typically are brought to justice. When terrorists kill a hostage, there is no justice or military tribunal. In some circles, these terrible acts are praised. We should remember that every day, the lives of U.S. soldiers are being threatened by terrorists who would rather behead than blindfold.

It’s interesting that we are so quick to condemn our troops for participating in practices that are unethical in the context of war. Meanwhile, U.S. soldiers fight terrorist rebels who would use a mosque as a base of operations or attack a bus full of unarmed Iraqis going to work. Why should we be outraged when a Marine puts a bullet into one of these cowardly “holy warriors”?

The war in Iraq is not a picture-perfect situation. Our enemies fight without any respect for the lives of innocent people, and yet we force our troops to fight between lines of red tape. We judge our troops harshly, but yet we are complacent to watch insurgents continue with their unethical tactics.

With President Bush putting another 12,000 troops in Iraq, I doubt we have heard the last of the violations of the Geneva Conventions by our troops. But even if more reports surface about the misconduct by our soldiers, we should put it into perspective. The United States has a good history of punishing itself, but it has a legacy of allowing the real enemy to get away with far more despicable acts.

Kiyoshi Martinez is a junior in LAS. His column runs Tuesdays. He can be reached at [email protected].