US Army 'kill team' in Afghanistan posed with photos of murdered civilians

[OptimusPrimeRibs]

Yeah like you guys are free from the stereotyping. Disgusting. American foreign policy seems to be run by trigger happy rednecks. Well the poses are the same, just the people have changed. first it was Iraqis, then Afghans, well we shall see Libyans next.
Pathetic.

If you really believe our foreign policy includes killing innocent civilians and taking pictures with the bodies, you're incredibly misinformed. NO WHERE is there any mentioning of condoning this kind of behavior. Take your outrage on this matter off the governement and on the specific soldiers who perpetrated the deed.

I don't think you'll have to worry about America being in Libya though. If Obama was smart, he'd know that invading Iraq was Bush's legacy that will go down as a huge mistake, and that actually invading Libya instead of letting the rest of the joint force(Including muslims states) take care of it.

 

[thebrownguy]

If you really believe our foreign policy includes killing innocent civilians and taking pictures with the bodies, you're incredibly misinformed. NO WHERE is there any mentioning of condoning this kind of behavior. Take your outrage on this matter off the governement and on the specific soldiers who perpetrated the deed.

I don't think you'll have to worry about America being in Libya though. If Obama was smart, he'd know that invading Iraq was Bush's legacy that will go down as a huge mistake, and that actually invading Libya instead of letting the rest of the joint forceu(Including muslims states) take care of it.

I never said your foreign policy is about killing Civilians. And I know Americans in general are really good people. My comment is about the larger picture. Its just that your foreign policy shows no signs of improvement despite so many mis adventures. Misadventures that cliams lives.

 

[President Camacho]

Morlock to testify against fellow ‘kill team’ troops

Corporal Jeremy Morlock has confessed to three murders. In January 2010 he threw a grenade at a boy before opening fire along with other members of his squad. He has also admitted to murders in February and May 2010.

On each occasion the crime was carefully planned, covered up and photographs taken. Morlock is said to have distributed the trophy photographs freely and widely.

Under a plea bargain which is yet to be approved by a judge, Morlock would receive a 24-year prison sentence in return for testifying against other members of a so-called "kill team" in a court martial being held at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.

Besides Morlock, four others are accused of premeditated murder and face the death penalty or a life sentence if found guilty. Seven other soldiers are charged with helping to cover up the offences.

Photographs of the soldiers - including Morlock - posing with the dead bodies of the civilians they allegedly murdered were published in the German magazine Der Spiegel on Sunday and are now widely available on the internet.

The magazine quotes a Facebook chat between one of the accused, 21-year-old Adam Winfield, and his father. Winfield describes the January 2010 incident, saying: "They made it look like the guy threw a grenade at them and mowed him down."

The publication of the photographs, which had been prevented in the United States by a court order, prompted the US Army to release a statement apologising for the behaviour of the team, which it described as "repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army".

It is feared the photographs will cause a wave of angry protests in Afghanistan as they become more widely distributed over the internet - and possibly provoke attacks on Nato forces


Jeremy Morlock to testify against fellow 'kill team' troops | People in the News | People | The First Post

At least they try their best to deliver justice, unlike in other places. Please understand all Americans are not like this. In fact, on an average, an American behaves more like humans than average people from other countries, but that's just my thought.

 

[Ahmad]

you kill more than the taliban could ever kill.

actions are greater than words am afraid, and just before this 9 boys gathering firewood were murdered by nato, what of them? nothing as usual.

Who kills how many...........at the end of the day it is the Afghans who suffer and get killed, be it by sick individual of nato forces, be it by nato bombing or taliban attacks on civilians. Since you mentioned the percentage of casualties, around 75% of all civilians are getting killed by the Taliban, tell me why these civilians are any different from the civilians who are killed in pakistan by the TTP suicide bombers? You guys condemn the TTP for their crimes, but are bloody lip tight about what the taliban do as a mtter of fact you praise the taliban and call them the true people of the land and islam, isnt it double standard? have you ever mentioned the atrocities of the Taliban against the civilians before 2001? There was no Kufar in the land that time, why did it happen? Right in this forum many vidoes/rreports of the taliban atrocities have been posted but not many people have condemned it, the last video which showed the attackers shooting at the civilians in the bank and one of the attackers who was captured exprerssed his joy on shooting and killing people, that video was posted by a few members a few times, but with the exception of one person, the others declined to comment let alone the condemnation. So please stop trying to score against the americans using our blood, nobody is caring about our suffering including yourself.

 

[hembo]

US soldier pleads guilty to Afghan killings

Jeremy Morlock admits using illegally obtained Afghan weapons to make it appear that the victims were enemy combatants.
Last Modified: 24 Mar 2011 01:59

A US soldier has pleaded guilty to the murders of three Afghan civilians, as part of a rogue US army unit in southern Afghanistan last year.

Corporal Jeremy Morlock, who is set to testify against four co-accused, admitted murdering or helping to kill three men, and using illegally obtained Afghan weapons to make it appear that the victims were enemy combatants.

Morlock was court-martialed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, and one count each of conspiracy, obstructing justice and illegal drug use in exchange for a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison.

Morlock is a key figure in a war crimes probe that implicates a dozen members of his platoon and has raised some of the most serious criminal allegations to come from the war in Afghanistan.

He was accused of taking a lead role in the killings of three unarmed Afghan men in Kandahar province in January, February and May 2010.

Admitting to crimes

Morlock told the judge, Lieutenant Colonel Kwasi Hawks, that he and the other soldiers began plotting to murder unarmed Afghans in late 2009. To make the killings appear justified, the soldiers planned to plant weapons near the victims' bodies, Morlock said.

Asked by the judge what his intent was, Morlock replied, "The plan was to kill people."

"Did everybody know, `We're killing people who are completely innocent'?" the judge asked.

"Generally, yes, sir, everyone knew," Morlock replied.

Morlock is the first of five soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade to be court-martialed -- something his lawyer Geoffrey Nathan characterised as an advantage.

"The first up gets the best deal," Nathan said by phone Tuesday, noting that even under the maximum sentence, Morlock would serve no more than eight years before becoming eligible for parole.

Plea deal

Under the plea deal, Morlock agreed to testify against his co-defendants.

The four others facing charges are the alleged ring-leader Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, Private Andrew Holmes, Specialist Michael Wagnon, and Specialist Adam Winfield.

The first victim of the kill squad died in January 2010. Morlock said the unit was in a village so that army leaders could meet with elders.

He and Private Holmes were on patrol when a man walked toward the two soldiers, who positioned themselves behind a waist-high wall.

Morlock tossed a grenade over the wall near himself and Holmes to make it appear as if the Afghan man had thrown it, and Holmes fired at the man with his machine gun.

Morlock also admitted to smoking hashish while stationed in Afghanistan, though he said he was not under the influence of the drug at the time of the killings. In addition, he admitted to being one of six soldiers who assaulted a fellow platoon member after that man reported the drug use going on in the platoon.

Earlier this week, the German news magazine Der Spiegel published three graphic photos showing Morlock and other soldiers posing with dead Afghans. One image features Morlock grinning as he lifts the head of a corpse by its hair.

 

[amalakas]

I think most of us should understand that war is not a great big adventure that makes us all men.
war is terrible, and being shot, seeing what a 7.62 or .50 cal bullet does to a human being, a granade or a bomb, is not something that leaves you unscarred. It changes people and for some this change is for much much worst.

Some people cannot and should not ever go through that, they are not capable of handling it and they turn to a dehumanized version of themselves capable of killing, torturing, mutilating another person.

before you point the figure to soldiers, who at least have the excuse of being exposed to utter violence you may want to examine mobs first, where normal people (like the examples we have seen from all around the world, -india, Iraq,afganistan,Iran,yugoslavia- come to mind, but also older american examples of whites lynching blacks) all of a sudden display a cruelty and hostility without equal, because a soldier killing a civilian after all the death and mayhem he has seen is inexcusable but somewhat explainable, a guy who goes to work everyday and looks upon himself as a god loving person, picks up a stone, a rock, a piece of metal and beats a 11 year old child to death simply because it is from a different cast, town, city, country, religion or what the hell else......... now that is in my mind a lot worse.

humans can be evil by nature and noone is above this, so don't criticise things that easily ......

 

[BATMAN]

the afghan government is most likely aware of the "kill teams" . they are allowing these teams into afghanistan.

Those so called democrat govts. are almost always 100% complicit.
Corrupt politicians are always stacking the corrupt money abroad, hence are not share holders in loss of state.

In Pakistan target killing is one such example.
If you know too much or you are a threat to those terrorists hiding behind camouflage of democracy.

 

[cross1993]

Let us stop the war. We are all human.

 

[Mabs]

I will not generalize the whole American nation as being criminal but I suppose standing silently when someone is being raped, also makes you guilty to the extent that you did not try to stop it. Of course the actions in discussion are of the minority but the majority, in my opinion has not really stepped up to condemn these actions and the reason why these actions keep happening over and over again. I have many Americans friends and one thing I have noticed is that they are all too willing to believe what the government says without really establishing its credibility and authenticity. Of course the trend is changing after the Wiki-leaks saga but there is still a vast majority which takes the word of their government without really investigating into it. We Pakistanis in this regard have matured ahead of many nations, and rightly so take any information coming from the corridors of the power with a pinch of salt.

 

[Mabs]

Also, there is a huge difference in the US's policies depending on the region and the country they are dealing with. Things have been pretty bad in Yemen and Bahrain as well but i highly doubt that the coalition forces will launch an attack on those countries as well. In fact when the Saudi forces marched into Bahrain, all US could come up with was a timid expression of concern and caution. I understand the US looking after its interests but they should not try to make it look like they are doing it for the betterment of the world. Look at all the monarchs and the absolute dictators in the Middle East and name one which did not have the backing with the US. US had cordial relations with each and everyone of the countries so when you tell people taht you are invading a country for DEMOCRACY, it really does not sell.

 

[TOPGUN]

More like the army of the devil....

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

this is undoubtedly no way to win hearts and minds....

you dont win hearts and minds in Afghanistan (and especially while being an outsider/foreign occupier) then the mission is totally impossible to conduct.

the inhumane treatment of Abu Ghraib is still fresh in peoples' minds. I've heard some stories about Bagram. The foreign soldiers are working around some very difficult RoEs. It's a high stress job while they are thousands of km away from their families and loved ones (well, thats what they signed up for when they enlisted)

however, there are no excuses to such unprofessional and disrespectful conduct; this is unbecoming of any soldier

 

[kingkobra]

watch all pics and store in your memory before they are wiped out of web by americans

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

uhmmm....why we posting pictures of dead people here? Soldier or civilians, friendly or enemy -- this is WRONG!!

 

[Ahmad]

there are 4 similar threads discusing the same thing, they need to merge them.