Should Robert Bales face the death penalty?

The Guardian ^ | Friday 23 March 2012

[MinorityRepublican]

An attorney for the US soldier accused of 17 counts of murder after a shooting spree in Panjwai, Afghanistan has acknowledged that Robert Bales is likely to face capital charges. Do you think Bales should face the death penalty?

[NMCicero]

Yes, plenty of them. It’s not an excuse.

[StonyBurk]

My heart says you have nailed it. ALL surface elements suggest what you have said.The long shot is any PTSD charge-But odds under present circumstance make that defense even more unlikely to succeed. And present circumstance makes any justice for Ft.Hood Jihad -in this world—in this America as unlikely as Sgt.Bales walking on any technicality.

[knarf]

Tried, convicted and now ready for sentencing, I see.

[Alberta's Child]

The Afghans rioted -- and killed a half-dozen U.S. military personnel -- in response to the burning of a bunch of Korans. Don't you think the Afghan response to this massacre has been very tempered, comparison?

Personally I think the U.S. is looking to make this whole incident disappear quickly -- even if it means allowing Bales to cop a plea under the guise of a "he snapped" defense -- for three reasons: (1) Bales didn't act alone, (2) his victims were not random, and (3) whatever his intention was, he sure got a message across very effectively.

[stuartcr]

Depends on the facts.

[Alas Babylon!]

Not true. Someone told you worng.

It “might” have happened. But it’s not what his wife thinks.

[Vendome]

Funny you use the word excuse.

[Blogatron]

Not if Nidal Malik Hasan isn’t.

[Amberdawn]

The Guardian readership certainly would, they’re all unmitigated disasters: Read, leftists.

[NMCicero]

Why is that funny?

[Vendome]

I should have used the word “interesting”.

[NMCicero]

Okay, fair enough.

[rawcatslyentist]

You think killing children is acceptable simply because they've been brought up to practice a religion that you find distasteful?
Mohamed commands his slaves to murder by any means. Mohamed commits mohamicide.

Murdered by isalm
Toulouse 2012 March

Tell it to the hand slammy lover!

[NMCicero]

You must be if the two wrongs make a right school of thought.

Anyway, I don’t know what a slammy is, nor do I care to know.

What I do know is that if you’re actually advocating the murder of children then you are seriously deranged.

[rawcatslyentist]

Sura 9:29-33 “Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God,

Sura 4:89 “seize them and slay them wherever you find them: and in any case take no friends or helpers from their ranks.”

This is a 1400 year old declaration of WAR!

These are but a few of it's latest's victims.

Murdered by islam.
March 2012 Toulouse

I don't advocate child murder.

I DO NOT ADVOCATE CHILD MURDER.

Mohamed DOES!

I think this guy snapped from the stress of being surrounded by MURDERERS!

[NMCicero]

The whole thing is pretty strange, and I’ll admit, I’m a little confused by the seeming lack of Afghan response, although who really knows what’s going on in the world these days...

I agree with what you said in your second paragraph though. I’ll be honest, I haven’t really done a lot of research into the facts here, the whole thing hits a little too close to home for me and I just have a hard time reading about it without getting upset. I wasn’t aware that he hadn’t acted alone, or that the victims had been singled out. That does kind of put a different spin on things.

[Girlene]

AB, found this piece on HuffpoRobert Bales Charged: Military Scrambles To Limit Malaria Drug Just After Afghanistan Massacre P

"WASHINGTON -- Nine days after a U.S. soldier allegedly massacred 17 civilians in Afghanistan, a top-level Pentagon health official ordered a widespread, emergency review of the military’s use of a notorious anti-malaria drug called mefloquine.

Mefloquine, also called Lariam, has severe psychiatric side effects. Problems include psychotic behavior, paranoia and hallucinations. The drug has been implicated in numerous suicides and homicides, including deaths in the U.S. military. For years the military has used the weekly pill to help prevent malaria among deployed troops.

The U.S. Army nearly dropped use of mefloquine entirely in 2009 because of the dangers, now only using it in limited circumstances, including sometimes in Afghanistan. The 2009 order from the Army said soldiers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury should not be given the drug.

The soldier accused of grisly Afghanistan murders on March 17 of men, women and children, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq in 2010 during his third combat tour. According to New York Times reporting, repeated combat tours also increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. "...........

.........." On March 20, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson ordered a new, urgent review to make sure that troops were not getting the drug inappropriately. The task order from Woodson, obtained by The Huffington Post, orders an immediate “review of mefloquine prescribing practices” to be completed by the following Monday, six days after the order was issued.

“Some deployed service members may be prescribed mefloquine for malaria prophylaxis without appropriate documentation in their medical records and without proper screening for contraindications,” the order says. It notes that this review must include troops at “deployed locations.”



Army and Pentagon officials would not say whether Bales took the drug, citing privacy rules. When asked if Woodson’s mefloquine review was a response to the massacre, the military in Afghanistan referred the question to the Army. Army officials said they were “unaware” of the review. After being shown the task order via email, they stopped responding. The Secretary of Defense Office referred questions to the Army -- and then back to medical officials in the secretary’s office. Those officials have not responded.

But the sudden violence and apparent cognitive problems related to the crime Bales is accused of mirrors other gruesome cases."..........................

[smoothsailing]

Mefloquine, also called Lariam, has severe psychiatric side effects.

Mrs. Bales would know if SSGT Bales was taking the drug, I would think. The lawyer needs to know, that's for sure.

[jazusamo]

Interesting, Girl. Thanks for the ping.

[Alberta's Child]

Those three items in the second paragraph are pure speculation on my part, but they're tied to the curious point I made in the first paragraph.

Personally, I think there is far more to this story than the U.S. military will ever acknowledge. I also think the Pentagon is trying to deal with the growing realization that there are small groups of soldiers in Afghanistan -- or even entire units over there -- that are one small step away from a full-scale insurrection against their commanding officers.