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Rogue US soldier went on rampage in Afghanistan, 10 civilians dead, five wounded!

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,048 ✭✭✭Da Shins Kelly


    What a f*cking mess. Why are they even still in the country?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,030 ✭✭✭✭Chuck Stone


    What a f*cking mess. Why are they even still in the country?

    It was a half-arsed job from the start. In the beginning they really did have an opportunity to 'nation build' but they blew it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 533 ✭✭✭harmoniums


    The bases in Afghanistan are dry, but a lot of the guys get drink from the locals, or get regular shipments of "mouthwash" from back home.

    Either way, this isn't the actions of a drunk, these are the actions of someone who lost it totally.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 126 ✭✭Joko


    You've never left an American base in Afghanistan on foot, have you?

    He's not the first to walk off base. But he had better luck than Bowe Bergdahl.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,165 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manic Moran


    Joko wrote: »
    You've never left an American base in Afghanistan on foot, have you?

    He's not the first to walk off base. But he had better luck than Bowe Bergdahl.

    You are correct, and it is unfortunate that the situation was allowed to repeat itself


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,055 ✭✭✭Pacing Mule


    Daniel S wrote: »
    16 dead now
    Daniel S wrote: »
    Back to 15 now.

    Jesus


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Burning of the Koran ,urinating on dead bodies and now a slaughter of Afghans by this individual .If the Americans were looking for ways to make their job much much harder and dangerous ,not to mention that of thier allies then these actions have only have help achieved that with more deaths of soldiers and civillians to come .Revenge will be on the minds of many Afghans and Taliban alike .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,075 ✭✭✭Wattle


    What do people think happens in a warzone?

    This wasn't a combat situation. This was one heavily armed soldier against unarmed civilians.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,191 ✭✭✭uncle_sam_ie


    One guy doesn't sound so bad does it but,

    This wasn't a lone stressed out soldier going on a rampage

    It was more the one guy!

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/11/us-afghanistan-civilians-idUSBRE82A02V20120311

    "Neighbors and relatives of the dead said they had seen a group of U.S. soldiers arrive at their village in Kandahar's Panjwayi district at about 2 a.m., enter homes and open fire."
    "They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them," Samad told Reuters at the scene.

    Neighbors said they had awoken to crackling gunfire from American soldiers, who they described as laughing and drunk.

    "They were all drunk and shooting all over the place," said neighbor Agha Lala, who visited one of the homes where killings took place.

    "Their (the victims') bodies were riddled with bullets."


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Killer Wench


    One guy doesn't sound so bad does it but,

    This wasn't a lone stressed out soldier going on a rampage

    It was more the one guy!

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/11/us-afghanistan-civilians-idUSBRE82A02V20120311

    "Neighbors and relatives of the dead said they had seen a group of U.S. soldiers arrive at their village in Kandahar's Panjwayi district at about 2 a.m., enter homes and open fire."
    "They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them," Samad told Reuters at the scene.

    Neighbors said they had awoken to crackling gunfire from American soldiers, who they described as laughing and drunk.

    "They were all drunk and shooting all over the place," said neighbor Agha Lala, who visited one of the homes where killings took place.

    "Their (the victims') bodies were riddled with bullets."

    I mentioned that earlier in this thread. There seems to be conflicting viewpoints of what happened. Thus far, people have taken the lone gunman thing and ran with it, but it still is too early to know what exactly happened. I honestly question how a lone gunman could have walked off a base alone and then kill 15/16 people and then turn around and walk back to the base.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,823 ✭✭✭✭Zebra3


    Soldiers are just like anyone else you will find on the street in the city, because that's where we came from.

    Apart from the fact that they are trained killers, many of whom don't question their role in illegal wars, and are happy to murder innocent civilians and then cover it up with lies.

    Please do not put me in the same bracket as such scum.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Killer Wench


    Zebra3 wrote: »
    many of whom... are happy to murder innocent civilians


    Oh really now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    well, thats what happens when you train people to kill people.

    Funnily enough , there seems no shortage of untrained people going around murdering others too.

    Some people are murderers, and some of those get jobs as soldiers. Who'da thunk it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,515 ✭✭✭Firefox11


    I'm surprised a US soldier has gone on a shooting spree against members of the ANA/ANP yet.

    They are in a country where the general population hates them, there supposed Afghan allies are turning around and killing US solders. It's no wonder a few of them go nuts.


  • Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭wingsof daun


    No alcohol allowed on bases in war time.

    Aren't US soldiers given drugs to keep them sane over there? Maybe he put his pills down the toilet... the job in Afghanistan can be very demoralising and demanding which is an understatement. They are often left which flashbacks of the horrors they saw, for the rest of their days.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,823 ✭✭✭✭Zebra3


    Oh really now.

    Look at the massive number of civilians murdered by American forces over the year.

    Few tears shed by them.

    And that's without even touching on the torture.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭Killer Wench


    Zebra3 wrote: »
    Look at the massive number of civilians murdered by American forces over the year.

    Few tears shed by them.

    And that's without even touching on the torture.

    I know many veterans who have returned home and many of them are dealing with the casualties experienced within their ranks and the civilians they came in contact with. I've known of soldiers who made personal connections with teenagers and young men and those young men are later killed by their own community because of their association with the military. It appears to me that you are speaking as someone who has read a few articles and have extrapolated the values and opinions of diverse group of personnel. You don't know what they have dealt with on a personal level so it is quite dangerous to accuse them of taking any kind of pleasure in the death of civilians.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,084 ✭✭✭✭Kirby


    There are no bars in Afghanistan for soldiers AFAIK. I've heard they get like 2 beers each at Christmas, but that's it.
    No alcohol allowed on bases in war time.



    Drink has very little to do with a case like this, however most soldiers have access to alcohol due to trading and a "black market" if you will. They don't need bars or pubs to get pissed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,823 ✭✭✭✭Zebra3


    I know many veterans who have returned home and many of them are dealing with the casualties experienced within their ranks and the civilians they came in contact with. I've known of soldiers who made personal connections with teenagers and young men and those young men are later killed by their own community because of their association with the military. It appears to me that you are speaking as someone who has read a few articles and have extrapolated the values and opinions of diverse group of personnel. You don't know what they have dealt with on a personal level so it is quite dangerous to accuse them of taking any kind of pleasure in the death of civilians.

    Oh, so they murdered civilians and were then a bit sad afterwards.

    And we all lived happily ever after. :rolleyes:


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,165 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manic Moran


    Aren't US soldiers given drugs to keep them sane over there?

    Erm...

    No.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,983 ✭✭✭Darksaga87


    Aren't US soldiers given drugs to keep them sane over there?

    Gooooooooooooood morning Vietnam!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,334 ✭✭✭RichieC


    Erm...

    No.

    I read the anti malaria pills they take can cause some to go a bit barmy.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,658 ✭✭✭policarp


    An Irish soldier lost the plot a few years ago.
    That was on a peacekeeping mission.
    Mr. Nally shoots first and asks questions after. . .
    Moral is :-
    No one should have weapons.


  • Registered Users Posts: 268 ✭✭Adamisconfused


    Soldiers are people too. One lad flipped out and killed innocent civilians. They have a tough job to do and don't go thinking the world is some naive little place where we can get along with each other if it wasn't for those pesky trained killers. They do the tasks the rest of us don't have to even think about.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 16,165 Mod ✭✭✭✭Manic Moran


    RichieC wrote: »
    I read the anti malaria pills they take can cause some to go a bit barmy.

    US hasn't used Lariam in a few years, now. The rate of side-effect was reasonably low, so much so that it was the defacto world-wide anti-malarial until very recently.

    NTM


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    karma_ wrote: »
    Not the death penalty no. However, this was a clear case of premeditated murder, proved by the courts martial, a fair sentence would have been life without the possibility of parole.
    Latchy wrote: »
    Burning of the Koran ,urinating on dead bodies and now a slaughter of Afghans by this individual .If the Americans were looking for ways to make their job much much harder and dangerous ,not to mention that of thier allies then these actions have only have help achieved that with more deaths of soldiers and civillians to come .Revenge will be on the minds of many Afghans and Taliban alike .

    Aside from the tragedy of 16 murders, the political fallout of this soldier's killing spree could be enormous. How many people from both sides will die as a result of retaliatory and counter-retaliatory attacks? As contentious as it sounds, I think that the army should hand the soldier over to the people in the village and let them do as they please. If this would appease the indigenous population's desire for justice then it's worth it. Why should the soldier - who murdered 16 innocent people - be afforded the compassion he withheld from his victims?


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,355 ✭✭✭davetherave


    How do we really know that the houses he targeted were random and had "innocent" civvies inside? For all we know, he could have been out on patrol earlier that day and been hit up from those houses?

    Where was that outrage bus when six British Soldiers were killed after their APC hit a IED last week? The turret flew 30 metres in the air, the vehicle flip over and was left burning. The QRF couldn't get to the scene for 24 hours, that's how heavy the fighting was. How much of a body do you think is left after been left on fire and smoldering for that long????

    What is Karzai going to do about the cnuts that laid that one? Condemn the attacks? Fcuk that, it's his country, let him sort it out.

    Just pull everything out and let them do whatever they want to each other....


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    How do we really know that the houses he targeted were random and had "innocent" civvies inside? For all we know, he could have been out on patrol earlier that day and been hit up from those houses?

    Because immediately after the massacre he went back to base and handed himself in.
    Where was that outrage bus when six British Soldiers were killed after their APC hit a IED last week?

    Well, they're hardly the same thing, are they? As sad as the incident you mention might be, that's one of the things that happens in conflict. The murder of three families in their sleep - along with their children - is not (or at least shouldn't be).


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,798 ✭✭✭karma_


    How do we really know that the houses he targeted were random and had "innocent" civvies inside? For all we know, he could have been out on patrol earlier that day and been hit up from those houses?

    Where was that outrage bus when six British Soldiers were killed after their APC hit a IED last week? The turret flew 30 metres in the air, the vehicle flip over and was left burning. The QRF couldn't get to the scene for 24 hours, that's how heavy the fighting was. How much of a body do you think is left after been left on fire and smoldering for that long????

    What is Karzai going to do about the cnuts that laid that one? Condemn the attacks? Fcuk that, it's his country, let him sort it out.

    Just pull everything out and let them do whatever they want to each other....

    It might be a good idea to read at the very least a couple of the articles that have been written about this incident, before you spout your ignorance over the internet.

    Here's a couple of facts for your consideration -

    The Taliban had not been spotted in that area for over 6 months.

    He killed NINE fcuking children.

    Maybe you can stop excusing a child murderer by hi-lighting incidents that have literally nothing to do with this one?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,350 ✭✭✭✭Kolido


    Aren't US soldiers given drugs to keep them sane over there? Maybe he put his pills down the toilet... the job in Afghanistan can be very demoralising and demanding which is an understatement. They are often left which flashbacks of the horrors they saw, for the rest of their days.

    I have no sympathy for soldiers, they choose this profession.

    ...and before anyone says that they just want to help people, there are many charities that help people who really want help.


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