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Subscribe to RSSU.S. Army officials are preparing charges as new information is revealed about U.S. staff sergeant who allegedly shot 16 Afghan civilians. NBC Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski reports.
The American soldier accused of massacring 16 civilians in southern Afghanistan on Sunday was a 38-year-old staff sergeant based in Washington State who had no history of behavioral problems, but had been treated for traumatic brain injury after a previous deployment to Iraq, senior U.S. defense officials told NBC News.
The soldier, reportedly married with two children, enlisted in the Army soon after the terror attacks of Sept. 11 and did three combat tours to Iraq before arriving in Kandahar in December 2011.
The soldier was from the 2nd Battallion, 3rd Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Stryker brigade, 2nd Infrantry Division based out of Joint Base Lewis McChord located south of Seattle. He was among 2,500 soldiers sent to Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment.
He received his assignment to a village stabilization program less than six weeks ago, the defense officials said.
The attacker left his base in Panjwai district early on Sunday and broke into the homes of local villagers, according to reports. Nine children and three women were among the 16 slain. Some of the bodies were also reportedly set on fire. The BBC reported that the soldier was thought to have suffered a breakdown.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called it an "assassination" and furiously demanded an explanation from Washington.
"This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven," Karzai said in a statement. He said he has repeatedly demanded the U.S. stop killing Afghan civilians.
President Barack Obama called the attack "tragic and shocking" and offered his condolences to the families of those killed. In a statement released by the White House, he vowed "to get the facts as quickly as possible and to hold accountable anyone responsible."
U.S. and NATO officials were anxious to make clear that the shooter was acting alone.
"This was not part of a night raid or any operation," the senior officer told The New York Times. "All the signs point to a lone person acting alone."
MSNBC military analyst Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.) says the alleged shooting of Afghan civilians by a US soldier is a 'further unraveling' of relations between the US and Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, some residents said they believed there were multiple attackers, given the carnage.
"One man can't kill so many people. There must have been many people involved," Bacha Agha of Balandi village told the AP. "If the government says this is just one person's act we will not accept it."
Taliban vows 'revenge' after US soldier kills 16 civilans in Afghanistan
The staff sergeant accused of killing the Afghan civilians was treated for traumatic brain injury in 2010 after his vehicle rolled over in an accident that was not caused by an IED explosion, according to a senior U.S. defense official. He was medicated for some time, the official said.
The soldier was given a clean bill of health and received both pre- and post-deployment health assessments which did not indicate any problems, according to the defense official.
Officials said it was premature to state whether there was any link between the 2010 injury and the Afghanistan incident.
Home to about 100,000 military and civilian personnel, Joint Base Lewis McChord has suffered a spate of suicides among soldiers back from war. The Army is investigating whether doctors at Lewis-McChord's Madigan Army Medical Center were urged to consider the cost of providing benefits when reviewing diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Military discipline and the 'command climate' in Afghanistan comes into question after a U.S. soldier allegedly opened fire on sleeping civilians in Kandahar province. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
In 2010, a dozen soldiers from the base were arrested on a slew of charges that ranged from using drugs, beating up a whistleblower in their unit, and deliberately killing three Afghan civilians during patrols in Kandahar Province. Prosecutors at Lewis-McChord won convictions against four of the five who were charged in the killings.
Suspect's base has history of controversies
While U.S. officials rushed to draw a line between the shooting over the weekend and ongoing efforts of a U.S. force of around 90,000, the incident is sure to infuriate Afghans already suspicious of a Western military presence now over a decade old.
Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent, said the recent incidents involving U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan raised questions about what the military calls the "command climate."
"Are the leaders there becoming a little slack perhaps in their discipline or enforcement of the rules?" he said on MSNBC. "U.S. military officials insist that this is not the case, but ... has the discipline eroded as forces prepare to withdraw?"
Last month, the burning of copies of the Quran on a NATO military base triggered violent protests across the country and a spate of insider attacks against Western soldiers.
US gives up control of jail where Quran was burned
In a statement Monday, the Afghan Taliban pledged to "take revenge" against the "sick-minded American savages," according to the AFP news agency.
"The American 'terrorists' want to come up with an excuse for the perpetrator of this inhumane crime by claiming that this immoral culprit was mentally ill," the Taliban statement added. "If the perpetrators of this massacre were in fact mentally ill then this testifies to yet another moral transgression by the American military, because they are arming lunatics in Afghanistan who turn their weapons against the defenseless Afghans without giving a second thought."
"This is a fatal hammer blow on the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. Whatever sliver of trust and credibility we might have had following the burnings of the Quran is now gone," said David Cortright, the director of policy studies at Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and an advocate for a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"This may have been the act of a lone, deranged soldier. But the people of Afghanistan will see it for what it was, a wanton massacre of innocent civilians," Cortright said.
The soldier's name has not been released. He is now in pretrial confinement as Army officials review his complete deployment and medical history.
The village stability operations are part of NATO's efforts to transition out of Afghanistan. They pair special operations troops with local villagers chosen by village elders to become essentially a sanctioned, armed neighborhood watch.
NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube, msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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3 tours in Iraq, a brain injury in 2010 and he gets redeployed to Afghanistan? Someone in the chain of command has lost control of his senses. The military s reporting cases of PTSD at near record numbers and suicides off the charts. The costs of these useless wars will be with us for decades to come.
USA should not even be in that country. Please get out now. It is not worth the cost, money, fathers lost, children losing parents, the decades of bad diseases that follow.
Big Picture...
History is full of examples - when a particular tribe or country gets stronger and thinks it is invincible -they go and commit atrocities against other people.
1. Jews - once powerful, then weak and then again powerful since 1945 (after the birth of Israel)
2. US powerful around world war 2, and on the right side of dharma, now has lost it. One single mistake that the King of USA (GW Bush) made is the aggression on Iraq and a full scale war in Afghanistan. Now the people of USA are suffering due to his single biggest mistake.
Indians have experienced the radical Islamic injustice for centuries - 1000 yrs ago when fundamentalists invaded Hindustan (modern India or bharatha varsha) and forced religious conversions. And then the British invaders who looted India using the trade company - East India company (the most profitable company ever, as the labor cost was zero - India Slaves). These moguls and the fundamental islamic group came from the persian regions (Iran, Afghanistan). These two countries are toast now... First Russia screwed Afghanistan and now USA.
Look what happened to these two sets of people who did break "Dharma"
1. Islamic religion is hated by Christians and Jews (of course not to mention Hindus). What Hindus could not do due to lack of leadership in New Delhi - Jews and Christians are doing for us (Indians are grateful to USA for killing all the people in those countries). Unfortunately innocents get killed too in the process.
2. Now see another country - so called Great Britain - it actually UnGreat or Little Britain. This country will face the karma of its past bad deeds in the next 100 yrs (big time within the country itself -riots, bad economy etc.)
Time is GOD - what you sow is what you reap. Karma catches sooner or later. GOD is non other than G (Generates) O (Operates) D (Destroys) a concept Brahma Vishnu Rudra (trinity) or call any other name you want.
USA - get out now. stop playing double sided games in middle-east and elsewhere. US Foreign policy is the worst. We could not even dismantle Cuba. WE go and preach democracy and attack or fund CIA to make covert operations in weaker countries (Libya, Syria, Egypyt etc.). Why can't uncle Sam go to Saudi Arabia and install a democratic government ?? The fact is USA cannot - it is the duplicity of its foreign policy that has haunted it for 2 to 3 decades, mistake after mistake that Presidents ignore...
God Save America...
Even without observed behavior problems: after traumatic brain injury and 3 combat tours of duty, should he have been redeployed to combat a 4th time?
Given all the incidents, are we better off leaving soon before there is another on?
Heck, everytime there is a news report put out there is more "information" and then innuendos by posters. Lone assassinator, more than one, now burning, what next??? Where were the Afghan troops and law officers??
For all we know he/they were hired by the Taliban to do this… sarcasm intended. They do not really care about the death of women and children; they use them for human sacrifice for the “good of cause.” My brother was in Viet Nam and they never knew whom to trust, including women and children. The military I know from this war say the same.
I feel sorry for everyone involved in this horrendous melee. I certainly would be more than irate if it were my family that was involved in this massacre. Just remember we are only given information that the governments and press want us to know.
All I know for sure is that we need to get the hell out now, not on Obama’s time line, to protect the USA and work on our own problems. Forget trying to save the countries that do not want us there.
Apart from the words, how seriously does the military take immediate and longer onset of PTSD? What actions do, or do not, express their seriousness?
At least DoD isn't trying to cover up the fact that personnel who have suffered traumatic head/brain injuries are allowed to return to the battlefield. However, I'm suspicious of the purported pre & post-deployment health assessments.....something just doesn't seem right.
I made the mistake of scrolling down below the article and reading the comments. The depth of irrationality, hatred, illiteracy and ignorance displayed here - on all sides of the issue - truly makes me despair for the future of our country. I haven't read a single comment that doesn't sacrifice facts in favor of ideology. All that you all seem to get from this incident is confirmation of your own preexisting biases.
This is why America is declining - not because of this or that President, or this or that Congress, but because of the inability of our citizens to think rationally, to distinguish fact from fiction, and to support evidence-based policymaking.
This is truly becoming an Idiocracy.
What this soldier did was wrong, however the military should have never sent him for a 4th tour, especially with a brain trauma. A football player, or Hockey player is not allowed to continue with those conditions.
Fort Lewis as well as other Army Bases have been avoiding PTSD claims to save money and the Madigan Chief was suspended amid inquiry according to the Los Angeles Times story that broke on February 22, 2012.
You can read it here:
http://www.kcentv.com/story/16994141/army-avoiding-ptsd-claims-madigan-chief-suspended-amid-inquiry?clienttype=printable
The Fort Lewis command needs to be held accountable as well if this is true. The soldiers wife and children were taken on to the base to supposedly protect them, my guess is it is to keep his wife from sharing what she knows with the media to protect the Brass's behinds.
There have been over 280 suicides on the base related to PTD, probably more, but they only count soldiers who left suicide notes. If no Suicide note then the death is counted as other.
I'm a little confused about something here. If this soldier suffered a brain injury during a tour of duty, why was he allowed to wield a weapon and allowed back on the battlefield? Oh yes, that's right. Our government thinks that if you can pull the trigger you're golden. Shame. This might have been avoided if they had taken time to fully access his mental capacity.
And now our government will try and make an example of him to others. This should have never happened. The sad thing is, if he had done this same thing on our soil, and to our own people he would just be locked away with the crazies.
Bring them home!
Americans love violence . Movies, games, sports - most is about violence. Violence, war, greed, personal benefit is deeply rooted in American culture and psyche. We need to move away from violence and embrace non-violence as a society. We put too much pride in power, muscle, brawl, strength. The value of humility, non violence, compassion, forgiveness are non existent. look to the Buddhist monks and their way of life for peace. Look at Jesus. He was not a warrior nor did he crave for and fight for control. He loved and died for the people. Modern day Christianity in America is too capitalistic and artificial.
Think the Dude that works at the Va, told it as it is earlier. Under staff through out. Doctor's fill them with pills and give the soldier a clean bill of health and he's sent back in the war zone.
The real story of this Sergeant will come from his wife and parents. We all know it's not right what this Sergeant did. It's the why and what caused it,that's the question. Something none of us know at this time. A punk he might be, a sick person that higher ups shouldn't of put a rifle in his hands possibly.
From both reading a few articles and listening to the radio I have a feeling we have a few soldiers over there that should not be. I just went back and reviewed the 2012 Defense budget and it appears they made a lot of cuts where they should not have. In the Budget it appears they are more focused on a raise for the soldiers and New military equipment and have cut back on the healthcare end to save money.
Here is the 2012 defense budget link:
http://www.csbaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2011.07.16-FY-2012-Defense-Budget.pdf
1. I am not trying to down play how horrific his actions were.
2. He displayed no history of behavioral problems.
3. He was treated for traumatic brain injury after his previous deployment to Iraq.
4. Maybe an independent review of the status of his previous traumatic brain injury problem by the best civilian doctors is in order. Perchance he was redepoyed before his brain injury was no longer a concern or maybe he was redeployed with lingering problems with his brain injuries.
5. Then maybe we will have a better idea of what triggered this horrific deed, so no one else will need to experience this in the future.
You all realize this is an excuse the government came up with, right? It's most likely not true in the slightest.
Wake up people. You're government lies to you. About everything.
P.S. - There are multiple eyewitness accounts saying that it was more than one soldier, all of them being drunk and laughing about it. But you won't believe that, because the media didn't report on that side of the story, of course.
your*
Syria next! Then Iran! Then North Korea! March! March! March!
While I am not condoning his behavior the military really needs to take a harder look at PTSD and giving the ok to go back to war! I know a former Marine here that was killed by the police - he was no longer in the Marines, was working and had a breakdown. He went to the military hospital and the medicine that he was given with his ongoing symptoms made him snap. He confronted the police with his weapon and was killed.
Marines are the LOWEST educated people in the US. Mostly morons that could not MAKE IT as civilians.
After all this time. I guess the "Command Climate" has burned out too.
Peace thru strength! March! March! March! No worries though, a new President will soon be here. Employment will come back. Gas will be cheap. And we will be loved by the world again. I don't claim to have the answers, but we as a government seem to be broken. And have been for a long time.
We trained him to kill, then send him into a war zone. He sees people and friends getting killed by these people,he knows they have killed other American soldiers, then we expect him to be civilized ?
Bring this young man home !!!!!
"Clean bill of health" in the Army means that his trigger-finger still worked... And boy, did it ever...
I see a Medal of Honor here.
Just imagine how long the Unemployment-Line would be without a few WARs. We need war to lower the unemployment. the MORE WARS THE MERRIER. :))
Stop the fighting, we are all the living, 'til we die. "And with jaundiced eye I gaze upon all the beauty and wonder about me"' Jack London. Even Flashman got his comeuppance in the area where the people truly are a tribe, and there is something to that. We, I , Me, You have more diversions from the drudgery of truly harsh existence, maybe. Read "The Source', by James Michener, the survival of the of most dedicated, goes on. We have been misguided, we are sorry, we leave. We , as a people, must listen to as many sources as possible and take the time to come to your own conclusions . We must leave tribes alone that we do not agree with, they have no desire to attack other tribes , unless they wish to interfere with a dispute between themselves. I could go on, this is not about us. And by us' I mean , " We the people", but politicians world wide , that could careless about their obligations, they are the one's that have lost touch with reality and wish to become mini-chiefs.