NYT: US Sergeant piled 11 bodies, including those of 4 girls under 6 years old, set fire to them.

[Poll_Blind]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/world/asia/afghanistan-civilians-killed-american-soldier-held.html
[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-top: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0.3077em 0.3077em 0em 0em; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]Army Sergeant Accused of Slaying 16 in Afghan Village[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3077em 0.3077em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]In Panjwai, a reporter for The New York Times who inspected bodies that had been taken to the nearby American military base counted 16 dead, and saw burns on some of the children’s legs and heads. “All the family members were killed, the dead put in a room, and blankets were put over the corpses and they were burned,” said Anar Gul, an elderly neighbor who rushed to the house after the soldier had left. “We put out the fire.”

The villagers also brought some of the burned blankets on motorbikes to display at the base, Camp Belambay, in Kandahar, and show that the bodies had been set alight. Soon, more than 300 people had gathered outside to protest.

At least five other Afghans were wounded in the attacks, officials said, some of them seriously, indicating the death toll could rise. NATO said several casualties were being treated at a military hospital.

--snip--

Mr. Hadi said there was more than one soldier involved in the attack, and at least five other villagers described seeing a number of soldiers, and also a helicopter and flares at the scene. But that claim was unconfirmed — other Afghan residents described seeing only one shooter — and it was unclear whether or not extra troops sent out to the village after the attack to try to catch the suspect.

Scene where the burning took place- the charred stuff is burnt blankets. The fire was put out and the bodies were removed before the fire could really burn them.


Photo from TheNewsTribune, here, including more pictures of the dead. None particularly graphic but clearly show that children were killed and an attempt was made to set the bodies on fire. On child's pants are partly burned. Again, not terribly graphic but obviously disturbing given the subject matter.

What a fucking horror.

PB

[tabatha]

1. Disgusting - and we are supposed to be so superior to "ragheads".

[otohara]

7. With All The Random Shootings Here

it's hard to claim superiority - to any country.

[Zalatix]

14. Been this way with American troops since the Native Americans.

America has always been telling the world how the natives are savages... while themselves behaving like knuckle dragging savages.

[MindMover]

2. This is Afghanistans My Lai massacre......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre

[Warren Stupidity]

5. Well no, this appears to be one individual act by a person with mental problems.

My Lai was a group effort carried out under orders, and was part of a pattern of 'pacification' actions that were war crimes, carried out by our forces in Vietnam over the entire course of the war, as part of the official (although obviously secret) policy for conducting the war.

My Lai was far worse and it was not an isolated incident.

[MindMover]

6. You are correct in that every massacre is different.....to be more specific

metaphorically speaking, this massacre is Afghanistan's My Lai...massacre...

[roguevalley]

12. shit. pull out of there, get on our knees and beg forgiveness and put the fuckers in prison

this makes me fall on my face.

[MindMover]

13. Sounds to me like you won't hurt yourself, because you don't have to far to fall.....

[roguevalley]

15. given that your post doesn't make sense I will let it go.

[rhett o rick]

3. I wonder if any involved are Christians. nm

[BeyondGeography]

4. What.the.fuck?

Payback will be a bitch. Thanks, man.

[Poll_Blind]

9. Yeah, the timing of this was so bad some I saw on TV were scratching their heads wondering if...

...this attack was intentionally done to exacerbate the situation.

I gotta say, if someone had planned to enhance the outrage over the Koran burning with an act, this would be it. Mostly unarmed women and children, and an attempt to burn their bodies. And then walks back to base and turns himself in.

WTF?

PB

[malaise]

8. Good fugging grief

BBC this morning said the attacker had suffered a nervous breakdown.
War is evil. Bring the troops home.

[ellie]

10. WTH?

[HopeHoops]

11. Yeah, THAT will win over their "hearts and minds".