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American soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre, describes killings Read more: htt

Re: American soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre, describes killings Read more:

I still find it kind of hard to believe that he could've acted alone in this. Weapon ownership is quite common in Afghanistan.

You'd think that several angry villagers with AKs would've been on top of him within minutes of the first shots being fired.
 
Re: American soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre, describes killings Read more:

I still find it kind of hard to believe that he could've acted alone in this. Weapon ownership is quite common in Afghanistan.

You'd think that several angry villagers with AKs would've been on top of him within minutes of the first shots being fired.

I have no idea what it is like over there but... I can't imagine its common for "villagers" to have AK's.
 
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I have no idea what it is like over there but... I can't imagine its common for "villagers" to have AK's.

It's a tribal society that still lves as if it were the pre-modern era. Firearms are quite common simply because a lot of people rely on wild game to supplement their diets.

Legal gun ownership rates in Aghanistan are estimated to be somewhere around 4.4 guns per 100 people. Illegal ownership is far more widespread.

Humanitarian Analysis: Rule of the Gun in Afghanistan
 
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He deserved the death penalty. And shirking responsibility in this is ridiculous. There are thousands of soldiers that have multiple deployments and don't murder innocent civilians and take their fingers as trophies. One can at least hope that he get life without parole at hard labor.
 
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Given that he admitted it was premeditated, I think this would be a case where the death penalty should be on the table. The fact he shows some remorse doesn't make it any less of a horror that he did.
 
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I believe he should get life. I also think he should be eligible for parole in the future depending what his behavior is like.
 
Re: American soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre, describes killings Read more:

on may 23 our platonic president spoke at the national defense university in dc, declaring the war on terror over (sorta)

President Obama debates himself - Glenn Thrush - POLITICO.com

we won (kinda), by the way

indeed, the administration is proudly paving the way for peace talks with the truculent taliban

US to begin direct peace talks with Taliban 'within days' - AFGHANISTAN - USA - FRANCE 24

today:

The official handover of responsibility for security in Afghanistan from Nato to local forces has been marked by a deadly blast. The explosion in the west of Kabul killed three people and injured 30.

Officials said a suicide bomber targeted Mohammed Mohaqiq, a prominent Hazara policymaker in the region and Afghanistan's second vice-president.

"The roadside bomb targeted the Mohaqiq convoy but he safely passed. One of his vehicles was damaged," said chief of Kabul police, Gen Mohammed Zahir.

Scores of Nato and local officials had gathered to mark the official handover - a significant milestone 12 years after a Nato coalition went in to Afghanistan to expel the Taliban in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Under the terms of the handover, the 100,000 Nato troops stationed in Afghanistan will play an increasingly peripheral role in national security until their formal departure in 18 months.

President Hamid Karzai announced the transition during a ceremony but critics are mixed about the readiness of Afghan security forces.

"Our security and defence forces will now be in the lead. From here, all security responsibility and all security leadership will be taken by our brave forces," Karzai said.

The last districts to be handed over to Afghan forces include some of the most volatile in the country.

The Taliban insurgency has been intensifying after the militant group declared a spring offensive.

According to UN figures, more than 3,000 civilians were killed between January and June this year, a sharp increase from the 2012 count.

Afghanistan: Nato Security Handover Marked by Deadly Blast [VIDEO] - IBTimes UK
 
Re: American soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre, describes killings Read more:

I still find it kind of hard to believe that he could've acted alone in this. Weapon ownership is quite common in Afghanistan.

You'd think that several angry villagers with AKs would've been on top of him within minutes of the first shots being fired.

Probably two things prevented this. In countries where our soldiers are engaged, it is typically a good idea to move away from the fighting instead of to it. Two, I don't think the villagers would have assumed he was alone.
 
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obama in berlin: an important first step...

today:

AP: Karzai backs out of peace talks

are you sure this white house knows what it's doing

ap adds: "also tuesday, five afghan police officers were killed at a security outpost in helmand province by five of their comrades, officials said, the latest in a string of so-called 'insider attacks' that have shaken the confidence of the nascent afghan security forces"
 
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Established precedent says neither.

Lt William Calley did basically the same thing in Vietnam...he ordered the execution 104 civilians...he said he did what he was ordered to do by Capt Medina to..."kill the enemy", an order corroborated by 21 members of Charlie Co...that's what he did...he got a limited Presidential Pardon from Nixon...he served 3 1/2 years of house arrest.

BTW: The execution of Gen Yama****a after WWII established the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoyuki_Yama****a

"The U.S. Supreme Court has never overruled its 1946 Yama****a decision. The precedent the decision established was that a commander can be held accountable before the law for the crimes committed by his troops even if he did not order them, did not stand by to allow them, or possibly even know about them or have the means to stop them.
This doctrine of command accountability has been added to the Geneva Conventions and was applied to dozens of trials in the international tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. It has also been adopted by the International Criminal Court established in 2002."

One could, using the above, argue responsibly that Gen John Allen should also have been tried and convicted of a war crime...Sgt. Robert Bales d was ultimately subordinate to Allen as were all combat troops in Afghanistan...
 
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