War-crimes probe of Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs reveals grisly allegations

[sonomak]

Source: Washington Post

When Army investigators tried to interrogate Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs in May about the suspected murders of three Afghan civilians, he declined to answer questions. But as he was being fingerprinted, Gibbs lifted up his pant leg to reveal a tattoo.

Engraved on his left calf was a picture of a crossed pair of pistols, framed by six skulls. The tattoo was "his way of keeping count of the kills he had," according to a report filed by a special agent for the Army's Criminal Investigations Command. Three of the skulls, colored in red, represented kills in Iraq, Gibbs told the agent; the others, in blue, were from Afghanistan.

Gibbs said he acted in self-defense each time, but Army officials came to a different conclusion. They have charged him with conspiring with other soldiers from the 5th Stryker Combat Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division to murder three unarmed Afghans, allegedly for sport, and dismembering and photographing the corpses.

The war-crimes investigation is the gravest to confront the Army in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. In echoes of the Abu Ghraib scandal that unfolded from Iraq in 2004, the Army is scrambling to locate dozens of digital photographs that soldiers allegedly took of one another posing alongside the corpses of their victims. Military officials worry disclosure of the images could inflame public opinion against the war, both at home and abroad.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/29/AR2010092904137.html

[yurbud]

1. uh oh. Time to go.

[OnyxCollie]

2. K&R. nt

[niceypoo]

3. Move over Mexican cartels

Here comes America

[Solly Mack]

4. k/r

[Crowman1979]

5. I have no problem with soldiers deserting the Army in order to get away from these psychos.

Especially those who joined because they were desperate for work, thinks this Wah on Tewwah is BS, and realize what kind of a fucked up situation they enlisted in.

If anyone has a problem with that and says "If you desert then your just a traitor...blah blah blah....according to the UCMJ.....blah blah blah." Then go move into a house with a bunch of armed meth addicts out in to boonies. You'd be hauling balls out of there once they decide to kill you after blowing the whistle.

[happygoluckytoyou]

6. ISNT IT TIME to bring back our 100,000 damaged souls to wander the country replacing the Nam vets

[Bigmack]

8. Actually, ADDING TO.... the Vietnam Vets...

We have simply got to stop making so many veterans!

(Sorry about the shouting, but bolding doesn't work on subject lines.)

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, sonomak.

[Iowa]

9. Serial killers and sadists... You'll find some of them posing as soldiers and cops.

This is one of many reasons to keep cops and soldiers on a very short leash, and to prosecute killers and torturers vigorously. Failing to do that places all of us in danger.