Originally posted by sk0rpi0n
OK fine.

ONE guy killed 16 people.
and he gets flown out and escapes trial and punishment.

He hasn't escaped a thing. He landed in Kansas awhile ago and is getting processed into one of the most secure facilities the United States operates, anywhere in the world. It's also one of the less pleasant, even by U.S. Prison standards...as I understand things. This guy, bringing the wrath of the whole war and world into his fellow troops by what he did over there won't likely get any atta-boys in the yard in his future...unless they are delivered with all the force one can put behind something.

I'm being realistic here though..He has NO bright points for the rest of his life and he's probably arrived at the same place he'll grow old and someday die in. In this case, perhaps the slow, endless passing of days in a no-B.S. place like Fort Leavenworth is the best thing. He'll have decades with that medical care..to die one day at a time.

Why people think he's getting away with anything though is totally beyond me. The Military is absolutely not forgiving about anything when it's moved beyond the point where keeping things quiet is impossible. Cover-Up turns to looking for Martyrs with little in-between..and this guy will be AT LEAST one of those to serve natural life in a very VERY ugly place.

***. ..I'd seen earlier this was a single family over there. Not 16 random civilians across a village as it first sounded..but the same family in different houses. Perhaps there is a personal element or revenge motive here too.... I'm reserving most of my judgement until we know A LOT more.

Originally posted by SrWingCommander
I haven't weighed in on this,as I am still collecting my thoughts. I had thought (hoped) the US Military was past having Ma Li incidents. That advances in training and (somewhat) better psychological testing and technicques used with an all volunteer force, would prevent this. Looks like NOT. I mean it's one thing when innocents die because a bomb missed a target or something.....but this stuff I hate...paints the whole country badly.

The inconsistancies I find though trouble me too.

Soldier in question was 38. While anyone can flip out, I would think (for numerous reasons) that a younger soldier with less experience (and possibly a loner) would be more likely to do this then a 38 year old with a family.

Soldier was a staff sgt. More training, obviously trusted, more intelligence, leadership position, likely better educated. People with these traits are less likely to do this. Not saying it prevents it of course.

Special Forces. The psych testing, training, and observations these guys get to just become a member is intense. Primarily to prevent just this sort of incident......While these men may "see" more, they are also better equiped for numerous reasons to deal with it.

The only thing that really even starts to make sense is the "brain injury" excuse, but that's flimsey, and what exactly happened? A concusion, or more severe trauma? I would have a hard time beleiving if it was a serious trama that he was even deemed medically qualified to go back to active combat service.

I am not a psychologist or forensic person, but this guy just doesn't seem to fit the profile, IMHO of who would do this.

HOWEVER and JUST SPECULATING.......... if more guys are involved, is there any reason to start thinking this was some sort of Spec Ops mission gone wrong? Could this have been a hit on a high value target, surrounded by women and children, that just spun out of control? How easy to blame a "brain injured nut", then say an OP went totally bad.

Or maybe it was intentional. Could the taliban, as a switch in tactics, been using women in leadership or otherwise high level roles, and we took them out??? EXTREMELY unlikely..........but this whole thing just doesn't seem to add up for me. And then to cover up that we hit a bunch of women (with their kids too) we concocted this story?


The whole thing is sad......yet still doesn't make sense.
Then again, maybe he just went bat poo crazy..........

I reckon this is the best theory on what really happened as well. As a Staff Sergeant and a 38 year old does not fit the profile. Though it can and does happen and there are always variables in different situations. I would have to go with a Spec Ops theory of # went down and there were Civilian causalities not factored in to original plan.

Even going so far as to crushing their skulls and attempting to burn their bodies... Something very wrong is going on over there with the book burnings and violence. Shades of Sarajevo...

Originally posted by TKDRL
If it was one drunk guy, over an hour period, what does that say about the competence of our MP's?

MP's only got to outposts in war zones to pick up prisoners.

It never ceases to amaze me how quick people are to comment on things they know so little about!

Originally posted by L00kingGlass
Even going so far as to crushing their skulls and attempting to burn their bodies... Something very wrong is going on over there with the book burnings and violence. Shades of Sarajevo...

This dude must have been like the Flash to do all that. He took time to crush heads as he went around shooting.

Originally posted by GLaDOS
I feel so sad when I see kids getting killed/hurt by the western forces.

But you dont mind when they are hurt/killed by the muslim terrorists....