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Subscribe to RSSContrary to reports from villagers where the massacre took place, U.S. military officials say there is no evidence of an IED attack on Americans around the time of the shooting that killed 16 Afghan civilians. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.
Senior Pentagon and military officials said Wednesday that they have "no evidence" to support claims by Afghan villagers that they were lined up and threatened at gunpoint by American soldiers prior to the massacre of civilians 10 days ago.
Residents of a village, near where American soldier Sgt Robert Bales is alleged to have killed 16 civilians, are convinced that the slayings were in retaliation for a roadside bomb attack on U.S. forces in the same area a few days earlier.
In accounts to The Associated Press and to Afghan government officials reported earlier this week, the residents allege that U.S. troops lined up men from the village of Mokhoyan against a wall after the bombing on either March 7 or 8, and told them they would pay a price for the attack.
Pentagon officials on Wednesday said they could not completely deny the claims amid the confusion of battlefield reporting, but several officials raise serious doubts about the accusations.
One senior official told NBC News: "We are obviously trying to get to the bottom of these claims and if there's any credence to them it will come out in the ongoing investigation."
Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby told reporters Wednesday afternoon he "can't rule it out" but there was "no evidence" of any attack on US forces in that region prior to the massacre as claimed.
Villagers: Afghan slayings were an act of retaliation
The lawyer for Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who is accused in the March 11 killings of the 16 civilians, has said that his client was upset because a buddy had lost a leg in an explosion on March 9.
It's unclear if the bombing cited by attorney John Henry Browne was the same as the one described by the villagers that prompted the alleged threats. After a meeting at a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Browne said Bales told him a roadside bomb blew off the leg of one of his friends two days before the shootings occurred.
Inquiry targets 'command climate' in Afghan killings
Bales, 38, is suspected of leaving a U.S. base in Panjwai district of Kandahar province, entering homes and gunning down nine children, four men and three women before dawn on March 11 in the villages of Balandi and Alkozai. Mokhoyan is about 500 yards east of the base.
The shootings have further strained ties between the U.S. government and President Hamid Karzai, who has accused the U.S. military of not cooperating with a delegation he appointed to investigate the killings.
NBC News Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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And I thought our political leaders were dumb. Now, I see the dumber ones in the Pentagon. Dumb and Dumber! Who is the soldier that got a leg blown off, and was gravely injured? Was that just a made up story by former Staff Sergeant Robert Bales? What is the bombing the Afghan villagers were talking about that happened about the sametime? Oh, I forgot, their supposed to be lying, too. Just a coincidence? Just a pack of lies? Bales said March 9th. The villagers said March 7th or 8th. The soldier who was gravely injured could probably give us a date, also. .... Maybe, the Pentagon wants to deny a soldier was severely injured from a roadside bomb, too? Of course, that soldier, right now, probably doesn't give rats azz!!!!
There is no evidence even when there is eveidence if the US military is shown to be guilty of blatantly criminal acts. Why would some Afghans have the same version of events even not being in the same village? The alleged gunman Bales is a known liar, and the US military has a pattern of diabolical actions against Afghan civilains. The Afghans will never get justice from the Americans.
Afghan justice: youtube.com/watch?v=jJkYJ3cbxh0 (warning violence)
Yes by that video you can see these people are savages! Yes kids and women were involved in the shooting but those afghanis are acting like hes the worst person in the world. Screw that country they should just blow that sh!thole off the face off the earth!
The Americans kill alleged terrorists without trial nor even arrest using drones and aerial bombings. Now there is an American soldier who allegedly shot sleeping civilians and burned the bodiess. Not only are the Afghans denied access to this criminal, he is removed without arrest to the USA. The Americans reek of double standards and hypocrisy.
The double standards of which you accuse Americans is exactly how these people operate. It reminds me of haggling at a flea market.
SSGT Bales is at Ft. Leavenwoth. FYI....that is a military prison...so yeah I'd say he's under arrest. Also he's in solitary confinement, at least thats what the media reports. Not being a jerk.....just making you aware of it. :)
With the way in which humans are treated in this part of the world I would'nt put it past the Afghans of killing their own people and placing the blame on our troops. Neither of you know what really took place. How do you know that SSGT. Robert Bales is a known liar? The above comments show me that you have already convicted this soldier without a fair trial. God bless all of our troops, everywhere.
Actually if he was a known liar he would have had a much better story than the one he tells. My second husband was a great liar Robert Bales isn't in his league by a long shot. Let the justice system prevail if only because someday you may be the one facing justice.
The Pentagon is right. If it was an organized retaliation, the platoon would have never fingered out one of their own as a scapegoat.
I'm glad to see that this soldier's civilian Lawyer has the nuts to go to Afghanistan to conduct his own investigation of the incident. (He must do it himself or it will never be honored by the military court)
"The Pentagon is right. If it was an organized retaliation, the platoon would have never fingered out one of their own as a scapegoat."
Except,he was caught coming back to the base. Of course it may take years before the whole story comes out. If it was a retaliation, someone will squeal in the end. You can't have many people involved in anything before somebody ends up talking.
Uncle, I challenge two of your assertions; 1) I believe it was our Afghan soldiers who claim to have witnessed his coming back on base. 2) The "squeal" has already happened, that is why he is in jail. But as you I question the "squeal" and it does need to be investigated and challenged in court.
You know if it was a planed attack by a group of Soldiers. It would seem to me that they would have waited till their people were on guard giving them a safe point to exit and return. Being that there is no mention of the type of weapon used I’ll bet the Afghans found M-16 brass? Not that I’ve given much thought but if a group of soldiers wanted to cover up a shooting they would have used an AK-47. Ak-47s are not hard to come by and it is the same type of weapon used by the Taliban and insurgents. Oh and uniforms I have heard that there are many ways to camouflage a uniform to blend in. So cover up I don’t think so. A group with only a little training and minimal skills could have left the base inflicted far more damage, made it look like it was just another case of sectarian violence and been back on base before any one else noticed
regardless of armchair solutions, 16 humans were slaughtered.
with that thought, keep in mind....in Syria they slaughter more than that EVERY DAY. Oh, lets not for get the Iraqi's are back to killing each other again!!!
When this soldier's civilian Lawyer comes back from Afghanistan he NEEDS to keep his mouth in check and not use it to promote his ego with the press. This civilian Lawyer needs to FOCUS on his client. And to WORK on exacting his client's innocents
It sounds more believable to me than one soldier slipping off base and single-handedly doing this.
Please, don't forget Bowe Bergdahl, captive by taliban supporting Afghanistan Haqqani, since June 20, 2009. I'm sure this situation doesn't help his. He will, hopefully, be 26 March 28.
It is irrelevant what the motive was. The very fact is this animal murdered 16 innocent people while they were in sleep in cold blood so pay for his life. Any white wash of his crime does not change the reality.
The action of this lone US soldier is a disgrace to the uniform, the military and every American Citizen.
Having said that, I find the actions of the Afghans as a people even more despicable. The kill US soldiers who mistakenly burned their books of peace even after our President apologized.
Women and children have been killed in the name of Islam for centuries and these people accept it.
The US has sacrificed 1000's of soldiers, trillions of dollars to give these people freedom and they show no respect or appreciation.
I do not in the least bit condone the actions of the individual soldier Bayles, but the Afghan people have demonstrated as low morals as a PEOPLE.
Maybe this was not a retaliation, but apparently the locals thought they must have done something that warranted a retaliatory strike. The locals obviously know more than they are admitting. Why were the MEN conveniently out of town that night?
mathuin
you make an interesting comment, I will look for evidence of this.
However, the men could have been out collecting night crawlers or killing infidels or something they commonly do.
Guess we need to wait until the parents tell us about the son that got his leg blown up. We won't get the info from the Pentagon Brass. What the village people are saying, is common on trying to get info on a explosion by the enemy. Mostly if one of your friends lost his leg from it. It's really hard to know. These skilled Vets are trained to protect others,even if you can die from it. He just might be taken the fall for the others. What gets me, is that we have media over there. Without a word from the other soldiers. We hear from the village people, but not the soldiers. Seems fishy, but what do I know?
that's because the whole things is fishy...that's why it seems fishy. which is really funny, because I don't think there's any actual prove that this man did it. If i remember right, they couldn't definately tell it was him in that security video....
Beware friendly white dudes. They just want sex, money or to kill you
Ted Bundy,amicable, John Wayne Gacy - amicable, Jeffery Dahlmer - amicable, Sandusky- amicable, Bales- amicable, Zimmerman - amicable-- Idaho senator Clark, amicable, Foley, amicable--- I rest my case. And just so you know I am safe, I am not amicable at all!
Zipperhead is no different than a gang member who messes with any male in his hood without "belonging"
i wish him the best and hope he is proven a hero in the end.