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Wife of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales' (releases) statement
KiroTV ^ | 19 Mar 12 | Karilyn Bales

Posted on 03/19/2012 4:15:37 PM PDT by xzins

Karilyn Bales, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is accused of killing Afghan civilians, released this statement on Monday:

What happened on the night of March 11 in Kandahar Province was a terrible and heartbreaking tragedy.

My family including my and Bob’s extended families are all profoundly sad. We extend our condolences to all the people of the Panjawai District, our hearts go out to all of them, especially to the parents, brothers, sisters and grandparents of the children who perished.

I know that all good people around the world, regardless of nationality, religion or political values, join me in grieving that such a terrible thing could happen.

Our family has little information beyond what we read and see in the media. What has been reported is completely out of character of the man I know and admire. Please respect me when I say I cannot shed any light on what happened that night, so please do not ask.

I too want to know what happened. I want to know how this could be.

I have no indication that my family’s own safety is at risk, but I appreciate the efforts that have been undertaken to protect us. I hope there will soon be no reason for protection of families, whether here or in Kandahar Province, or anywhere, because the pain inevitably inflicted in war should never be an excuse to inflict yet more pain. The cycle must be broken. We must find peace.

I know the media has a right to pursue and report news. As you do your jobs, I plead with you to respect the trauma that I and my extended family are experiencing. Please allow us some peace and time as we try to make sense of something that makes no sense at all.

All I can do now is emphasize my sadness and my condolences to the families in Panjawai for their terrible loss. The victims and their families are all in my prayers, as is my husband who I love very much.

End of Statement


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; bales; bobbales; karilynbales; obamawar; robertbales; ssgtbales
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To: Girlene; jazusamo
Maybe the army works quicker than the Marines, but it does seem quick for an incident this significant.

It's all UCMJ, so the way it goes is about the same in the Army as it is in the Marines.

Surprisingly, the New York Times has a pretty balanced report on what we should expect to see unfold in the coming days.

181 posted on 03/19/2012 9:01:57 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: xzins

This action by Bales seems so out of character from what I’ve read..I believe he had a mental breakdown of some sort..I know his family and friends are suffering, too..
This was a tragic event..War is hell.
Prayers for all.


182 posted on 03/19/2012 9:02:30 PM PDT by MEG33 (O Lord, Guide Our Nation)
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To: xzins

LOL


183 posted on 03/19/2012 9:05:10 PM PDT by org.whodat
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To: bigheadfred

What a childish statement. One at is an act of war, the other is not. You no sort of like rock is not an apple and an apple is not a rock.


184 posted on 03/19/2012 9:08:03 PM PDT by org.whodat
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To: bigheadfred

What a childish statement. One is an act of war, the other is not. You know sort of like a rock is not an apple and an apple is not a rock.


185 posted on 03/19/2012 9:09:18 PM PDT by org.whodat
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To: BunnySlippers

Let the full and complete truth come out, including everything about Obama.

Color be dubious about selective reporting from the drive-bys, the same folks who made sure we all knew about every sin committed by Joe the Plumber.


186 posted on 03/19/2012 9:33:18 PM PDT by Ezekiel (The Obama-nation began with the Inauguration of Desolation.)
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To: Girlene
Precisely. I would bet anything he had a bad reaction to prescription meds. It is an indictment of not only the handling of mental health in the military, but the entire US system's over-dependence on medication.
187 posted on 03/19/2012 9:36:21 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: Rome2000

I wonder, is that moslem prick who massacred those folks in Ft. Hood in ISOLATION in Ft. Leavenworth like SSgt Bales?

If not, WHY NOT!!??


188 posted on 03/19/2012 9:38:36 PM PDT by SZonian (Throwing our allegiances to political party's in the long run gave away our liberty.)
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To: KantianBurke

You assume he did everything the media has said, short of murder, already. Do you really trust the media to do the right thing by this man, like they would for someone not white and not in the military? I don’t.


189 posted on 03/19/2012 9:57:48 PM PDT by PghBaldy (Obama is afraid if he needs to start a fight with Catholics. He's losing the women vote!!!)
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To: lookout88
I am a vet, but the last I checked the military was under civilian control, a constitutional thing.
190 posted on 03/19/2012 10:04:00 PM PDT by org.whodat
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To: KantianBurke

Any kin to the banned Burkeman1?


191 posted on 03/19/2012 10:04:04 PM PDT by MEG33 (O Lord, Guide Our Nation)
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To: KantianBurke

Funny I don’t hear of riots all over Afghanistan after this supposed massacre. Why not? Doesn’t that seem odd? Is this supposed crime worse than Abu Ghraib? Koran burning? How did muslims act after that came out? There are so many things that don’t make sense with this case. Something is not adding up here.


192 posted on 03/19/2012 10:11:28 PM PDT by PghBaldy (Obama is afraid if he needs to start a fight with Catholics. He's losing the women vote!!!)
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To: xzins; a fool in paradise

Pardon me, I don’t wish to hijack the thread, but when was the last time we heard about Soviet and later Russian war crimes during the WWII, and in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Georgia, or about Cuban war crimes in Africa? You say, there weren’t any, you say we are better than that?! In war, I say, we are all scumbags, and let’s trash this relativism. We let the Russkies and the Cubans get away with it, let’s deal with that first! I mean, let’s deal with US letting others getting away with genocide.


193 posted on 03/19/2012 10:48:01 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: xzins
I have no indication that my family’s own safety is at risk, but I appreciate the efforts that have been undertaken to protect us.

Myself, I would find very small comfort in knowing that agents of the Obama administration were "protecting" me.

194 posted on 03/20/2012 1:26:30 AM PDT by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good-Pope Leo XIII)
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To: xzins

The military brass has to share some of this responsibility if they kept sending this man again, again, again, and again back to combat operations. Hell, WWII veterans were put through a 4 year war, this guy was put though a 10 year war.


195 posted on 03/20/2012 2:21:42 AM PDT by LibFreeUSA (Pick Your Poison)
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To: xzins

Having John Henry Browne as his attorney will assure that this case is going to take a long time to prosecute; and no one should underestimate Browne’s skills as an advocate.

Just look at all the crimes committed by the Barefoot Bandit and he only got 6 1/2 years.


196 posted on 03/20/2012 2:40:08 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: jazusamo; xzins; Future Snake Eater
Agreed.

No matter what SSG Bales may or may not have done, Mrs. Bales is among the victims of this nightmare.

We'll know more in time as the investigation continues and more facts come out. I'm much more confident in the military court system than civilian courts in most cases.

19 posted on Monday, March 19, 2012 6:49:27 PM by jazusamo: “Thanks for posting this, xzins. It’s difficult to imagine what Karilyn Bales, the family and SSgt. Bales are going through but Karilyn is a class act. Prayers up for them all.”

197 posted on 03/20/2012 4:57:00 AM PDT by darrellmaurina
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To: Revolting cat!

You make a good point. We can’t even admit that Turkey murdered hundreds of thousands of civilians.


198 posted on 03/20/2012 5:07:43 AM PDT by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: darrellmaurina; jazusamo; xzins; Alas Babylon!; Kaylee Frye

I don’t know Kari that well, I only met her at the military ball we had post-Iraq (and maybe one other time). Alas Babylon knows her pretty well and Kaylee Frye (my wife) had the opportunity to hang out with her a few times while we were deployed.

She struck me as a great lady. I hope she and her family weather this storm.


199 posted on 03/20/2012 5:20:17 AM PDT by Future Snake Eater (Don't stop. Keep moving!)
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To: xzins

ok...so the theory is he had some sort of mental collapse?

I can’t imagine what would drive someone to point weapons at innocent children.

This is so horrifying.


200 posted on 03/20/2012 5:27:32 AM PDT by Scotswife
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