Via KNAU (hat tip to Erin): Alyssa Peterson
An Arizona soldier allegedly shot herself in late 2003 after being ordered to torture prisoners in Iraq and then declining to continue. Alyssa was an interrogator and language specialist who spoke Arabic. There is a diary on Kos by Erin about this tragedy. Was Alyssa just a victim of "non-combat weapons discharge", i.e. suicide, or was her death an attempt to silence a potential critic or whistleblower of cruel and inhumane interrogation techniques being introduced to Iraq at the time? I don’t know, but her family is apparently suspicious of the official story. Alyssa was a devout Mormon missionary, making her suicide unlikely on theological grounds. Every Arizonan should know the story of this young soldier like they know about Pat Tillman.
I saw this after I put up my own post, and hat tip to you. You’re right; everyone in Arizona should know about this.
Alyssa was a devout Mormon missionary, making her suicide unlikely on theological grounds.
Deborah Laake and Mary Ann Benson would have something to say about that.
It’s possible that she was traumatized and couldn’t find the right support — not something church elders could really help her with, sadly…