Army Shooting In Baghdad Shocking But Not Surprising

Five American soldiers died last week after being shot by a fellow soldier at one of the biggest American bases in Baghdad. Journalist Aaron Glantz says the story is tragic but not surprising. “For eight years now, the Army has stood by silently as more and more American soldiers have taken their own lives under the strain of repeated deployments, an acute lack of mental health services, and a back-door draft. 

It was only a matter of time before a stressed-out soldier pointed his gun at comrades rather than himself.” He adds, "In January, the Army reported more active-duty soldiers had committed suicide than died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. The Army's suicide rate for 2008 (128) was the highest in 28 years." Glantz is a Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism at the Carter Center and the author of "The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans."

Scott interviews Aaron Glantz