U.S. Soldier Kills 16 Afghan Civilians

A U.S. soldier opened fire on two Afghanistan families last night, killing 15 members, along with one other person. The soldier then proceeded to turn himself in. Among the dead are nine children and three women. The killings were unprovoked, and President Hamid Karzai called the deaths an “assassination,” and demanded an explanation from Washington. The soldier, who has not yet been named, is a Staff Sargeant.

The murders have only served to heighten the tension between the United States and Afghanistan, which began when Americans burned Muslim holy books on a base in the country last month. The book burnings spurred weeks of violent protests that left 30 people dead. Karzai said in a statement that, “This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven.”

In his response from the White House, President Obama vowed “to get the facts as quickly as possible and to hold accountable anyone responsible.” He also called the killings “tragic and shocking.” He went on to say that, “[the shooting] does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan…I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and to the people of Afghanistan, who have endured too much violence and suffering.”

David Cortright, director of policy studies ad Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies said that, “This may have been the act of a lone, deranged soldier. But the people of Afghanistan will see it for what it was, a wanton massacre of innocent civilians,” Cortright said. He went on to say that this was, “a fatal hammer blow on the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan. Whatever sliver of trust and credibility we might have had following the burnings of the Quran is now gone.”

The initial reports say that at least 16 people were killed, and 5 were wounded in the early morning attack. The soldier responsible is said to have acted alone, and is currently being held at the base pending investigation and, most likely, charges for the unprovoked attack.

Do you think that the soldier should be punished by military trial, or should he be handed over to the justice system of Afghanistan to decide his fate?