Afghan killings suspect chooses 'Barefoot Bandit' lawyer

Associated Press ^ | Mar 15, 2012 at 1:19 PM PDT | GENE JOHNSON

[KantianBurke]

“maybe the doctors were madmen to send him back over”

They certainly were when it came to Bradley Manning. The guy was exhibiting severe symptoms of mental illness. But due to the Army being understaffed, they sent him on his way complete with his clearance. Some of us warned that Rummy the Dummy’s personnel levels were too low after 9-11. Thanks Bush bots for poo pooing our concerns. This is the inevitable consequence.

[KantianBurke]

"If this soldier walked into a room and obliterated women and children with no evidence of a threat, he should be hung for murder. Our troops don't do that. We are the good guys and don't exterminate people like the radical muslims do."

[Girlene]

Wow, I kinda remember a bit about this when it was first reported. He finally plead guilty, for a reduced prison sentence. Interesting case.

[jonascord]

A guy I know, who, after x number of tours in A'stan, also has DEEP reservations about what happened.

He suggests, based on his knowledge of the area and the Taliban, that the idea of random attacks because the SSgt went nuts is BS. He suggests that, based on the evidence, (what we've been told,) that this was a deliberate hit on two Taliban members.

A: It's far from easy to stroll out of an FOB with a weapon in the middle of the night.
B: He goes from one house in one village, to another house in a different village to complete his "random killing." Why didn't he just go to another house in the same 'ville?
C: The Taliban are VERY compartmentalized. One guy will recon where an IED might go, another will be paid to just dig the hole, a third will plant the IED, a fourth will trigger it. None of them will know the rest.
D: Conclusion. Do you suppose that he was off the reservation because the ROE wouldn't let him take out a Taliban cell that had injured his bro a few days before?

It makes more sense than "a random crazy act."

[bigheadfred]

that this was a deliberate hit on two Taliban members.

I missed the part it was 2 villages. So I only posted it as a single hit. Unless it was only one target with 2 possible locations. But exactly what I think and the grapevine told me.

[Girlene]

Here's the latest I found, A shooting rampage outside the wire which is slightly different than what I've read before. Pic of region shown at the link.

Shooting details

Villagers told a deputy chief of the Kandahar provincial government that before dawn Sunday, 11 people, including women and children, were executed inside the home of a village elder. Residents in a nearby village heard gunshots, and they discovered the bodies of five men inside two houses located near each other.

Suspect's background

The U.S. military has not named the suspect but has said that he was deployed to southern Afghanistan in December. He had three tours in Iraq, and this was his first in Afghanistan. A married father of two children, he was part of a Village Stability Operation (VSO) in Kandahar province and was deployed with a unit that was supporting U.S. Special Operations forces in the area.

According to another article I read, he was wearing an Afghani robe when he returned to base which was captured on video. Have to find that link again.

[Girlene]

Here's that link about his surrender captured on video, Video captures surrender after Afghan massacre

[Girlene]

Here's another account from the Afghanis, Report: Lewis-McChord soldier admitted to Afghan killings

For review, the article from post 87 says that 11 people were executed in the home of a village elder. Five men were killed in two houses from a nearby village.

The article I linked in this post says:

......."Balandi, the village where 12 civilians were killed. Mohammad Wazir told the delegation that he was out of town when 11 of his relatives were slain at his house about 2:30 a.m.............his sister told him that she heard gunfire and saw at least two soldiers firing inside their walled compound.........Members of the delegation said another man was killed inside his home in the village"..................

........."Before the killings in Balandi, south of the base, four other people were gunned down in the village of Alkozai, about 1 kilometer (less than a mile) north of the base..............."First they killed my sister-in-law, then a brother," Jan told the delegation of Afghan security officials and lawmakers. "Then they killed another brother and then another sister-in-law." "..............

Actually, the Alkozai killings happened after Balandi, I believe.

[bigheadfred]

Thanks, Girlene. What makes this so tough is it is impossible for me to believe anyone over there that is directly involved. Not ours. Not theirs.

They show the surrender to the afghans, but not us. Probably cause it will be presented as evidence at the judicial proceedings here.

And the delegation sent to investigate is fired upon by Taliban. Ha ha ha.

[Girlene]

And the delegation sent to investigate is fired upon by Taliban. Ha ha ha.

The main reason was to show sympathy of the Afghan govt and hand out our money for the people that were killed. Karzai's two brothers were there and hightailed it out once the shooting started.

[bigheadfred]

Karzai's two brothers were there and hightailed it

Hightailed is the appropriate word. And the crowd goes wild...

[Irenic]

D: Conclusion. Do you suppose that he was off the reservation because the ROE wouldn’t let him take out a Taliban cell that had injured his bro a few days before?
**************************************************
I can’t pretend to know what happened with that soldier but for myself—I think I would start to lose it and want to get revenge, it would probably eat me up inside.

The ROE demanded of our troops is unacceptable and contrary to the instincts of man and they must do it for an ungrateful people (Afghans).

I also wonder how the guys ever sleep, from the articles that I’ve read it appears Afghan guards are doing the guarding at night. (at least at that camp/base)

Fight a war for our interests or forget it. I don’t want our troops dying and acting as the world police— to the benefit of ungrateful citizens of another country.

Those people DO NOT WANT to live as we live, let them be and live and die as they will and without taking our people with them.

I am cold— I don’t give a chit about the Afghan people. I care about our troops, our citizens and my family.