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
This was an open and heartfelt statement by his wife. How devestated she and all their families must be. From everything that we’ve heard about his personality, etc, this sounds 180 degrees out of phase with his character.
When the attorney, Browne, talked briefly to him out of country, he indicated SSGt Bales was not aware of what had happened or the facts surrounding the events. Today, after talking in person with him, Atty Browne confirmed that Bales has no memory of anything that happened. He has memory of earlier in the day, but nothing of this attack.
A tragedy for so many, thanks for posting, I’d not have read it if you hadn’t
“We don’t really have any idea what the circumstances were. We don’t know that “lawyered up” is an accurate description.”
Agreed. We’re simply going off of the most recent news reports. There seems to be video recording of his return to his FOB. Hopefully that will be released at some point to at least clarify the circumstances of his return.
HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAHA!
You are one funny person. You could take that act on the road.
Are you sitting at the TV with your stenographer pad? Ready to record all the “facts” those charming nice smiley people spout?
You're paraphrasing what you heard, not what was said.
Bobby went into the army after 9/11. What did you do? Video tape the TV news? Take transcripts?
I saw it days ago.
I understand that as many as seven other people and entire companies are charged with the same bilking crime, and that Bales was employed as a financial advisor.
As a Stryker SSG, Bales would have required, at a minimum, a full SECRET security clearance.
All of this would have been impossible to hide in the security investigation, so I’d guess that he worked for a company that engaged in bad practices.
Just a guess. Joining the army generally is not the decision of choice for someone with a million bucks stashed away someplace.
He’s not posting on this thread. And what are you suggesting?
>> Reading the transcripts of the 60 Minutes interview with Wuterich eliminated any presumption of innocence in my mind.
With peers like you, who needs juries...
Please refrain from dumping your misguided slop as if it’s relevant.
Let's not stop there, lets nuke Cuba too, screw the civilians hopelessly trapped in that communist state.
As neither you nor I have any way to know what this man has lived through in four tours of combat in two war zones, WE have NO right to pronounce judgement of this man. It is MY opinion, as a parent of a combat soldier, that, given this administration's lack of support for this war, NONE of our soldiers should continue to be placed in the position of fighting against an invisible enemy for a populace that has no interest in freedom or liberty.
Bales was a co-founder of the company, IIRC.
Since I work in the field I do have some first handle knowledge of the protocol.
No one is suggesting Bales ever had any money, just that he had a $1.4 million dollar judgement that unsurprisingly was not paid. In and of itself, it means nothing, but I suspect the glowing accounts of Sgt. Bales may have a flip side.
Now that is just silly.
Nuke southern Florida. And they can stay in coo-ba.
You simply never followed the case the way the Haditha ping list did.
Wuterich made very clear that he meant he should not have said "shoot first and ask questions later".
AND he explained that he did not mean by that anything other than that his Marines should protect themselves.
>> the bad guys brought a couple of assassins into Iraq to get my nephew.
I don’t recall this outrageous fact.
I know he is not posting here, that is why I sent you the links to the thread he posted some time ago.
I, and I think others on this thread are only asking that you might consider reading what fellow FReeper who served with Sgt. Bales has to say before rushing to judgement on what you have heard or read in the media.
May God guide our course.
Tatt
A trap was set.. He was probably set up. The scary part is WHICH SIDE set him up for the mutual objective of exiting Afghanistan? He doesn’t sound like a man who would sacrifice the safety of his family to help get himself and possibly his fellow soldiers out of Afghanistan.
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