Nine children among 16 dead after US serviceman attacks villagers

[Culpeper]

Many willing to cut Afghan shooting suspect slack

On the website of Iraq Veterans Against the War, organizer Aaron Hughes declared that Afghan war veterans "believe that this incident is not a case of one 'bad apple' but the effect of a continued U.S. military policy of drone strikes, night raids, and helicopter attacks where Afghan civilians pay the price." Those veterans, he wrote, "hope that the Kandahar massacre will be a turning point" in the war.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/201...D9TJ77TG0.html

[jmm99]

From AP, Army capt.: Afghan killing suspect has saved lives (by Gene Johnson, March 17, 2012):

SEATTLE—A former platoon leader for the soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians says the allegations are "100 percent out of character" for the man, whom he described as a model soldier who saved other soldiers' lives.

Army Capt. Chris Alexander, 32, said Robert Bales worked as a stock trader before the Sept. 11 attacks motivated him to enlist in the Army.

"I've always admired him for that -- he had a good thing going, and he dropped it to serve his country," Alexander said Saturday in a phone interview.

Bales enlisted about two months after 9/11 and had served with the 3rd Stryker Brigade based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord since Sept 11, 2002.

He became a staff sergeant in April 2008, following his second deployment in Iraq. He went to Iraq one more time before his fourth deployment, to Afghanistan. ...Alexander was Bales' platoon leader during one of his Iraq missions. He described Bales as "one of the best guys I ever worked with."

"He always made sure his team was ready, that they were briefed on the mission, that the equipment was checked," Alexander said. "Anything he was given to do, you never had to worry about it getting done and done well."

Alexander said he and others who served with Bales are stunned by the allegations. ...

More in story, but substantially the same as the Free Republic posts.

Regards

Mike

[82redleg]

Many willing to cut Afghan shooting suspect slack



http://apnews.myway.com//article/201...D9TJ77TG0.html

These folks hold a world view that is increasingly common in our culture, one that is consistantly ready to absolve all individual responsibility and attempt to force it on society. See Burkett's "Stolen Valor" for another take on this, and see Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" for an allegory of fundamental flaws in this (lack of) morality.

[davidbfpo]

Amidst the reporting, some clearly inspired, I found a reference to what could become an issue - comparing the case of Aafia Siddiqui, who got 86yrs jail for attempting to shoot US soldiers in Afghanistan and what may happen to Staff. Sgt. Bale.

Wikipedia on her:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui

[KingJaja]

Amidst the reporting, some clearly inspired, I found a reference to what could become an issue - comparing the case of Aafia Siddiqui, who got 86yrs jail for attempting to shoot US soldiers in Afghanistan and what may happen to Staff. Sgt. Bale.

Wikipedia on her:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui

Great analogy. One of America's great problems is the inability to see the World through the eyes of others.

The wider point is that America in Afghanistan is dead. Dead and gone, it doesn't matter whether America pulls out tomorrow or in the next two years.

[Stan]

Jep, a strange twist and analogy.

... they stated that there was a lack of scientific and forensic evidence tying Siddiqui to the weapon she allegedly fired

Seems the same is being used to defend the SSG. I would assume they are referring to fingerprints or perhaps even gunshot/powder residue.

In a place where a soldier fires his weapon a gazillion times a day, the evidence of gunshot residue is a joke. One would assume his fingerprints are probably still on his weapon, but, I would hope he has had a bath in the last week. This sort of Sierra is weak and yet still stands up in a courts martial

[stanleywinthrop]

Jep, a strange twist and analogy.



Seems the same is being used to defend the SSG. I would assume they are referring to fingerprints or perhaps even gunshot/powder residue.

In a place where a soldier fires his weapon a gazillion times a day, the evidence of gunshot residue is a joke. One would assume his fingerprints are probably still on his weapon, but, I would hope he has had a bath in the last week. This sort of Sierra is weak and yet still stands up in a courts martial

Stan, this is what we call the "CSI effect" in the civilian criminal law world.

Jurors often have extremely high and unrealistic expections for forensic science after watching the CSI series. Usually a good prosecutor can keep the jury's eye on the ball and cut through the muck, but its never a guarantee.

Normally one would think a military panel would be somewhat more immune to this effect, mainly due to its higher education composition.

[Stan]

Hey Stan,
(I always wanted to say that without being accused of talking to myself )

Stan, this is what we call the "CSI effect" in the civilian criminal law world.

Jurors often have extremely high and unrealistic expections for forensic science after watching the CSI series. Usually a good prosecutor can keep the jury's eye on the ball and cut through the muck, but its never a guarantee.

Normally one would think a military panel would be somewhat more immune to this effect, mainly due to its higher education composition.

If we even had half of the widgets they do on CSI (sigh).
We've managed to become part of the judicial process here when it comes to forensics and post blast. It has been a real PITA having arguments with lawyers and defense in a subject area we are considered to be subject matter experts. We are still trying to put away our version of a uni bomber seven years later, once and for all.

What could possibly be gained from going to the scene weeks later ? His defense lawyer is said to be going to Afghanistan soon (not that that's the healthiest idea). The dead are buried and the shell casings long gone at the black market for scrap metal.

Regards, Stan