US paid close to $50,000 per shooting spree death, page 1

US paid close to $50,000 per shooting spree death

worldnews.ms nbc.msn.com

The Unites States paid close to $50,000 in compensation for each Afghan killed in the shooting spree attributed to a U.S. soldier in southern Afghanistan, a U.S. official told NBC News on Sunday.

The official, who asked not to be named, would not say exactly how much was paid to the families, but added the amount was "significant" and "substantial."

(visit the link for the full news article)

So it seems like the families have been paid off by the government of United States. Will it make the killings okay? If compensation is the way to go couldn't Afghanistan government have paid the victims of 9/11 and tried Osama Bin Laden in Afghan court and asked him to pay compensation? Why did US insisted and later declared war on Afghanistan to try Osama in US court for crimes attributed to him when same as not allowed for Sgt. Bales? Some thoughts to ponder on..

worldnews.ms nbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is actually custom in Islam, it is called the death price (?) I am not sure what to call it in english sorry, but it means that American will not execute the soldier. The price is a restitution for the family, since death is a loss of income and/or service, and it is given in lieu of retaliation for the death. American has no intention of giving the death penalty in other words.

You can do one of two things if someone is killed, the killer can pay the price for the death, and be forgiven, or the family of the person killed can ask for retribution, the 'eye for an eye' it is called in english. What American is doing is bartering for the life of the soldier according to custom.

Too bad for the families that American sees very little monetary value on the life of Afghani innocents compared to Pakistani

www.msnbc.msn.com... KI

reply to post by Ek Bharatiya

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No because Osama was from Saudi Arabia originally I believe? Also, they never proved he had anything to do with the attacks. There would have had to be an investigation proving it.

I guess if you are going to be a civilian casualty in Afghanistan deranged soldier is the way to go. Avoid all bombings, they don't pay out.

Originally posted by Jameela
Too bad for the families that American sees very little monetary value on the life of Afghani innocents compared to Pakistani

Could it not also say that the CIA contractor was of more value than the soldier?

Originally posted by Ek Bharatiya
If compensation is the way to go couldn't Afghanistan government have paid the victims of 9/11

Compensation would have to come from Saudi Arabia, as consequences of the Saudi hijackers. So far, it has not. Abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by desert

Originally posted by Jameela
Too bad for the families that American sees very little monetary value on the life of Afghani innocents compared to Pakistani

Could it not also say that the CIA contractor was of more value than the soldier?

Originally posted by Ek Bharatiya
If compensation is the way to go couldn't Afghanistan government have paid the victims of 9/11

Compensation would have to come from Saudi Arabia, as consequences of the Saudi hijackers. So far, it has not. Abovetopsecret.com

It is that the Pakistanis had the CIA agent in the prison, if the Afghanis had the soldier the price would have gone up.

As to your second comment do you remember when the Saudi gave a check for 10 million (?) approx. since I am going from memory of the event, for the families of the victims of 9/11 but the US refused the check? After this the families asked for 10 million from the Saudis per victim, rather than total.

archive.frontpagemag.com...

So Afghani lives are worth 50,000 and American lives are worth 10 million a piece.

Sad how devalued are the Afghan people

reply to post by Ek Bharatiya

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Another poster has already hit the nail on the head.

This is not new and has been happening since 01'. The press is just looking to keep the story alive and is picking up on any angle.

Another element I learned in my time in the middle east is the greater the amount of money or the greater the amount flattery, the more sincerity is attached to it. Perhaps in this case, the larger amount of money, while in western eyes may be seen as simply hush money, is just commensurate with the level of regret and sincerity of the apology. Not just to the families but the population in general too.

Originally posted by ABNARTY
reply to post by Ek Bharatiya

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is just commensurate with the level of regret and sincerity of the apology. Not just to the families but the population in general too.

Yes, and in American eyes Afghani are worth nothing. I am offended by it personally, and I cannot believe that the Afghan people would accept it. This says American do not care what happened.They have their soldier and what happened means little to them. Afghani lives are worth nothing.

“As a matter of policy Isaf (Nato-led International Security Assistance Force) does not make restitution for losses resulting from combat, combat-related activities or operational necessity,” he said.

But he added: “Individual troop-contributing nations may participate in some form of restitution consistent with the cultural norms of Afghanistan.”

tribune.com.pk...
This is Nato saying this was a combat mission!?!

reply to post by Jameela

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They will accept the money but a bridge has been burned. Hard to walk this one back. If it were me, I can't say I would re-embrace any level of relationship prior to.

I spent a long time trying to reconcile the differences between how I saw things compared to how people around me saw things over there with little success. It's not easy once you start dealing with things that matter. There is no way Americans will get that from a 30 second sound byte on the MSM.

reply to post by Jameela

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Thank you for your reply and link. Ah, yes, the CIA man had been in prison in Pak versus the quick return of the soldier in Afgh to America.

Here is what you and I might be remembering re Saudi "blood money"(?). Yes, it was refused, but not by the victims themselves.

9/11 monetary relief caused the same valuations of a life you bring up:

In the report he delivered to Congress, Special Master Kenneth Feinberg pronounced the Victim Compensation Fund a success. More than 98 percent of those eligible participated. Only a handful of families sued the airlines.

But Feinberg has also written that the formula was “defective.” He found valuing life to be an almost impossible task. “The family of the stockbroker and that of the dishwasher,” he wrote, “should receive the same check.” Or no check at all.

The Victim Compensation Fund, he says, is not a model that should be repeated.

Burke, Hamdani and Wolf all said the money raised questions for them, even though they accepted it.

“Loking at it from the Muslim perspective, there is a clause in Sharia law that if blood has been shed and victim's family are willing to be compensated, it is allowed,” Hamdani said. “And this is what that was. The only thing is, our government paid it out. Does that make the government accountable? That is another debate but it came in handy.”

And in the end, there is no way to put a price on life.

source

Even American courts must place a value on a life, in "wrongful death" suits, for ex.

If, to the Afgh victims' families, the "blood money" was sufficient, would that satisfy that justice had been done, regardless of what you and I might think?

Law and reparations can be debated, but in the end the loss of innocent life is always a tragedy. War truly is Hell. Too bad those politicians who sent troops to war a decade ago never themselves went to war.

reply to post by Jameela

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"Blood money" is the term you're looking for.

The US paid it to the Pakistani's a little whle back when a US agent killed some folks in Pakistan.

Originally posted by desert
reply to post by Jameela

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Thank you for your reply and link. Ah, yes, the CIA man had been in prison in Pak versus the quick return of the soldier in Afgh to America.

Here is what you and I might be remembering re Saudi "blood money"(?). Yes, it was refused, but not by the victims themselves.

9/11 monetary relief caused the same valuations of a life you bring up:

In the report he delivered to Congress, Special Master Kenneth Feinberg pronounced the Victim Compensation Fund a success. More than 98 percent of those eligible participated. Only a handful of families sued the airlines.

But Feinberg has also written that the formula was “defective.” He found valuing life to be an almost impossible task. “The family of the stockbroker and that of the dishwasher,” he wrote, “should receive the same check.” Or no check at all.

The Victim Compensation Fund, he says, is not a model that should be repeated.

Burke, Hamdani and Wolf all said the money raised questions for them, even though they accepted it.

“Loking at it from the Muslim perspective, there is a clause in Sharia law that if blood has been shed and victim's family are willing to be compensated, it is allowed,” Hamdani said. “And this is what that was. The only thing is, our government paid it out. Does that make the government accountable? That is another debate but it came in handy.”

And in the end, there is no way to put a price on life.

source

Even American courts must place a value on a life, in "wrongful death" suits, for ex.

If, to the Afgh victims' families, the "blood money" was sufficient, would that satisfy that justice had been done, regardless of what you and I might think?

Law and reparations can be debated, but in the end the loss of innocent life is always a tragedy. War truly is Hell. Too bad those politicians who sent troops to war a decade ago never themselves went to war.

Americans think that an American life is worth 10 million but that a Afghani life is worth 50,000

If the Afghani families truly did accept the money (and it was not simply forced upon them) then we have to accept that.

But in the end we can say that the value of an American or Pakistani is not worth more than an Afghani or any other person. All life has great value, as it is written in the Holy Quran if you kill one person it is as if you have killed the whole world. Life has value and one life is not worth more than another.

Originally posted by Ek Bharatiya


So it seems like the families have been paid off by the government of United States. Will it make the killings okay? If compensation is the way to go couldn't Afghanistan government have paid the victims of 9/11 and tried Osama Bin Laden in Afghan court and asked him to pay compensation? Why did US insisted and later declared war on Afghanistan to try Osama in US court for crimes attributed to him when same as not allowed for Sgt. Bales? Some thoughts to ponder on..

worldnews.ms nbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

It doesnt make the killings ok, however it is recognizing their customs under sharia law / quran for the eye for an eye mentality. If a person is done wrong, it allows for the family to decide how to proceed. It is permissible to offer compensation to account for the loss. The family can choose to accept it or continue to seek justice.

If they accept the money then the claim for justice is resolved.

In this particular case the family is going to get the best of both worlds. They are compensated under their laws and customs, releasing the accused. However, instead of walking free, he is being charged with 17 counts of murder under US military law, with the possibility of the death penalty.

reply to post by Xcathdra

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I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. But I don't think this counts as 'blood money' since the amount of 'blood money' can only be determined by the victims family. This wasn't blood money, it was just some form of apologizing which might or might not coincide with the concept of blood money in the Afghan mind. It is true the amounts are small, but they are big in the eyes of an Afghani who cannot even come close to making this money in his lifetime. I see the mercy in this act. If it was the Chinese instead of the Americans in Afghanistan, no body would even be talking about this news right now. The American government still has some decency left.

reply to post by Jameela

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The defense is going to say that as they are suppose to mount a zealous defense of their client. Its up to the government to make their case, not the accused. If we want to go down that road how mental to people have to be in order to kill over religious beliefs? In the Sgt.s case he has a JAG lawyer assigned to defend him as well as civilian council that was hired to assist.

You are not going to see a defense attorney making statements about how guilty his client is. that is a sure fire way to have a mistrial declared or establish grounds for reversal due to ineffective council.

If the death penalty is taken off the table then it will be life in prison if he is found guilty. Since you seem to be able to predict the future care to tell us the winning lotto numbers for Megamillions this coming Tuesday? Its up to 345 million dollars.

If the family accepts compensation, then its really none of our business to question that is it?


ETA - Where in the hell are you getting he would be quiestly released? Please support that claim with evidence for this case, or any other case.

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