A U.S. soldier walked off base in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan and went on a shooting rampage, killing 16 people. It is unknown what pushed this soldier over the edge. U.S. officials vow to get to the bottom of the incident.
Is an act like this terrorism, even though it is in a war zone? Perhaps. I don’t know what else to call the killing of unarmed civilians.
According to the Washington Post:
President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called Karzai on Sunday to discuss the incident. Obama expressed “shock and sadness” and vowed to “hold fully accountable anyone responsible” for the killings, the White House said in a statement.
“This incident is tragic and shocking and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan,” Obama said.
U.S. officials shed no light on the motive or state of mind of the alleged shooter. The Associated Press reported Sunday that the suspect was from Fort Lewis, in Washington state. He was taken into custody shortly after the shooting rampage.
“It appears he walked off post and later returned and turned himself in,” said Lt. Cmdr. James Williams, a military spokesman.
What causes this kind of fugue from reality? American troops will be on high alert across the region following the incident. Things were just calming down from the Koran burning incidents where locals rioted and fired on US troops for days. This rogue soldier’s behavior has endangered all of our troops.
Just waiting for the blow-back. It will happen.
Is this terrorism? If an Afghani did this in the USA, would we brand them as a terrorist?
Or is it traitorous to commit such an act when it will result in your fellow American troops being killed in retaliation or foreign policy being jeopardized?
Or is it being somewhere that you do something for a local population, and turn around the next day to find a group has come in and terrorize the group to the point the work done is futile?
Or is it years on end of being in a country you cannot tell a friend from foe? You get up each day and look at the locals and wonder if they can be trusted?
Or is it you are dealing with century old customs and way of life, trying to impart a way of living and custom not wanted because – once you leave the area – that group has no option but to stay their own course? Or does not want it to begin with?
Or is it when a Medic, acting on his best instincts and training, tries to save a life and results in accidently violating a local belief and becomes targeted to the point he is now a target, and he and his fellow platoon members go in lock-down for three weeks to protect all of them until they can be moved?
Or is it that someone with constant deployment, home issues not known by command or command does not care since “Mission First” finally snaps?
Or is it the lessons of 30-odd years ago about “nation building” by combat forces is just a farce to begin with since combat soldiers are trained to one mission and purpose: seek out, close with, and destroy the enemy?
And too much time wasted and locals lead to not knowing who the enemy is?
Rudyard Kipling said it best: “The end of the fight, is a tombstone white…with the name of the late deceased. The epitaph drear…a fool lies here…who tries to hustle the east.”
@Ray, maybe all those things. This man was in his late 30’s and had 2 children. He walked off base, killed people in their sleep and then came back and turned himself in. Regardless, it is horrible and not representative of our troops.
What are we still doing over there again?
@SlowpokeRodriguez Apparently waiting for Bush to come back and clean up his “mess.” Because no one briefed candidate Obama on how big the war actually was.
If only Bush had stayed the course on Afghanistan! But, no, he had to go
hunting for yellowcake and stuff.
Meanwhile Cheney, Rummy, and W are sitting pretty and Obama is left with the mess.
“Meanwhile Cheney, Rummy, and W are sitting pretty and Obama is left with the mess.”
Damn those term limits! Otherwise I’m sure the left would have given Bush a resounding victory so he could clean up his mess!
@Emma
Huh?
This soldier had been deployed three times, the first two times in Iraq. I believe he had suffered some injuries that resulted in “minor traumatic brain injury”. He is a father and husband.
Apparently he killed 9 children and 3 women. War is hell. You not only destroy the people you fight, the soldiers themselves are scarred forever. To all those republicans so eager to get into another war, i.e. Iran, SHUT UP!