In the US military, murdering an unarmed, injured Iraqi is exactly twice as bad as being a gay conscientious objector:

BBC News: US soldier jailed for Iraq murder (14/1/2005)

“A US soldier has been jailed for a year for the murder of a severely wounded 16-year-old Iraqi.”

Gay.com: Marines jail gay objector for being AWOL (8/9/2003)

“On Saturday, a jury of four Marines in New Orleans found a gay reservist who missed 47 days of duty without permission during the Iraq war guilty of unauthorized absence and recommended a sentence of six months in prison.”

The tariff system used by these military tribunals must be a thing to see. The sentencing of Abu Ghraib Master of Ceremonies Charles Graner is awaited with interest.

UPDATE 15/1/05: Graner got ten years. Which, while it’s gratifying to see such a man getting his just desserts, I’m still puzzled at how the other guy only got a year for murder.

Plus, the constant drip of stories of torture coming out of other US bases (Bagram air base in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay) and the views on torture from the likes of outgoing US Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge and incoming Attorney General Alberto Gonzales show that Graner and his gruesome crew are anything but just a few bad apples.