It’s an ancient proverb about military snafus wrought by small oversights or neglect that has been recited in various forms for centuries. But the same thing, believe it or not, can still happen with the Pentagon’s 21st …
Afghanistan
Afghan Massacre: Potentially Toxic Exposures?
In the national quest to understand what motivated Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales to leave his compound in the middle of the night, and allegedly gun down 16 men, women and children, there have been many motives already put forth. These include a “witches brew” of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury …
The Army’s Continuing Dearth of Mental-Health Workers
The Afghan massacre, allegedly carried out by Staff Sergeant Robert Bales a week ago Sunday, is only going to highlight the chronic shortage of Army mental-health experts that we reported on in 2010. An Army social worker in …
Afghan Massacre Suspect: News From Home
Time’s Bonnie Rochman files from Seattle on Afghan massacre suspect Robert Bales:
In 2007, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales participated in a bloody, two-day battle in Iraq in which 250 enemy troops died. After the bullets stopped flying, he and his comrades pitched in to assist the wounded and their families. “We ended up helping the
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Alleged Afghan Killer: Staff Sgt. Robert Bales
The Army has identified the staff sergeant suspected in the killing of 16 Afghan civilians last Sunday as Robert Bales, who is now at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He could be charged in the case as early as this weekend.
The father of two, 38, appears to have a good military record. He returns home after three months in Afghanistan. …
Witches’ Brew: Alleged Afghan Slayer’s Growing List of Mitigating Circumstances
The trickle of mitigating circumstances trying to understand the motive of the Army soldier who allegedly slaughtered 16 Afghan civilians last Sunday has turned into an avalanche over the past 24 hours.
According to a defense attorney retained by his family, and news reports of rumors, innuendo and perhaps some facts, Staff Sergeant X …
Afghanistan Mission: Impossible?
No, not the challenging military mission that 90,000 U.S. troops are now carrying out: hunting down and killing Taliban insurgents while training Afghan security forces to take over by 2015.
No, the more vital mission right …
Is The Army Responsible for the Afghan Massacre?
Colleague Jim Frederick is asking some tough questions over at the Time Ideas blog:
American and Afghan authorities are scrambling to ensure this tragedy does not derail the planned departure of NATO forces in 2014, and it is
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Afghan Massacre: Rush To Judgment
For the past few days, Washington’s, America’s, probably much of the world’s airways have been filled with commentary about the horrific killings in Afghanistan allegedly committed by an American soldier. Radio, TV and the blogosphere have been inundated with reports, predictions, and speculation—why he did it, what it means for …
Afghan Massacre: Army Docs Say Brain Injury Could Have Sparked Attack
So the still-unnamed U.S. Army perpetrator of the Sunday slaughter in Afghanistan apparently suffered a traumatic brain injury two years ago. Could this have triggered what by all accounts was an irrational act? You better …
What We Need to Learn From The Afghan Massacre
Our nation is struggling to understand the horrific act of violence by one U.S. soldier last Sunday that left 16 Afghan civilians dead – many of whom were children.
Though apparently planned, this was an irrational act—one …
The Afghan Massacre
A 38-year old U.S. Army staff sergeant allegedly left his forward operating base, by himself, in southern Afghanistan near Kandahar early Sunday. He reportedly knocked on several doors and entered at least two houses, where he …
War’s Strange Bedfellows
The Pentagon is buying helicopters for its Afghan allies from the same Russian-based company that’s also selling weapons to Syria that Damascus is using against its own people.
Rosoboronexport, Moscow’s official arms …