GUILTY Afghanistan - US Soldier guns down 16 civilians, 2012 Kandahar massacre

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Good God...

We need to get out of Afghanistan now. All we are doing is sending soldiers over there tour after tour and driving them nuts. 11 years is enough in money and life.

NINE little kids.



Kabul, Afghanistan ·

Western forces shot dead 16 civilians including nine children in southern Kandahar province on Sunday, Afghan officials said, in a rampage that witnesses said was carried out by American soldiers who were laughing and appeared drunk.

One Afghan father who said his children were killed in the shooting spree accused soldiers of later burning the bodies.

Witnesses told Reuters they saw a group of U.S. soldiers arrive at their village in Kandahar's Panjwayi district at around 2 am, enter homes and open fire.

The incident, one of the worst of its kind since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, is likely to deepen the divide between Washington and Kabul.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/11/us-afghanistan-civilians-idUSBRE82A02V20120311



WaheedMassoud
@WaheedMassoud

The Editor for BBC Afghan Service, Kabul Bureau. Views are my own and not the BBC's & retweets are not endorsements.

https://twitter.com/#!/WaheedMassoud






Reaction and protests to 16 civilians killed in cold blood by American soldier may not be as widespread as reax to Koran burning
1h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Photos from Panjwayee are pretty graphic. Women & children shot, some burned... I hope Af media caution publicshing them.
1h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Angry protests are expected tomorrow follwoing the tragic indescrimate killing of civilians by a would be single US soldier.
1h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Assadullah Khalid said NATO says the attacker was a single soldier but they are still investigating the fact that the attacker acted alone
1h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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another woman who lost 11 relatives doubts that the attacker was a single soldier as there were helicopters flying overhead..
1h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Woman whose grandson was killed infront of her eyes says the the attacker was a sole soldier
2h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Listen to BBC Dari/Pashto Radio as of 6:30 p.m. for a full coverage of Panjwaee, witnesses, family members of those killed speak to BBC
2h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Assadullah Khalil confirms 16 civilians killed. Asked if one single attacker was invovled, he says that is yet to be confirmed
2h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Female Witness: It was 2 a.m., the he 1st shot the barking dog, went in killed 11 in my brother in-law's house, 4 girls, 4 boys, mother...
3h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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US soldier went in2 a house killed 11, went to 2nd house killed 4, went 2 3rd house killed 1, wounded five in 2 other houses. officials
4h WaheedMassoud WaheedMassoud ‏ @WaheedMassoud

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Assadullah Khalid, Kandahar police chief and a member of prov. council Agha lalai all confirm that US soldier killed 16 civilian, wounded 5

I wonder how many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are there because they want to play Call of Duty? How many are white supremacists? How many other crimes by soldiers are covered up? How many rapes of Afghans, Iraqis, and women soldiers are going on? I have respect for members of our military on an individual level but I think the hero worship, and the idea that none of them can do wrong, and that they are all the epitome of the perfect person, is messed up and just plain creepy.

Sounds like "Combat Stress Reaction"

I once was assigned to escort a soldier to the U.S. that had been medevaced from Vietnam to Japan for treatment. He snapped for lack of better word and turned around two claymore mines on a command tent and then emptied two M-16 clips into the tent. Nobody was inside as he thought but he was sent back to Japan for treatment.

I spent a few hours talking with him about the incident. He told me he didn't know what happened. He had a headache on both sides of his head, when the headache joined in the middle, he snapped. That's how he explained it to me.

I was supposed to escort him to the U.S. from Japan but we never made it. We got as far as Kadina Air base in Japan and he was extremely unstable, nervous. Before our flight to Okinawa he was very shaky, nervous, like he was going to go off. I took him for a psych eval and well his admission didn't go so well and he ended up in seclusion.

I've always wondered about him and hope he found health and peace.

I think that's what might have happened. I think Dr. Fessel is right, too many tours on some of these guys. In hostile country bad things can happen to good people. Not that it's necessary for this individual to have multiple tours.

Peace,

Pel

PS. I still owe this guy $5

While I do not condone the killing, this solider did I can understand it. Our Military over in the theater of operation are trying to fight a war with their hands tied. You cannot accomplish a war by doing that. They cannot fire even if fired upon. Along with this recently two american's were assassinated over the burning of the Koran. Who knows what else our solider's see and live day to day over there. This solider who snapped had a lot of factors that pushed him over that edge.

I'm actually surprised we don't hear more of this. Again, I do not condone it but with a solider who works 12 hour shifts, away from family, living in a hell hole, unable to do their job will erode an already sane mind. Then think of what else on the home front is going on. People don't always understand the true condition's in which our solider's deployed in such a hell hole go through.

I agree we should have brought our guys home from Afghanistan long ago. I disagree with Obama on how that would take place.

MOO

Edit to add: Now is not the time to lower the military man power as congress and the president is doing!!!!!!!! The missions are still there, and most solider's were working 12 hours shifts, now with lower manpower who will pick up that slack?

eileenhawkeye said:

I wonder how many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are there because they want to play Call of Duty? How many are white supremacists? How many other crimes by soldiers are covered up? How many rapes of Afghans, Iraqis, and women soldiers are going on? I have respect for members of our military on an individual level but I think the hero worship, and the idea that none of them can do wrong, and that they are all the epitome of the perfect person, is messed up and just plain creepy.

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You must not have ever gotten the memo that it is unpatriotic to scrutinize the character, motivation, or intellectual capacity of the members of our military!! I'll never forget my husband's college roommate back in the early 90s. He was visibly thrilled as the war commenced. He left school to enlist so he could "get in some quality trigger time." Years later my husband ran into him after he'd returned and he said it was the most boring experience he could ever have imagined, sitting around in the blazing sun in a litter box. But they did have a lot of fun "blowing up a camel". The draft was a horrific thing and I hope it is never reinstituted in my lifetime, but it did prevent the recruitment of a military force consisting of a group of individuals for whom war was an opportunity to act on whatever aggressive, ethnocentric or violent tendencies they previously had only been able to fantasize about during video game play, or individuals who really had no other options. These recruits are so young, their brains aren't even done developing yet and some have little to no life experience or coping mechanisms and they were sent to fight a people our government had no clue how to control or manipulate. A lot of these service members bit off way more than anyone can be expected to chew, and our veterans administration lacks the resources or wherewithal to repair the damage when they return. Aren't "we" supposed to be better than the "enemy" we are fighting???

eileenhawkeye said:

I wonder how many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are there because they want to play Call of Duty? How many are white supremacists? How many other crimes by soldiers are covered up? How many rapes of Afghans, Iraqis, and women soldiers are going on? I have respect for members of our military on an individual level but I think the hero worship, and the idea that none of them can do wrong, and that they are all the epitome of the perfect person, is messed up and just plain creepy.

Click to expand...

with all due respect you do not know the military. While very few out of our total Armed Forces snap and don't think the Media wouldn't want to highlight each and ever incident. Like any state, country, you will always have a few that go astray so to speak. Play Call of Duty? Really? 30 years affiliated with the Military I have never met one person who wanted to play call of duty.

Don't forget that the Army especially has lowered their standards through the years to enlist. You will get a few out there like that. Marines are trained KILLERS, that is what they are called to do during a war. When you train someone to kill, lower standards you will have a few that were not mentally sound that snap. Not to mention GANG's have been known to enter the military to get the training.

Throughout history when there is a war, you will have what you call a GUN HO guy who wants to join. They are young and immature. Basic training is geared towards building a person from inside out.

Don't paint all military with a broad brush just because you knew of one that was GUN HO and immature.

I agree. It's time to bring these soldiers home.

When we train people to kill, we shouldn't be surprised when they do. I'm sorry, that's how I feel.

I used to work for a company that provided ADA transportation for the VA. I spent many hours with vets (mostly Viet Nam). I've heard their personal stories and it's not something these guys get over. If you are capable of killing someone, even in combat, then you are capable of taking a human life. They don't forget that. What they did or had to do stays with them the rest of their lives. It ways on them and changes who they are. And it's sad to see how these guys don't get the help they need once they do get home.

I don't blame the soldier, I blame the war industry.

hambirg said:

I agree. It's time to bring these soldiers home.

When we train people to kill, we shouldn't be surprised when they do. I'm sorry, that's how I feel.

I used to work for a company that provided ADA transportation for the VA. I spent many hours with vets (mostly Viet Nam). I've heard their personal stories and it's not something these guys get over. If you are capable of killing someone, even in combat, then you are capable of taking a human life. They don't forget that. What they did or had to do stays with them the rest of their lives. It ways on them and changes who they are. And it's sad to see how these guys don't get the help they need once they do get home.

I don't blame the soldier, I blame the war industry.

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BBM

I do too and the people who have the power over that money being handed to the war industry. All of them.

We have never kept sending the same people into war over and over. It is pure evil what they are doing to them.

Dr.Fessel said:

BBM

I do to and the people who have the power over that money being handed to the war industry. All of them.

We have never kept sending the same people into war over and over. It is pure evil what they are doing to them.

Click to expand...

ITA

It's like abusing a child and then blaming them when they begin starting fires or abusing animals.

Put the blame where it belongs, on the abuser.

I am actually amazed that we are even hearing about this. I figure someone that is supposed to be controlling the flow of info is getting a real hard talking to today.

I agree 100%. While I respect most in the milatary, I do not believe simply volunteering to do a well paid job does not automatically make one a hero.

eileenhawkeye said:

I wonder how many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are there because they want to play Call of Duty? How many are white supremacists? How many other crimes by soldiers are covered up? How many rapes of Afghans, Iraqis, and women soldiers are going on? I have respect for members of our military on an individual level but I think the hero worship, and the idea that none of them can do wrong, and that they are all the epitome of the perfect person, is messed up and just plain creepy.

Click to expand...

not_my_kids said:

I am actually amazed that we are even hearing about this. I figure someone that is supposed to be controlling the flow of info is getting a real hard talking to today.

Click to expand...

I think NATO wants to distance themselves from this act by releasing info to make sure everyone understands that the shooter acted on his own.

This type of crime happens on US soil too. Who do we blame for that? I'm not ready to blame the entire military as a whole for the action of one person. I am very proud of our servicewomen and men.

Also FWIW, we do not know what branch this guy is in. It appears he was part of Nato since Nato seems to be making statements. AFAIK, this base is Army.

Dr.Fessel said:

BBM

I do too and the people who have the power over that money being handed to the war industry. All of them.

We have never kept sending the same people into war over and over. It is pure evil what they are doing to them.

Click to expand...

The thing to do would be to investigate....who actually benefits from continuing this war. Who would stand to benefit from such a horrific action? Who benefits = who caused it to be done.

SuziQ said:

This type of crime happens on US soil too. Who do we blame for that? I'm not ready to blame the entire military as a whole for the action of one person. I am very proud of our servicewomen and men.

Also FWIW, we do not know what branch this guy is in. It appears he was part of Nato since Nato seems to be making statements. AFAIK, this base is Army.

Click to expand...

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - A soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in cold blood is based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, ABC News is reporting.

The soldier is reported to be a 38-year-old staff sergeant. His name and unit were not immediately available.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/...an-killings-from-Lewis-McChord-142249635.html

SuziQ said:

This type of crime happens on US soil too. Who do we blame for that? I'm not ready to blame the entire military as a whole for the action of one person. I am very proud of our servicewomen and men.

Also FWIW, we do not know what branch this guy is in. It appears he was part of Nato since Nato seems to be making statements. AFAIK, this base is Army.

Click to expand...

I only blame one person in the military and that is the commander and chief, the president. I blame the congress and the senate too for allowing a war to go on for 11 years and not instating the draft or ending the conflict.

The high rate of suicide in the forces along with high number of troops ending up on ant-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs after 3 or 4 tours points to a real problem.

Shouldn't this be in the "Crimes in the News" forum? It seems pretty clearly a mass murder and not part of a military operation, whatever the underlying motives.

s

hambirg said:

ITA

It's like abusing a child and then blaming them when they begin starting fires or abusing animals.

Put the blame where it belongs, on the abuser.

Click to expand...

really? so when those abused children grow up to be rapists and serial killers, we don't blame them?