"The photos published by Rolling Stone are disturbing and in striking contrast to the standards and values of the United States Army. Like those published by Der Spiegel, the Army apologizes for the distress these latest photos cause. Accountability remains the Army's paramount concern in these alleged crimes. Accordingly, we are in the midst of courts-martial, and we continue to investigate leads. We must allow the judicial process to continue to unfold and be mindful that the government has distinct obligations to the victims and to the accused, which include compliance with the court's protective order to ensure a fair trial. That said, the Army will relentlessly pursue the truth, no matter where it leads, both in and out of court, no matter how unpleasant it may be, no matter how long it takes. As an Army, we are troubled that any soldier would lose his 'moral compass' as one soldier said during his trial. We will continue to do whatever we need to as an institution to understand how it happened, why it happened and what we need to do to prevent it from happening again."
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
Comments
it is true that…
it is true that accountability is a critical factor in the military justice system, and the military takes allegations of crimes very seriously. The Army has a responsibility to ensure that its members adhere to ethical and legal standards, and when allegations of misconduct arise, it is important to investigate thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Rolling Stone's article "The Kill Team" does the American Soldier and the United States Army a great disservice and an injustice. While I find the acts committed by the soldiers atrocious and reprehensible, they are not indicative of the prevailing attitude or performance of American soldiers in Afghanistan.
It is interesting to note that as of late, Rolling Stone seems only to produce articles that paint our military and our nations efforts in Afghanistan in a very unfavorable light. "The Kill Team" follows "The Runaway General" article about General McChrystal and significantly contributed to his ouster as commander in Afghanistan, and the "Another Runaway General" article that accuses officers in Afghanistan of conducting Psychological Operations on American Senators during their visits to the war zone.
How are Rolling Stones readers and the general public supposed to view America and its military? Are they supposed to view the war in Afghanistan as a runaway conflict commanded by maverick generals with their own strategy and objectives contrary to US foreign policy and who conduct psychological operations on their own elected officials, and giving orders to hash smoking, killers for sport, who collect fingers off the dead, and threaten to kill their fellow soldiers for reporting it?
"The Kill Team" reads much like the plot from the Oliver Stone Vietnam War movie, Platoon.
These murders undermine all other efforts of the United States and our allies in the International Security and Assistance Forces. They overshadow the schools built, the people liberated from oppression, and the sacrifices of our soldiers and their families. "The Kill Team" aids in casting that shadow.
MAJ Dennis Granada
ILE Class 11-001 FT Lee, VA
The views expressed are those of the author and are not those of the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or the United States government.
Like many other news outlets (of all political leanings), Rolling Stone picks the information it publishes to maximize shock value, grab people's attention, and ultimately sell its product (and therefore advertising space). It's not in the business of publishing boring, mundane, "everyday", or typical news stories. The Afghan "kill squad" represents an extreme (and horrific) abnormality in the US armed forces, not the typical hardworking soldier. The "kill squad", by their actions, will ultimately get more friendly forces killed by motivating further insurgents to join the fight. Simultaneously, since few media outlets in the US (and hardly ANY at the international level) publish any reports about humanitarian missions, civic projects, and nation-building efforts (because they are boring, slow progressing, and bland), public opinion about the Afghan war in the US and especially abroad will be further shaped by a tiny, tiny fraction of players in an overall global fight. This "kill squad" should be prosecuted for treason-- although we all know that won't happen.