US Army '? team' in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civilians
Options
DarcSkies
Members Posts: 13,791 ✭✭✭✭✭
US Army '? team' in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civilians
Commanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal
Commanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal
The Afghanistan '? team' photos of murdered civilians could be more damaging than those from Abu Ghraib, say Nato commanders. Photograph: AP
Commanders in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for possible riots and public fury triggered by the publication of "trophy" photographs of US soldiers posing with the dead bodies of defenceless Afghan civilians they killed.
Senior officials at Nato's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul have compared the pictures published by the German news weekly Der Spiegel to the images of US soldiers abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq which sparked waves of anti-US protests around the world.
They fear that the pictures could be even more damaging as they show the aftermath of the deliberate murders of Afghan civilians by a rogue US Stryker tank unit that operated in the southern province of Kandahar last year.
Some of the activities of the self-styled "? team" are already public, with 12 men currently on trial in Seattle for their role in the killing of three civilians.
Five of the soldiers are on trial for pre-meditated murder, after they staged killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks.
Other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.
All of the soldiers have denied the charges. They face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.
The case has already created shock around the world, particularly with the revelations that the men cut "trophies" from the bodies of the people they killed.
An investigation by Der Spiegel has unearthed approximately 4,000 photos and videos taken by the men.
The magazine, which is planning to publish only three images, said that in addition to the crimes the men were on trial for there are "also entire collections of pictures of other victims that some of the defendants were keeping".
The US military has strived to keep the pictures out of the public domain fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.
In a statement, the army said it apologised for the distress caused by photographs "depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States".
The lengthy Spiegel article that accompanies the photographs contains new details about the sadistic behaviour of the men.
In one incident in May last year, the article says, during a patrol, the team apprehended a mullah who was standing by the road and took him into a ditch where they made him kneel down.
The group's leader, Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, then allegedly threw a grenade at the man while an order was given for him to be shot.
Afterwards, Gibbs is described cutting off one of the man's little fingers and removing a tooth.
The patrol team later claimed to their superiors that the mullah had tried to threaten them with a grenade and that they had no choice but to shoot.
On Sunday night many organisations employing foreign staff, including the United Nations, ordered their staff into a "lockdown", banning all movements around Kabul and requiring people to remain in their compounds.
In addition to the threat from the publication of the photographs, security has been heightened amid fears the Taliban may try to attack Persian new year celebrations.
There could also be attacks because Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is due to make a speech declaring which areas of the country should be transferred from international to Afghan control in the coming months.
One security manager for the US company DynCorp sent an email to clients warning that publication of the photos was likely "to incite the local population" as the "severity of the incidents to be revealed are graphic and extreme".
Comments
-
How in the ? are these pictures getting out? There has to be a ban on cell phones or something. I feel as though as long as we get the information needed does it matter how?
-
I'm starting to see things this way also.we can't keep this war going and act like its not war...
we can't keep punishing soldiers for being killers...
This type of ? is nothing new. War by definition is inhumane and we need to stop pretending you can send young men into war zones. Spend tens of thousands of dollars teaching them to be blood thirsty killers with no remorse then expect them to turn the "? switch" on and off at will.
These aren't just loser cops with nothing better to do than shoot people like we have in America. These are literally KILLERS in a real war (legal or not its still a war). Of course they lose their ? and commit these types of inhumane crimes. That's what killers do. -
War is hell. But since when does the military care about what people think? They haven't thus far, which is the problem. Listen to the people and get out of there. War is all these troops have seen for years.
And these aren't even soldiers, but regular civilians nonetheless. -
we can't ? up when the same happens to us.. they call our warriors.. Soldiers.. they call theirs terrorist.. im just saying
We are suppose to wield the sword of "MORAL AUTHORITY" America think of itself as the worlds father.. we preach honor. we should honor.. no ? its war.. Killing is Killing but the extra ? is for the birds.. idk maybe its just me.. this just gives fuel to the fire.. I have very little respect an tolerance for ? like this.. Maybe im in the minority but as always i dont have a problem being that guy if that guy is who i am -
What's it gonna take for us to finally say "We won"? I don't see how we can win this ? . We went to tha middle east to fight "The War on Terror" after 911.. 3000 people died in tha attacks that started this. Last time I remember tha U.S death toll over there was over 4,000... So what are we getting out of this? Oil prices are up, I don't see what we're winning. What exactly are we even fighting for? As far as we know there aren't WMD's (might wanna check North Korea if anywhere though, lol) So why are we sending these 20 year old kids over there to get killed? Is their threat to us really worth that? I just don't get it.
-
And we get ? done.Not surprised
America is the biggest terrorist organization on earth -
I agree with you. But I dont believe in punishing the soldiers/killers.playmaker88 wrote: »we can't ? up when the same happens to us.. they call our warriors.. Soldiers.. they call theirs terrorist.. im just saying
We are suppose to wield the sword of "MORAL AUTHORITY" America think of itself as the worlds father.. we preach honor. we should honor.. no ? its war.. Killing is Killing but the extra ? is for the birds.. idk maybe its just me.. this just gives fuel to the fire.. I have very little respect an tolerance for ? like this.. Maybe im in the minority but as always i dont have a problem being that guy if that guy is who i am
The people who should be hanged are the idiots who put those guys in that position. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeild etc etc.
WHen you send killers into a warzone and they've seen people literally explode in front of their eyes and get chopped up with machine gun fire (sometimes their best friends) best believe they lose a bit of their humanity. And you really cant blame them.
BUt the idiots who started this ? war are the real criminals. WHen u send killers into a warzone...there's no guarantee that the only people theyre going to ? are the enemy. -
*deleted
? ain't even on CNN foh -
I agree with you. But I dont believe in punishing the soldiers/killers.
The people who should be hanged are the idiots who put those guys in that position. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeild etc etc.
WHen you send killers into a warzone and they've seen people literally explode in front of their eyes and get chopped up with machine gun fire (sometimes their best friends) best believe they lose a bit of their humanity. And you really cant blame them.
BUt the idiots who started this ? war are the real criminals. WHen u send killers into a warzone...there's no guarantee that the only people theyre going to ? are the enemy.
I see what you mean .. for some reason..well we know the reason your allegience determines the worth indiviudal put on human lives.. i never subscribed to that school of thought..
The Cavalier attitude and "NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE" of the suits is the blame. Yeah its war people die but ? honorably.. sounds silly just typing it.. but dont ? up when 3000 of our own get killed.. Im not making light of any attack on our people im just saying.. Its but a small weight on the scales of human loss for US.. and "them" wh oever that ... "them" is
The suits are doin more harm than good.. with the blind eye.. just these lil inactions can help to radicalize and other wise neutral mind.. Imagine the kid an afghan or who may totally despise everything that that their countrymen may be doing vs allied forces.. however he sees the level of disrespect towards his people as if they are lesser than human.. Im pretty sure that ? has some psycholigical effects.
Like i said before i was half way fecicious, but we are the the Moral authority and we look at ourselves as such..."arrogantly".. im rambling.. but anwyay
When is everyone gonna stop believing the damn lie "They are fighting for our freedoms"
Therese Free Dumbs alrights.... -
I get exactly what you're saying. They ? plenty of people but one of their guys dies and they go on a damn killing spree like they havent done the same to the other side also. I get it.playmaker88 wrote: »I see what you mean .. for some reason..well we know the reason your allegience determines the worth indiviudal put on human lives.. i never subscribed to that school of thought..
The Cavalier attitude and "NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE" of the suits is the blame. Yeah its war people die but ? honorably.. sounds silly just typing it.. but dont ? up when 3000 of our own get killed.. Im not making light of any attack on our people im just saying.. Its but a small weight on the scales of human loss for US.. and "them" wh oever that ... "them" is
THis is why they're so nervous about ? getting leaked. And why we're so ? stupid for continuing these wars.The suits are doin more harm than good.. with the blind eye.. just these lil inactions can help to radicalize and other wise neutral mind.. Imagine the kid an afghan or who may totally despise everything that that their countrymen may be doing vs allied forces.. however he sees the level of disrespect towards his people as if they are lesser than human.. Im pretty sure that ? has some psycholigical effects.
Yeah you killed countless amounts of "terrorists" in this war. But you created 3X's as many by being in the war in the first place. These people arent stupid as Americans think they are. They get more news than we get. Dont think for one second they dont read these stories and spread this ? through word of mouth like, "SEE WHAT THE AMERICANS DO TO US MUSLIMS?"
Never. Thats the easy way out. THe alternative is facing reality.Like i said before i was half way fecicious, but we are the the Moral authority and we look at ourselves as such..."arrogantly".. im rambling.. but anwyay
When is everyone gonna stop believing the damn lie "They are fighting for our freedoms"
Therese Free Dumbs alrights....
And even our reality shows arent realistic. You keep Americans fat and happy and they dont think further. -
I get exactly what you're saying. They ? plenty of people but one of their guys dies and they go on a damn killing spree like they havent done the same to the other side also. I get it.
THis is why they're so nervous about ? getting leaked. And why we're so ? stupid for continuing these wars.
Yeah you killed countless amounts of "terrorists" in this war. But you created 3X's as many by being in the war in the first place. These people arent stupid as Americans think they are. They get more news than we get. Dont think for one second they dont read these stories and spread this ? through word of mouth like, "SEE WHAT THE AMERICANS DO TO US MUSLIMS?"
Never. Thats the easy way out. THe alternative is facing reality.
And even our reality shows arent realistic. You keep Americans fat and happy and they dont think further.
yup, and the bolded is hilarious and true on many levels -
got there hand caught in the cookie jar again
-
Not surprised
America is the biggest terrorist organization on earth
thisAnd we get ? done.
and this -
I agree with what most of you are saying.
There should not be shock or punishment, especially on Americas end. We're taking young men that are in one of the biggest transition periods of life and teaching them to be cold hearted killers insensitive to death and suffering and we can't expect them to act like uppity outstanding citizens while they're in war. -
it's on their website's front page and the actual story events date to January 2010 (and have been in the news before), so...reaperbong wrote: »? ain't even on CNN foh -
no it's not i been reading CNN for two days and didn't see this headline anywhere even when looking for it. and if it is it's so small and buried in other news nobody gives a ? especially since it was already reported before so there you go. seen nothing about this in any local paper either like the Chicago Tribune or on any Google headlines. point is this ain't gonna blow up like ya'll hoping for just read this drama ? headline:
Commanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal
really? worse than Abu Ghraib huh? whatever. -
Murder is murder no matter how you rationalize it. FOH
-
i wonder why they leak these stories
i thinkin they jus wanna get more ppl involved with more hatred and feelings attached -
The user and all related content has been deleted.
-
Damn, I could've sworn there was a video on TheYNC.com of just that. Except they weren't completely naked or dead.boohoo, this ? is small time compared to the ? Beheadings and road haulings(oh ya'll aint know about the naked soldiers being drug thru towns attached to the back of a Toyota Hi Lux.)...
Must've gotten lost in the hack.
Either way, this thread needs more pics. -
And we get ? done.
yeah, right. we get the wrong ? done. we attack the wrong countries, we dont destroy the terrorist orginization that attacked us, we dont respect our own constitution and civil rights and we ? innocent civilians. but hey, at least we caught/killed Bin Laden right? oh wait..... -
LiveLeak comes through:fiat_money wrote: »Damn, I could've sworn there was a video on TheYNC.com of just that. Except they weren't completely naked or dead.
Must've gotten lost in the hack.
Either way, this thread needs more pics.
(graphic).. insugents arrest 2 u.s. soldiers and drag them in al- anbar streets -
I agree with you. But I dont believe in punishing the soldiers/killers.
The people who should be hanged are the idiots who put those guys in that position. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeild etc etc.
WHen you send killers into a warzone and they've seen people literally explode in front of their eyes and get chopped up with machine gun fire (sometimes their best friends) best believe they lose a bit of their humanity. And you really cant blame them.
BUt the idiots who started this ? war are the real criminals. WHen u send killers into a warzone...there's no guarantee that the only people theyre going to ? are the enemy.
Powerful. Killers ? people. Call'em soldiers, terrorists, or freedom fighters--at the end of the day, the only thing that separates soldiers from the Boston Stranglers, Zodiac Killers, and Icemen of the world are uniforms and a workout plan. I've yet to read and/or hear a counter argument that this whole thing isn't building toward a full scale invasion to make the Middle East an American territory like Puerto Rico except with oil as the ultimate pay day instead of salsa. -
The user and all related content has been deleted.
-
Not surprised
America is the biggest terrorist organization on earth
You're 100% right. Americans have killed, stolen, and murdered more resources and people than Al-Qaeda and the Taliban EVER have.
![[Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/v2/b26bfbf7cca7b014faa8ceaf4da7ed14.svg)
