Army: Soldiers plotted to kill Afghan civilians
gimmesometruth27
St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
who wants to bet that these guys either get off or get light sentences for their war crimes? absolutely disgusting....winning hearts and minds, huh.....
Army: Soldiers plotted to kill Afghan civilians
One soldier allegedly formed a 'kill team' for random executions
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38856283/ns ... nd_courts/
SEATTLE — Five soldiers accused of killing civilians in Afghanistan are now facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder — a plot that allegedly began when one soldier discussed how easy it would be to "toss a grenade" at Afghan civilians, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday.
The five soldiers were charged with murder in June for the deaths of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar Province this year. According to charging summaries newly released by the Army, additional allegations of conspiracy have since been filed against those soldiers, and seven others have been charged in connection with the conspiracy or with attempting to cover it up.
The new charges arose from the investigations into the killings and into a brutal assault on an enlisted man who had informed on soldiers smoking hashish, The Times reported. The informant reported hearing soldiers talk about killing civilians.
The Army told The Associated Press Wednesday that it is redacting charging documents that detail the new allegations and expects to release them next week.
As part of the widening probe, investigators have interviewed platoon mates and defendants, The Times reported, citing documents that defense attorneys filed with an Army magistrate judge, as well as interviews with defense attorneys. Two of the defense lawyers did not immediately respond to e-mails from the AP on Wednesday.
Some platoon members told investigators that Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs began joking with other soldiers last December about how easy it would be to "toss a grenade" at Afghan civilians and kill them, the newspaper said. One soldier responded that it was a stupid idea, and another believed Gibbs was "feeling out the platoon."
But eventually, Gibbs formed what one called a "kill team" to randomly execute Afghan civilians while on patrol, the documents said. No motive was discussed.
Gibbs has denied any involvement in the killings.
All of the three who were killed were shot. Two were also hit with grenades in what has proved to be one of the most serious war-crimes cases to emerge from the Afghan war.
Anyone who dared to report the events was threatened with violence, investigators were told.
Gibbs, 25, of Billings, Montana, and Spc. Jeremy Morlock, 22, of Wasilla, Alaska, were charged in June with three counts each of premeditated murder and one count of assault, and they have emerged as central figures in the case.
Morlock has made extensive statements to investigators — statements that his attorney, Michael Waddington, said he hopes to have suppressed because they were made under the influence of prescription drugs taken for head injuries sustained in battle.
"Our position is that his statements were incoherent, and taken while he was under a cocktail of drugs that shouldn't have been mixed," Waddington said. "What he said is not consistent with other evidence that comes out of the case."
Three other soldiers were charged in June with one count of premeditated murder: Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes, 19, of Boise, Idaho; Spc. Michael Wagnon II, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Spc. Adam Winfield, 21, of Cape Coral, Florida.
All five are awaiting court martial and could face life in prison or death if convicted. They are assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The three civilians killed near the Army's Forward Operating Base Ramrod in southern Afghanistan were identified as Gul Mudin, killed in January; Marach Agha, killed Feb. 22; and Mullah Adahdad, killed May 2.
Army: Soldiers plotted to kill Afghan civilians
One soldier allegedly formed a 'kill team' for random executions
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38856283/ns ... nd_courts/
SEATTLE — Five soldiers accused of killing civilians in Afghanistan are now facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder — a plot that allegedly began when one soldier discussed how easy it would be to "toss a grenade" at Afghan civilians, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday.
The five soldiers were charged with murder in June for the deaths of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar Province this year. According to charging summaries newly released by the Army, additional allegations of conspiracy have since been filed against those soldiers, and seven others have been charged in connection with the conspiracy or with attempting to cover it up.
The new charges arose from the investigations into the killings and into a brutal assault on an enlisted man who had informed on soldiers smoking hashish, The Times reported. The informant reported hearing soldiers talk about killing civilians.
The Army told The Associated Press Wednesday that it is redacting charging documents that detail the new allegations and expects to release them next week.
As part of the widening probe, investigators have interviewed platoon mates and defendants, The Times reported, citing documents that defense attorneys filed with an Army magistrate judge, as well as interviews with defense attorneys. Two of the defense lawyers did not immediately respond to e-mails from the AP on Wednesday.
Some platoon members told investigators that Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs began joking with other soldiers last December about how easy it would be to "toss a grenade" at Afghan civilians and kill them, the newspaper said. One soldier responded that it was a stupid idea, and another believed Gibbs was "feeling out the platoon."
But eventually, Gibbs formed what one called a "kill team" to randomly execute Afghan civilians while on patrol, the documents said. No motive was discussed.
Gibbs has denied any involvement in the killings.
All of the three who were killed were shot. Two were also hit with grenades in what has proved to be one of the most serious war-crimes cases to emerge from the Afghan war.
Anyone who dared to report the events was threatened with violence, investigators were told.
Gibbs, 25, of Billings, Montana, and Spc. Jeremy Morlock, 22, of Wasilla, Alaska, were charged in June with three counts each of premeditated murder and one count of assault, and they have emerged as central figures in the case.
Morlock has made extensive statements to investigators — statements that his attorney, Michael Waddington, said he hopes to have suppressed because they were made under the influence of prescription drugs taken for head injuries sustained in battle.
"Our position is that his statements were incoherent, and taken while he was under a cocktail of drugs that shouldn't have been mixed," Waddington said. "What he said is not consistent with other evidence that comes out of the case."
Three other soldiers were charged in June with one count of premeditated murder: Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes, 19, of Boise, Idaho; Spc. Michael Wagnon II, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Spc. Adam Winfield, 21, of Cape Coral, Florida.
All five are awaiting court martial and could face life in prison or death if convicted. They are assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The three civilians killed near the Army's Forward Operating Base Ramrod in southern Afghanistan were identified as Gul Mudin, killed in January; Marach Agha, killed Feb. 22; and Mullah Adahdad, killed May 2.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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also, i am sure the court is going to excuse these soldiers like they have in most war crimes cases in these 2 "wars"...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Combine tens of thousands of soldiers, mental stress, pent-up testosterone, ridiculous heat, plentiful weapons and boredom/monotony, and it's surprising things like this don't happen more often.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
ya ... part of me really empathizes with these soldiers in that - they are sent to a foreign place to do shitty work for an unjust cause ... the armed forces nor the gov't really care about their well being ... combine the stress and ignorance and you have a recipe for these kinds of disasters ... these guys may or may not get off but the reality is no one in the gov't really cares ... this is all part and parcel of war profiteering - you can't concern yourself with civilian casualties and such ...
the buck-passing bush admin
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
And I agree with blackredyeller said.
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08
http://www.counterpunch.org/jarrar07112006.html