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Subscribe to RSSThe Obama administration is in a difficult position after the latest incidents in Afghanistan. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday said he viewed the killing of 16 Afghan civilians, allegedly by a U.S. soldier, as seriously as if those killed had been Americans.
"The U.S. takes this as seriously as if it were our own citizens and our own children who were murdered," Obama said at the White House.
Obama said he was directing the Pentagon to do a very thorough investigation of the weekend killings. He said the inquiry would "follow the facts" wherever they lead, and that anyone found responsible would be prosecuted fully. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the death penalty is possible if the soldier is convicted.
Obama's message was aimed at Afghans and at Americans for whom the killings were a reminder that tens of thousands of U.S. forces are fighting in Afghanistan more than 10 years after the war began.
Obama insisted that the killings will not change U.S. commitment to finishing the job in Afghanistan, but he was clearly trying to reassure Americans that he will close out the war.
"Make no mistake, we have a strategy that will allow us to responsibly wind down this war," Obama said.
Reuters
Graphic of Afghanistan civilian casualties
"We're steadily transitioning to the Afghans who are moving into the lead. And that's going to allow us to bring our troops home."
He repeated the timetable for bringing forces home that he had already laid out: 23,000 troops by the end of this summer, on top of 10,000 removed last year. He did not give a schedule for withdrawal of the approximately 68,000 U.S. forces that will remain in Afghanistan at the end of this year.
The U.S. and NATO allies agreed more than a year ago to leave forces in Afghanistan through 2014. There is political pressure in Europe, and increasingly in the United States, to speed up that deadline.
"There's no question that we face a difficult challenge in Afghanistan, but I am confident that we can continue the work of meeting our objectives, protecting our country and responsibly bringing this war to a close," Obama said.
Earlier Tuesday thousands of people took to the streets in eastern Afghanistan to protest the killings, burning an effigy of Obama and calling for the killer to be tried in Afghanistan.
Demonstrators in the city of Jalalabad chanted "Death to America -- Death to Obama" and blocked the main highway to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported.
Noorullah Shirzada / AFP - Getty Images
Protestors shout anti-American slogans during a demonstration in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, on Tuesday.
"Jihad (holy war) is the only way to get the invading Americans out of Afghanistan," one banner read, according to the newspaper.
The demonstrators also demanded that President Hamid Karzai reject plans to sign a strategic pact with Washington that would allow U.S. advisers and possibly special forces to remain beyond a 2014 deadline for foreign combat troops to leave Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, militants attacked an Afghan government delegation that was visiting the site of the killings, the BBC reported.
"I can confirm that the Taliban have launched an attack from several directions against a government delegation," a senior official told the BBC. "At this stage, our forces are returning fire.''
Nine children and three women were among those killed in the massacre. According to reports, a 38-year-old staff sergeant had left his base in Panjwai district early on Sunday and broke into the victim's homes. Some of the bodies were burned.
The recent killings have brought great sadness to Afghanistan, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called the killings 'unforgiveable.' NBC's Atia Abawi reports.
The soldier 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.
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, and have been bracing themselves for reprisals as Afghans weary of the decade-old Western military presence vent their anger.
The Afghan Taliban threatened on Tuesday to behead U.S. troops in revenge for the massacre.
Taliban vows 'revenge' after US soldier kills 16 civilans in Afghanistan
"The Islamic Emirate once again warns the American animals that the mujahedeen will avenge them, and with the help of Allah will kill and behead your sadistic murderous soldiers," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an emailed statement, using the term with which the Islamist group describes itself.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Msnbc.com staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Too Bad they were only burning an Effigy and not the real deal! Maybe Lord oDUM DUM can make a call, apologize (yet again) and make it awl betta! F'ing Loser!
" Jihad (holy war) is the only way to get the invading Americans out of Afghanistan," one banner read, according to the newspaper. Afghans have endured 30 years of foreign armies. If the northern Tajiks in Kabul join the 20,000 Taliban of the east and south in the guerrilla war, the American occupation will be thrown out for sure.
dou:
If you think you will throw out Americans, you're really crazy in the head. We will beat you. In that country and those of you in this country.
If an afghani soldier were to suddenly go kill some of our diplomats and their families, we would hardly react. This guy popped his cork but why? Nobody knows and he should not be publicly tried much less turned over the the Afghan people.
If we all lived on the same street the "tolerant and innocent" Afghans would live with us but wish our houses would burn down. The "radicals" and terrorists would be actively trying to burn our homes down with us in them. The tolerants would do nothing to stop them and silently approve. The hatred most Afghanis have for the USA is simply a matter of degree. There is absolutely no public Afghani out cry when atrocities are committed by the Taliban and other militants there. In fact, on 911, many were having a party celebrating the death of so many of us. IF the people of Afghanistan had taken even a small percentage of the energy they use protesting, killing and rioting against NATO forces and their own government and used it against the Taliban, our troops would have come home years ago.
They are violent, biblical age tribes that have been killing each other forever. They do not think as we do and their way of life is not compatible with ours. The sooner we can leave, the sooner they can get back to killing each other. To keep them from being a danger to us we simply bomb anything that looks more advanced than indoor plumbing. No aid, no help. Let them shoot and stab each other to their hearts content. If the Taliban come back it might be easier. They will be out in the open again and easier to take out.
Is it a Quagmire yet?
The safest and greatest friend a radical Islamic can have right now is an Obama in the White House. He will permit the BS and capitulating atmosphere to grow. On the other hand. If anyone else were to be elected, don't expect a nice reply to the BS radical Islamists are dishing out. You might just find some retribution along the way.
Let the Afghan soldier who killed Americans be tried in his own country.
And let the American soldier who killed Afghan's be tried in his own country.
death to all taliban
This act by one soldier is horrific. That said, however, the U.S. government and military higher ups best be looking at how the soldier was treated when he was diagnosed with a brain injury. Why send him back to battle? In the end he may get life in prison but the military officers that decreed him prepared to return to combat will all see some demotion or removal. The way our soldiers are treated, especially those with PTSD or head injury, leaves much to be desired. This case will end up placing the blame on doctors and officers in-charge of the suspect. He deserved better. They all do! RIP to the victims. May their families somehow begin to heal and hopefully, in time, forgive us.
And the Taliban call our soldiers sadistic murderers...huh? The Taliban is the most sadistic hateful and wanton killing group this world has ever seen! Muslim scum !
Just bomb that country to ash and be done with it.
no hasty retreat but an orderly pullout.before we do though we should show some backbone to make sure the violence won't follow us home and they would have hell to pay if they even try.
Well said. You must be a real American.
thank you, you must be one too!
How's that "looking better for the international community" thing going for Obama? He would have have done better to do what he said he was going to do and end the wars instead of keeping them going and starting more. I have no sympathy for him because he went back on his word and continues to let our soldiers die needlessly in this needless war. He brought this mess on himself.
Do these Afghans not understand the incredible risk they are assuming by burning Obama? Such behavior draws steep punishment in this country and it's just a matter of time before Barack sends Eric Holder over there to arrest them.
I remember back in the 60's, when American soldiers returning from Vietnam were spat on and called murderers and baby-killers. They came home bragging about how easy drugs and prostitutes were to get on the streets of Saigon. They were shocked to run into anti-war protesters who were well aware of their shenanigans. Today the US has come full circle. The troops are getting the same treatment and they deserve it. They come from small hick town all across the country, where they were brought up on the erroneous notion that the US was the greatest country in the world and could do no wrong. Well, the US wasn't always the good guy. Since the Korean War, Americans have gradually cultivated a reputation for being the world's next mega-dictatorship.
I've seen comments all over the Internet posted by redneck Americans who think those 16 deaths can be brushed off as "accidents." How dare the US build a monument now in honor of those who died on 9/11 when they are murdering innocent children abroad at point-blank range. Is this what it means to be an American nowadays, that you can trample human rights and get away with it? You're the ones on the hot seat now. What's your excuse?
you just didn't understand what happened!
Milwaukee Broad: They come from small hick town all across the country, where they were brought up on the erroneous notion that the US was the greatest country in the world and could do no wrong.
They come mostly from cities now. If you been keeping up with whats been happening to the military. You might find that the Army several years ago dropped there standards to get more recruits in and to keep them in. They have a drop out rate of only about 7%, that means of all the Army Recruits that go to there basic Training only 7% drop out. That is seen as good to allot of idiots out there, but the truth of the matter its completely BAD. People who should not ever wear the uniform are.
For the past 40+ years mothers of America and other idiot groups have been interfering with the way the military does business by politial and idiot lawsuits against our military for the way they train. So in response to this DS (Drill Sargent's) cant yell at Army Recruits, have to say nice things about them, and cant cause that recruit to brake down or even punish them for more then 5 min. Hence a Stress Card. All this P***ying has caused us to have people in the military who should never in a million years be able to have, uses, or operate vehicles made for killing. Why they don't have the aptitude for the job.
So instead of talking a bunch of BS and idiocy talk, how about you go out and look at the real problem instead of just saying all who serve are from small hick towns and rednecks. Right there your showing just how ignorant you truly are.
As far as "bad guys" taking over over there. I don't care, it's not America over there. Just bring everybody back here and if they come for us, let's be ready! People call Ron Paul an "isolationist" but I think he's not isolationist enough. I'm a Pat Buchanan, close our borders and leave others to their own mess without involving us kind of guy! If it ain't America, NOT MY PROBLEM!
Propaganda is a powerful war tool.
When these taliban sympathisers come on the vine and tell you how wrong America is, remember why we are there. Remember the thousands killed on 9-11.
Caution: these sympathisers will pretend to be Americans.
At MOST this soldier should be hospitalized. Absolutely no jail time for this individual who suffered a mental breakdown after too many deployments. Frankly I could care less about the civlians he killed. Yeah, its terrible, but terrible things happen in war, I'm not personally affected by it, and it happened as a result of the stress he was put under. Lets stop imprisoning these brave men who snap when their Idiots-In-Cheif put them on 4-5 consecutive deployments and then throw them in prison for "war crimes" when they finally snap (as many would) under the pressure.
My prayers go out to the family of this soldier and the soldier himself. Let's not forget his three deployments to Iraq and this last one to Afghanistan - how much can our guys take? Our military men and women are not getting the care they need and that makes me so d.....m mad! I only hope I don't hear any of our politicians or media people condemning this soldier. Yes, what he did was horrible but no soldier in his right mind would ever do what he did. I heard he suffered a serious brain injury in Iraq....what was he sent to Afghanistan? Let's end this war and take care of our own. To hell with the politics.
Screw Afghanistan.we need to leave and let them just kill each other like they were doinf in the first place.
Let's stand behind our military. They need our support, including this soldier.
It's just their way of showing love to our Bowing President.
We need to pull all our troops out of harms way. We are getting no where and costing American lives and billions of dollars. Bring our troops home and put them on the borders of our own country.
Imagine if the US acted like them.. One of their nuts kills a US solider and we just shoot everyone in return.. how these people do not go extinct is beyond me.
President Obama - Your leadership is needed NOW! If this soldier gets the death penalty, God help us all. The Pentagon needs to show mercy and compassion by having this soldier hospitalized and treated as he should have been to begin with. It's time for us to end this war.....and not start another one in Iran or Syria.
The reality is that Afghanistan was, is, and always will be a bastion of misery and death. No one conquers Afghanistan because nobody wants it.
There only exports are ignorance and opium. Let them suffer in the environment of their own making. The US should not rebuild this country, as it never was truly built in the first place.
We should exit the country, with every bit of personnel and material (civilian and military), and every single red cent that belongs to the US Taxpayer. Let their faith guide them, if Allah cares.
So is America safer today than yesterday?
Leave it to Washington to go in to two countries, one of those twice and someone should hang for that, and liberate the people and then get them to hate us more than the people we saved them from. One thing's for sure there are a lot more people today that would be glad to fly a 9/11 plan than there was on 9/11, great job Washington!
It seem's like there is a force tring their best to turn The War IN Afganistan into The War WITH Afganistan.