No Charges for Two Marines in Deaths of Afghans

[struggle4progress]

Source: Associated Press

Saturday, May 24, 2008; Page A07

RALEIGH, N.C., May 23 -- Two Marine officers in a unit accused of killing as many as 19 Afghan civilians in 2007 will not face criminal charges, but will be subjected to administrative actions, the military said Friday ...

The Marines said Helland determined the Marines in the convoy "acted appropriately and in accordance with the rules of engagement and tactics, techniques and procedures in place at the time in response to a complex attack" ...

Citing witness accounts, Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission concluded that the Marines fired indiscriminately at vehicles and pedestrians in six locations on a 10-mile stretch of road. Nearly a dozen Marines told the court that they heard gunfire after the bombing and called the unit's fire a disciplined response to a well-planned ambush.

An Army investigation later concluded that 50 people were injured and 19 were killed. The brigade commander in charge of regular forces in the province publicly apologized for the shootings, saying he was ashamed of what had happened ...

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302748.html

[Martinovich]

1. A crime goes unpunished in the military

as usual.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

2. Crime? They were only Afgans!

Perhaps you mistakenly thought the victims were 19 Americans.
Wait a minute, that wouldn't matter either, never mind.:sarcasm:

[Xenotime]

3. They have them well trained.