US military in Afghanistan uncovers sadistic death squad in ranks

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Telegraph

US military in Afghanistan uncovers sadistic death squad in ranks
A group of American soldiers are facing murder charges for a five-month killing spree in which they randomly targeted Afghan civilians for sport, a US military investigation has reported.
By Ben Farmer in Kabul
Published: 9:37AM BST 19 Sep 2010

In at least one attack, a soldier threw a grenade to pretend they were being ambushed as a pretext to then shoot dead an innocent villager.

The soldiers also dismembered and photographed bodies and kept bones and skulls as trophies in some of the most grisly accusations against US troops since the invasion in 2001

All were reported to deny wrongdoing and military investigators will hold a pre-trial hearing at their home base in Washington later this year.

American commanders fear details of the incidents could cause widespread anger in Afghanistan, where civilian deaths have fostered deep resentment against coalition forces.



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8011815/US-military-in-Afghanistan-uncovers-sadistic-death-squad-in-ranks.html

[meowomon]

1. The ring leader said he got away with stuff in Iraq

The seeds of this were planted along time ago when Bush/Cheney authorized the torture of our human brothers. That depraved indifference and this godawful horrendously long war have destroyed a small portion of our troops. Not to mention the civilians and the victims. This is a horror movie. Oh God. No it isn't.

[Karenina]

2. "The chick got in the way."

[Dover]

3. And like bad karma these soldiers will return to our society,

many being declared as heroes by their towns and countrymen. We assume we can make some distinction between these actions and those that are considered unacceptable by society. That distorted mindset is the true weapon of mass destruction. And to suggest that this is ONLY a result of Bush/Cheney distorts it further because it perpetuates the whole 'boogeyman is out there' mindset rather than taking responsibility for the core issues that would give rise to that sickness. We are all connected and there is no "out there".

Lord of the Flies times a million - remote and disconnected from our own humanity.

It acts like an insideous virus that affects us all, although the real germ for this illness is, in fact, inherent in this country's core values (or lack thereof) and attitudes toward the world, it's reflected in our institutions, our policies, our corporate/capitallist mentality, and our culture as a whole....and within us as individuals. Afterall, we have collectively created and accept the consensus reality we live in.

I think the worst thing we can do is distance ourselves from the
actions of these men, demonize and disown them. But that's what the government and military will do, as well as the media, etc. Marginalize the problem as unique to a few bad apples. And we'll accept that lest we
be forced to look deeper and shift our reality.

There are many people now in prison serving time for much less.
How will we rehabilitate these soldiers? We have to rehabilitate
ourselves and the sickness in our culture, our government, our
military and our general relationship to the global community, to nature
and the planet as a whole. We need to experience our connection.

[PacerLJ35]

6. There are a few "bad apples"

The military has over a million people in the ranks. Not everyone is a perfect person with good intentions, much like if you took a pool of 1 million+ civilians. I've been in the military for 18 years. These guys do NOT represent the "typical" person in the military. Far from it. None of the people I know, including me, would ever dream of doing something like this. I hope them, and anyone else that covered it up, gets served justice. Lots of people have served in combat branches of the military and not resorted to cold-blooded murder for no reason (or to the extreme of making it a "sport").

For what it's worth, many people that have served in Iraq or Afghanistan did not serve directly in a combat capacity.

[w8liftinglady]

7. If they do come back with guilt or anger,they will be kicked to the curb...

just like the troops from prior wars.

i see it now in my volunteer work with homeless veterans.They haven't forgiven themselves,and internalize their guilt.
I saw it with my dad,my uncles,my cousins,my son.
i see it with the homeless Iraq and Afghanistan female vets I assist.

There are no winners in war.

[lunatica]

4. Those who accept and embrace war in any way must also accept this

Because if war is natural to humans then so is this because the only difference between war and this is exactly zero. One is where your leaders send you to kill for their benefit and the other is where you choose to kill to satisfy your own lust for blood.

[maryf]

5. K&Rnt