NATO apologizes after U.S. soldier opens fire on Afghan civilians

[Kalatzi]

Mods: If this is a duplicate please accept my apologies and delete.

Reproduced under the fair use provision of the copyright act.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/nato-apologizes-after-us-soldier-opens-fire-on-afghan-civilians/article2365781/page1/

It seems unclear whether the individual is in custody, and if so, whose.

A sad, sad day, for everyone.

 

[PuckChaser]

It seems unclear whether the individual is in custody, and if so, whose.

Did you even read the article? About half way down it said a US service member was in detention at a NATO base as the alleged shooter.

 

[Kalatzi]

Thanks for the clarification.

CNN reporting that violence is widening. Additional casualities result, including 6 American troops.

Best wishes to the victims, and all in authority, for best possible outcomes.

 

[Kalatzi]

Last post was another misread on my part. I'm certiaqnly not helping. Am off thread.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Last post was another misread on my part. I'm certiaqnly not helping. Am off thread.

Still can't bother using the spellcheck, I see.

Milnet.ca

 

[Delaney1986]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/03/11/afghanistan-nato-shooting.html

Just another article, there's a video as well.

So sad.

 

[dogger1936]

How does a soldier just up and leave camp at night without being spotted?
If I was camp SSM I would be checking my security.

What a sick sick act. I know it would never happen but honestly the best way to deal with this would be our soldiers bringing this guys beaten body down and dropping him off to the families in Panjuai.

Who the hell kills women and children on purpose (with out cause).

 

[aesop081]

Who the hell kills women and children on purpose (with out cause).

The Taliban ?

A-Quaeda ?

Serbs, Croats..........

 

[dogger1936]

The Taliban ?

A-Quaeda ?

Serbs, Croats..........

(I mean on our side  ;D)

 

[The Bread Guy]

What Canada's Defence Minister had to say:

.... “The good work of our men and women in uniform, as well as the work of many fearless Canadian civilians, continues to bridge what Afghanistan is and what Afghanistan can be,” MacKay said. “That work will not be deterred by a random and cowardly act of violence.” ....

Postmedia News, 11 Mar 12

 

[medicineman]

(I mean on our side  ;D)

The Croats are on our side there...just saying.

Back on tangent - people do just snap at home, go (US) Postal at their office, school, etc...why wouldn't over there be any different, especially given the levels of stress some people are under, it can certainly ramp up the process of a breakdown.  Be interested to see motivation - was the troop truely nuts, was the troop a sleeper, was it a TB dressed as a NATO soldier, etc.

MM

 

[aesop081]

was it a TB dressed as a NATO soldier, etc.

There you go:

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/03/11/3810905/ap-source-afghanistan-killer-from.html

 

[Fishbone Jones]

(I mean on our side  ;D)

Many here may be too young to remember My Lai - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre

 

[GAP]

Many here may be too young to remember My Lai - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre

However it affected the antiwar movement, etc.....I have no clue. What I do know was the effect on the serving members in-country at that time. We were disgusted. You do a lot of things in the name of conflict, but never that.

 

[Teeps74]

Many failures associated with this.  How the hell did he get out alone?  If he snapped, was no one watching him?  Was his immediate C2 now aware of his well being?  If he did not snap, how did a psychopath deploy to begin with?

We are a team. As a Snr NCM, a WO, I have responsibilities to my subordinates, all of my subordinates. Amongst those, is trying to ensure my troops are of sound mind.

This is a truly horrific scenario.  Innocent lives lost and an American soldier's life completely ruined now.  There will likely be reprisals, badal.  Locals will turn to the local TB.

What this "soldier" did, will be felt for a very long time there...

For the civilians murdered. Rest in peace. I pray that in your next life, you experience the peace you did not in this life.

 

[medicineman]

There you go:

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/03/11/3810905/ap-source-afghanistan-killer-from.html

Well, so much for my disguise theory...

Teeps - people are good at hiding some things, especially if they're planning something like this...even the loons.  I guess we'll have to wait for the investigation to finish to find out his motivation.

MM

 

[PuckChaser]

Many here may be too young to remember My Lai - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre

Though I can see the media making the parallel, this was the act of one soldier, not the actions of an entire company and its leadership.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Though I can see the media making the parallel, this was the act of one soldier, not the actions of an entire company and its leadership.

I was simply answering a question. Not drawing any conclusion.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

For the sake of the mission a public hanging of the individual in Afghanistan would help. the nuances of the US justice system will be lost on the average Afghan. The fact that the Taliban are not shy about inflicting the same terror on students and other innocents will not be mentioned by either the Afghans or the western media.

This guy was from FT Lewis, as I recall many discipline problems have come from that base.

 

[brihard]

A classic 'active shooter', but in the context of a war... It will remain to be determined whether this individual had specific intent and deliberation, or if he simply woke up one morning cuckoo for cocoa puffs and saw a quick way home through the death of people long since dehumanized.

Not sure there is a wartime precedent for this... Shades of My Lai or Haditha, but this scum has no combat situation real or contrived to lay the blame on. Since he lacked the decency to leave his brains on the village street, we're now stuck with what will surely be an infamous mass murder trial. I hope for the integrity of our profession that he does not receive the leniency afforded Lt Calley or Sgt Wuterich.