From The Guardian and Liberty Pulse:
US Army 'kill team' in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civiliansCommanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal
Share21K Jon Boone The Guardian, Monday 21 March 2011 Article history
The Afghanistan 'kill team' photos of murdered civilians could be more damaging than those from Abu Ghraib, say Nato commanders. Photograph: AP
Commanders in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for possible riots and public fury triggered by the publication of "trophy" photographs of US soldiers posing with the dead bodies of defenceless Afghan civilians they killed.
Senior officials at Nato's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul have compared the pictures published by the German news weekly Der Spiegel to the images of US soldiers abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq which sparked waves of anti-US protests around the world.
They fear that the pictures could be even more damaging as they show the aftermath of the deliberate murders of Afghan civilians by a rogue US Stryker tank unit that operated in the southern province of Kandahar last year.
Some of the activities of the self-styled "kill team" are already public, with 12 men currently on trial in Seattle for their role in the killing of three civilians.
Five of the soldiers are on trial for pre-meditated murder, after they staged killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks.
Other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.
All of the soldiers have denied the charges. They face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.
The case has already created shock around the world, particularly with the revelations that the men cut "trophies" from the bodies of the people they killed.
An investigation by Der Spiegel has unearthed approximately 4,000 photos and videos taken by the men.
The magazine, which is planning to publish only three images, said that in addition to the crimes the men were on trial for there are "also entire collections of pictures of other victims that some of the defendants were keeping".
The US military has strived to keep the pictures out of the public domain fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.
In a statement, the army said it apologised for the distress caused by photographs "depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States".
The lengthy Spiegel article that accompanies the photographs contains new details about the sadistic behaviour of the men.
In one incident in May last year, the article says, during a patrol, the team apprehended a mullah who was standing by the road and took him into a ditch where they made him kneel down.
The group's leader, Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, then allegedly threw a grenade at the man while an order was given for him to be shot.
Afterwards, Gibbs is described cutting off one of the man's little fingers and removing a tooth.
The patrol team later claimed to their superiors that the mullah had tried to threaten them with a grenade and that they had no choice but to shoot.
On Sunday night many organisations employing foreign staff, including the United Nations, ordered their staff into a "lockdown", banning all movements around Kabul and requiring people to remain in their compounds.
In addition to the threat from the publication of the photographs, security has been heightened amid fears the Taliban may try to attack Persian new year celebrations.
There could also be attacks because Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is due to make a speech declaring which areas of the country should be transferred from international to Afghan control in the coming months.
One security manager for the US company DynCorp sent an email to clients warning that publication of the photos was likely "to incite the local population" as the "severity of the incidents to be revealed are graphic and extreme".
And this, related, from The Daily Mail and Liberty Pulse:
'Repugnant': U.S. army apologises for graphic photos of soldiers posing with dead Afghan civilians
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:12 AM on 22nd March 2011
Comments (293) Add to My Stories U.S. army forced to issue an apology over 'trophy' photos of soldiers grinning over bloodied Afghan corpses
Commanders in Afghanistan bracing themselves for public fury and possible riots
German newspaper Der Spiegel, which obtained the photographs, said there are thousands more showing other victims
American soldiers have appeared in leaked photographs posing with the bloodied and partially naked bodies of Afghan civilians they allegedly killed in cold blood.
Last night, the U.S. army was forced to apologise for the ‘repugnant’ pictures.
And Nato commanders in Afghanistan were said to be bracing themselves for a public backlash and possible riots over the 'trophy' photographs, especially since it has been alleged that the Afghan civilians were unarmed and innocent.
Courts martial: U.S. Army photos of Jeremy Morlock (left) and Andrew Holmes who have been accused of murdering innocent Afghan civilians
The photographs were published yesterday by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine and were among 4,000 they have obtained.
Some of the images allegedly taken by a rogue U.S. army unit in Afghanistan last year show two soldiers kneeling over a bloodied, half-naked body.
They each hold the face of the dead man up to the camera by grabbing his hair and turning his head. One of the soldiers is grinning.
Senior military officials fear they could lead to the kind of worldwide protests caused by the 2004 Abu Ghraib scandal, in which U.S. soldiers were pictured abusing prisoners in Iraq.
Gruesome: The photos, in Der Spiegel's March 21 issue, are seen here
It is feared that these pictures - which show the aftermath of the murders at the hands of a rogue U.S. Stryker 'kill team' - could be even more damaging as the trials of the 12 accused men are currently under way in Seattle.
On Sunday night, many organisations employing foreign staff - including the United Nations - ordered their staff into a 'lockdown', banning all movements around Kabul and requiring people to remain in their compounds.
More...Police arrest 35 protesters outside U.S. military base where 'WikiLeaks whistleblower' Bradley Manning is held
Army officials attempted to keep the photographs under wraps as part of the war crimes probe fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.
In their statement, the U.S. army said the photographs depicted 'actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army.
The photos appear inside this issue of Der Spiegel
'The actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing U.S. court-martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.'
Der Spiegel magazine says it has identified one of the soldiers in the photographs as Cpl Jeremy Morlock of Alaska.
He is one of five soldiers accused of the premeditated murder of three Afghan civilians earlier this year.
Morlock agreed to plead guilty in late February and get a shorter prison term if he testified against the other accused soldiers.
Four other soldiers based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord have been charged with murder and conspiracy in the case - they deny the charges.
Seven others have been charged with conspiracy to cover up the alleged murders.
Other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.
In one of the photos, Morlock is seen grinning as he lifts up the head of a corpse by the hair, turning it towards the camera.
Accused: In this courtroom sketch, U.S. Army Cpl Jeremy Morlock, of Alaska, centre, is shown at his trial for the murder of three innocent Afghans
Der Spiegel identified the body as that of Gul Mudin, whom Morlock was charged with killing on January15, 2010, in Kandahar Province.
Another photo shows Private 1st Class Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, holding the head of the same corpse.
His lawyer, Daniel Conway, said on Sunday that Holmes was ordered 'to be in the photo, so he got in the photo. That doesn't make him a murderer'.
The five accused of murder allegedly threw grenades and opened fire on civilians in unprovoked assaults, while the other seven are accused of dismembering the victims and collecting body parts.
They are accused of staging the killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks.
The magazine, which is planning to publish only three images, said that in addition to the crimes the men were on trial for there are 'also entire collections of pictures of other victims that some of the defendants were keeping'.
Outrage: Images of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners inside Abu Ghraib prison sparked waves of anti-U.S. protests around the world when they were published and it is feared the new pictures published in Der Spiegel will do the same
The photo was taken while the platoon leader, Lieutenant Roman Ligsay, was present, Mr Conway said.
Ligsay has asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to testify in the legal proceedings against his troops.
Mr Conway sought copies of the photographs so that he could present them to a ballistics expert, who he argued might be able to tell whether the victim had been struck by the weapon Holmes was carrying. His request was rejected.
He said: 'I'm very disappointed that, in an American judicial proceeding, I have to get potentially exculpatory evidence from a German newspaper.'
A record number of civilians were killed in Afghanistan last year. More than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2010 - up 15 per cent on the year before.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368314/German-newspaper-publishes-suppressed-photos-U-S-soldiers-posing-partially-naked-Afghan-corpse.html#ixzz1HqeYEDAX
US Army 'kill team' in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civiliansCommanders brace for backlash of anti-US sentiment that could be more damaging than after the Abu Ghraib scandal
Share21K Jon Boone The Guardian, Monday 21 March 2011 Article history
The Afghanistan 'kill team' photos of murdered civilians could be more damaging than those from Abu Ghraib, say Nato commanders. Photograph: AP
Commanders in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for possible riots and public fury triggered by the publication of "trophy" photographs of US soldiers posing with the dead bodies of defenceless Afghan civilians they killed.
Senior officials at Nato's International Security Assistance Force in Kabul have compared the pictures published by the German news weekly Der Spiegel to the images of US soldiers abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib in Iraq which sparked waves of anti-US protests around the world.
They fear that the pictures could be even more damaging as they show the aftermath of the deliberate murders of Afghan civilians by a rogue US Stryker tank unit that operated in the southern province of Kandahar last year.
Some of the activities of the self-styled "kill team" are already public, with 12 men currently on trial in Seattle for their role in the killing of three civilians.
Five of the soldiers are on trial for pre-meditated murder, after they staged killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks.
Other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.
All of the soldiers have denied the charges. They face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.
The case has already created shock around the world, particularly with the revelations that the men cut "trophies" from the bodies of the people they killed.
An investigation by Der Spiegel has unearthed approximately 4,000 photos and videos taken by the men.
The magazine, which is planning to publish only three images, said that in addition to the crimes the men were on trial for there are "also entire collections of pictures of other victims that some of the defendants were keeping".
The US military has strived to keep the pictures out of the public domain fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.
In a statement, the army said it apologised for the distress caused by photographs "depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States".
The lengthy Spiegel article that accompanies the photographs contains new details about the sadistic behaviour of the men.
In one incident in May last year, the article says, during a patrol, the team apprehended a mullah who was standing by the road and took him into a ditch where they made him kneel down.
The group's leader, Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, then allegedly threw a grenade at the man while an order was given for him to be shot.
Afterwards, Gibbs is described cutting off one of the man's little fingers and removing a tooth.
The patrol team later claimed to their superiors that the mullah had tried to threaten them with a grenade and that they had no choice but to shoot.
On Sunday night many organisations employing foreign staff, including the United Nations, ordered their staff into a "lockdown", banning all movements around Kabul and requiring people to remain in their compounds.
In addition to the threat from the publication of the photographs, security has been heightened amid fears the Taliban may try to attack Persian new year celebrations.
There could also be attacks because Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is due to make a speech declaring which areas of the country should be transferred from international to Afghan control in the coming months.
One security manager for the US company DynCorp sent an email to clients warning that publication of the photos was likely "to incite the local population" as the "severity of the incidents to be revealed are graphic and extreme".
And this, related, from The Daily Mail and Liberty Pulse:
'Repugnant': U.S. army apologises for graphic photos of soldiers posing with dead Afghan civilians
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:12 AM on 22nd March 2011
Comments (293) Add to My Stories U.S. army forced to issue an apology over 'trophy' photos of soldiers grinning over bloodied Afghan corpses
Commanders in Afghanistan bracing themselves for public fury and possible riots
German newspaper Der Spiegel, which obtained the photographs, said there are thousands more showing other victims
American soldiers have appeared in leaked photographs posing with the bloodied and partially naked bodies of Afghan civilians they allegedly killed in cold blood.
Last night, the U.S. army was forced to apologise for the ‘repugnant’ pictures.
And Nato commanders in Afghanistan were said to be bracing themselves for a public backlash and possible riots over the 'trophy' photographs, especially since it has been alleged that the Afghan civilians were unarmed and innocent.
Courts martial: U.S. Army photos of Jeremy Morlock (left) and Andrew Holmes who have been accused of murdering innocent Afghan civilians
The photographs were published yesterday by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine and were among 4,000 they have obtained.
Some of the images allegedly taken by a rogue U.S. army unit in Afghanistan last year show two soldiers kneeling over a bloodied, half-naked body.
They each hold the face of the dead man up to the camera by grabbing his hair and turning his head. One of the soldiers is grinning.
Senior military officials fear they could lead to the kind of worldwide protests caused by the 2004 Abu Ghraib scandal, in which U.S. soldiers were pictured abusing prisoners in Iraq.
Gruesome: The photos, in Der Spiegel's March 21 issue, are seen here
It is feared that these pictures - which show the aftermath of the murders at the hands of a rogue U.S. Stryker 'kill team' - could be even more damaging as the trials of the 12 accused men are currently under way in Seattle.
On Sunday night, many organisations employing foreign staff - including the United Nations - ordered their staff into a 'lockdown', banning all movements around Kabul and requiring people to remain in their compounds.
More...Police arrest 35 protesters outside U.S. military base where 'WikiLeaks whistleblower' Bradley Manning is held
Army officials attempted to keep the photographs under wraps as part of the war crimes probe fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.
In their statement, the U.S. army said the photographs depicted 'actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army.
The photos appear inside this issue of Der Spiegel
'The actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing U.S. court-martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.'
Der Spiegel magazine says it has identified one of the soldiers in the photographs as Cpl Jeremy Morlock of Alaska.
He is one of five soldiers accused of the premeditated murder of three Afghan civilians earlier this year.
Morlock agreed to plead guilty in late February and get a shorter prison term if he testified against the other accused soldiers.
Four other soldiers based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord have been charged with murder and conspiracy in the case - they deny the charges.
Seven others have been charged with conspiracy to cover up the alleged murders.
Other charges include the mutilation of corpses, the possession of images of human casualties and drug abuse.
In one of the photos, Morlock is seen grinning as he lifts up the head of a corpse by the hair, turning it towards the camera.
Accused: In this courtroom sketch, U.S. Army Cpl Jeremy Morlock, of Alaska, centre, is shown at his trial for the murder of three innocent Afghans
Der Spiegel identified the body as that of Gul Mudin, whom Morlock was charged with killing on January15, 2010, in Kandahar Province.
Another photo shows Private 1st Class Andrew Holmes, of Boise, Idaho, holding the head of the same corpse.
His lawyer, Daniel Conway, said on Sunday that Holmes was ordered 'to be in the photo, so he got in the photo. That doesn't make him a murderer'.
The five accused of murder allegedly threw grenades and opened fire on civilians in unprovoked assaults, while the other seven are accused of dismembering the victims and collecting body parts.
They are accused of staging the killings to make it look like they were defending themselves from Taliban attacks.
The magazine, which is planning to publish only three images, said that in addition to the crimes the men were on trial for there are 'also entire collections of pictures of other victims that some of the defendants were keeping'.
Outrage: Images of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners inside Abu Ghraib prison sparked waves of anti-U.S. protests around the world when they were published and it is feared the new pictures published in Der Spiegel will do the same
The photo was taken while the platoon leader, Lieutenant Roman Ligsay, was present, Mr Conway said.
Ligsay has asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to testify in the legal proceedings against his troops.
Mr Conway sought copies of the photographs so that he could present them to a ballistics expert, who he argued might be able to tell whether the victim had been struck by the weapon Holmes was carrying. His request was rejected.
He said: 'I'm very disappointed that, in an American judicial proceeding, I have to get potentially exculpatory evidence from a German newspaper.'
A record number of civilians were killed in Afghanistan last year. More than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2010 - up 15 per cent on the year before.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368314/German-newspaper-publishes-suppressed-photos-U-S-soldiers-posing-partially-naked-Afghan-corpse.html#ixzz1HqeYEDAX
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