Surviving Witnesses Say Robert Bales Was Not Alone In Afghan Massacre

Robert Bales, the soldier reported to have been responsible for the massacre of 17 Afghan villagers on the night of March 11th, may not have been alone in the act according to a recent report by MSNBC.

The official statement from the Army (the story being told thus far) is that Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, having personal marriage issues, left Camp Belambai alone and intoxicated with a pistol and an automatic rifle, and killed 6 Afghan villagers in their sleep. He then returned to the base, located 12 miles from Kandahar, and left again. This time killing 11 people in another village. Bales has admitted to the killings and to the fact that he did so alone.

But surviving witnesses, children, are telling a different story.

Yalda Hakim, a journalist for SBS Dateline in Australia, recently became the first international journalist to interview these surviving witnesses of the massacre. According to Hakim, American investigators tried to prevent her from interviewing the children stating it would traumatize them, however, after appealing to the village leaders they were able to arrange for video interviews.

One witness, 8 year old Noorbinak, stated in the video:

“One man entered the room and the others were standing in the yard, holding lights.”

The brother of one victim stated his brother’s children mentioned more than one soldier wearing a headlamp. He also stated they had lights on the end of their guns. He states in the video:

“They [the children] don’t know whether there were 15 0r 20, however many there were.”

Army officials deny that any other soldiers were involved in the Afghan massacre. Bales has been charged with 17 counts of murder, 6 counts of attempted murder, and has been flown to a maximum security military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The incident occurred several days after a roadside bomb cost one soldier his leg. According to residents after the attack, soldiers lined up men from the village against a wall and told them they would pay a price.

General Karimi, who has been assigned by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to investigate, described how witnesses have told him they saw at least 3 or 4 people kneeling and helicopters overhead during the massacre, stating:

“Village elders said several soldiers took part and that there is boot prints in the area.”

“To search for him?” Karimi said he asked them.

“No,” he said they told him. “They were there from the very beginning.”

You can view the interviews by clicking here.

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