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Forum Post: US soldier kills Afghan Civilians (including 9 children) in shooting spree

Posted 12 years ago on March 11, 2012, 9:02 a.m. EST by GildasSapiens (266)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

"Soldier opens fire on civilians in three separate homes near military base in Kandahar province before surrendering.

A US soldier has killed more than a dozen civilians in a shooting spree in southern Afghanistan before being detained, officials say.

A member of the Kandahar provincial council who visited the site of the shooting in Panjwai district told Al Jazeera that at least 17 civilians were killed when the soldier left his base early on Sunday morning and opened fire.

The Kandahar governor's office put the number of killed civilians at 15.

'Eleven members of my family are dead. They are all dead,' Haji Samad, an elder from Panjwai district, told the AFP news agency."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/03/201231163054684909.html

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-soldier-held-afghan-shooting-spree-074109101.html

12 Comments

12 Comments


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[-] 4 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

Have we not learned yet how deleterious war is for all?

Let's see when this hits the MSM. It hasn't yet, from what I can tell.

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 12 years ago

Sorry to lay this on your comment 'bw' but today, I'm regret to say that the 'world' feels a little less 'beautiful'.

Though I've only just (6.45 pm, UK) heard about this murderous incident, the number of fatalities seem to keep increasing. The number I've just heard on UK Channel 4 News (highly respected!) is ~16, mainly women and children, with one a 2 year old !!!

Deaths (also ~16) by American weaponry in Gaza at the hands of American Allies and Death by American Soldiery in Kandahar - are Americans really still confused as to why some people in the Islamic world are so upset ? I'm a person just living in this world and I'm upset !!

Wherever we are, which ever Gd we think we worship or none ; we must all start to wish, work, meditate, pray and ... imagine .. *PEACE !

Shalom Aleichem ; Salam Alaikhum ; Pax Vobiscum ; Om Shaanti Ommm ...

~*~

[-] 4 points by Gillian (1842) 12 years ago

Yes, it can get much worse. I really hate to say this but our military, just like the police force, is chock full of sociopaths and besides, these guys can't possibly be expected to remain sane after all these years of unproductive service. I read Clay Jenkins' blog the other day re: Afghanistan and thought he made some excellent points: http://www.jeffersonhour.com/column.html

[-] 2 points by PandoraK (1678) 12 years ago

Agreed Gillian.

It's not just those who are potential sociopaths, but the stress factor which can bring these factors to the forefront.

First they men and women are trained to kill (no matter how you look at it, that is simple fact), then you remove them from all that is familiar, put them in conditions that foster either boredom or action, do not give them any clear goals, no sense of achievement...often the strongest appearing become the weakest and most likely to engage in actions that are contrary to common sense.

In a way there is no clear cut enemy, few if any identifiers on the 'field'...a lesson learned in Vietnam and one that continues today.

[-] 3 points by Gillian (1842) 12 years ago

Yes, plus, our gov't has been drugging our soldiers with SSRI antidepressants since the Bush era which has also contributed to the violence. I am no expert but I know a lot about these meds and I found it to be absolutely heinous that they would medicate our soldiers with them because it puts them and their fellow soldiers in harms way. Soldiers need to be alert, adrenaline responsive and not just erratic and violent for no reason. I've done a lot of research on this topic. The marines were the first to get used as guinea pigs for these medications and actually they were medicated with Ecstasy/ an SSRI. Not only that but the number of military homicides increased dramatically in soldiers that returned home between tours and in the past, it was typical for soldiers to commit suicide or retreat into solitary depression but not commit gruesome murders of their children and spouses.

[-] 1 points by PandoraK (1678) 12 years ago

It's been a 'standard' procedure to 'medicate' military personnel in 'war zones'. In WWII pilots as well as ground troops were dosed with amphetamines.

In Korea, the same.

Vietnam, no difference.

Today, I am sure there is a mixture of dosages, both uppers and downers, not to mention anti depressants...

Methamphetamine was actually used by both US and German and Japanese troops and pilots as an enhancer for reaction time and endurance. Not to mention that Methamphetamine is one of the very best anti depressants NOT available on the market today, due to it's extreme addictive qualities.

[-] 1 points by Gillian (1842) 12 years ago

Interesting. But, i agree that an amphetamine would be better than a downer or an SSRI. If they are mixing downers with uppers today, it's no wonder we have those ' bi-polar' diagnoses in soldiers ( as well as civilians on drugs like Ritalin and an SSRI). I guess it's ok IF the gov't decides to medicate but I remember when person who was on medication could not get accepted into the military. I had a girl friend years ago that was in the Navy and when they found out she had taken some anti anxiety meds, they discharged her.

[-] 1 points by PandoraK (1678) 12 years ago

It's not actually the government that provides this policy, it is a military decision...in conjunction with military applications.

It boils down to government says do this, and the military figures out how.

[-] 2 points by bensdad (8977) 12 years ago

There can be no debate - this is horrendous.
I would be thrilled if 80% were brought home to fix our roads and bridges.

[-] 1 points by Reneye (118) 12 years ago

My heart aches.....

Its like there is a prerequisite to becoming a member of the top echelon of any governing institution, whether its military, government, ruling elite, police, etc. Must be homicidal, genocidal, narcissistic, psychopathic, apathetic..........Insanity.

[-] 1 points by Pujete (160) from New York, NY 12 years ago

There have been differing reports over the number of casualties and the number of troops involved. Witnesses have told Reuters they saw a group of American soldiers arrive at their village in Kandahar's Panjwayi district at around 2am, enter homes and open fire.

[-] 1 points by Pujete (160) from New York, NY 12 years ago

Can things get worse?... Let's get out NOW!

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