Army capt.: Afghan killing suspect has saved lives

Associated Press ^ | March 17, 2012

[Free ThinkerNY]

SEATTLE (AP) -- A former platoon leader for the soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians says the allegations are "100 percent out of character" for the man, whom he described as a "very solid" noncommissioned officer who has saved other soldiers' lives.

Army Capt. Chris Alexander was Robert Bales' platoon leader during a deployment to Iraq.

[butterdezillion]

I’ve had the same thoughts. Too much stinks with this story.

[Alberta's Child]

Interesting speculation.

I was thinking this whole PTSD/"He snapped" story was put out there to cover up the possibility that: (1) the guy didn't act alone, and (2) the victims were targeted, not random.

[Tijeras_Slim]

ping

[Girlene]

According to this report, linked in post 87 the house with 11 killed was a village elder (who conveniently was not home). The sister of this "elder", aka Mohammed Wazir, says there were two men. However, in early reports Afghanis claimed 50 were either killed or injured.....so everything they say should be taken with a grain or two of salt.

In the second village, according to that link, four or possibly five men were killed. This differed from the man who lived there who (again conveniently not home) said it was two brothers and SIL's.

But it is curious to go to two different villages to commit a random killing spree. Supposedly an Afghani guard noticed a soldier leaving and when a check was done, Bales was the only one missing. When he returned, he was wearing an Afghani robe/shawl. All of this seems purposeful......not saying he killed anyone...but he seemed to have a purpose for leaving and then returning under cover.

Adding in the outstanding endorsements of others, this is a very curious situation. Of course, PTSD, or some other onset of mental illness is always still a possibility.

[fallujah-nuker]

We need to understand that nation-building is wrong. That the only justification for military intervention anywhere is our immediate or long range interests, and that wars need to be waged quickly, brutally, definitively and be followed by an immediate pullout and no apologies.

"The Romans, had made their wars, as the French say, short and big...." - Machiavelli.

War on Terror is an idiotic concept. Had WW2 been fought in the same manner we would have declared war on blitzkrieg. Terror is merely the enemies tactic, it is not the enemy. Nazi Germany sowed the wind at Warsaw, Rotterdam and Coventry, they reaped the whirlwind at Cologne, Hamburg and Dresden.

The enemy has shown no quarter to our civilian population, they have no right to expect that quarter be granted to their own. If they wish to wage war on civilians, we should see who is best at it. Our 9-11 memorial should have been a silent wasteland where Kandahar once stood.

We should pull out, and then build up a large bomber force (perhaps even developing the ability to drop bombs from C-17's as an interim measure). Nothing fancy, something that can replace both the B-52 as a bomb truck and stand off missile launcher, and the KC-135 as a tanker. When they kill one of ours we kill a thousand of theirs.

I would not mind seeing Karzai meet the same fate as Najibullah, a fitting end. He reminds of that scum bag who acted as an intermediary in the Iran-Contra affair, Ollie North even brought it up in testimony before Congress. The pull crap on us, we level their city, in the coldest part of Winter. A bunch of the killed in the initial bombing, another percentage will be with out shelter and exposed to the elements, and succumb.

No more nation building, we should not bring democracy (they are as fit for representative government as a troupe of baboons). We should bring death and destruction. As I reflect upon my writing I realize that it was unfair of me to compare Pashtuns with baboons. Baboons, please accept my apologies for comparing you with the scum that infests Kandahar, Kabul and Jallalabad.

[Psalm 144]

I agree with all points including your tagline.

[AlmaKing]

This man is child killer and mass murderer. He should have been executed already. He’s an embarassment to this country.

I am not going to be part of defending this man.

[Pat4ever]

You know, after Maj Hassan murdered his fellow service members in cold blood, Barrack Obama told everyone not to jump to conclusions. The Major hasn’t even gone to trial yet. Remember “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law?”

[airborne]

Guilty until proven innocent, eh?

I hope you were treated better when you were in the military.

[Prince of Space]

So is this someone we know?

Mrs. Prince of Space

[RightOnline]

Original thread here, posted by the same former Platoon Leader:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2860095/posts

[Chgogal]

I don't know who the hell you are but I agree with every word you wrote.

BTTT

[Tammy8]

You want him executed without an investigation or trial? Really?

[cva66snipe]

The reporters are digging on this NCO’s personal life including his family aka wife and children...... Bastards need to let the UCMJ process work and shut up with endangering his children and wife. Others have had good things to say about this man on a different FR thread.

Way too much operational and personal information information on troops is making it too the media. Much of it seems to be coming from those who should hold only need to know level knowledge. One of the worse leaks was the bin Laden operation. The only announcement should have been members of the armed forces today entered the compound of bin Laden and he was killed in the operation. No units not even name of services involved released. Careers civilian or military should have ended over that one being released. The leaks need to be stopped. If it's deliberate misinformation that can generate problems as well.

I would like to see how anyone back in DC would handle the deployment demands being made on troops. There is no justification. Congress should take two hours of it's precious time wasting our money on insane green energy and raise the Troop Strength Levels which would help stop the over deploying and under manning. In today's economy billets would fill fast.

[noinfringers2]

My question about this tragedy is whether or not there is that much difference to killing innocent/noncombatant lives with aerial carpet bombing in time of war. Perhaps some people don’t see our troops being in a war zone but just a policing action. I also think of the atom bomb. War is hell and I can vouch for this as a WWII vet with an only brother killed on Okinawa. Our so called leaders want to play war as both a political game and a killing game. I don’t know that war can be both as to necessary actions/outcomes.

[Ezekiel]

http://news.yahoo.com/money-career-woes-plagued-afghan-killings-suspect-231533481.html

[Future Snake Eater]

This crap is just stupid, particularly the housing stuff. Are they trying to paint him as irresponsible? Bales is passionate about the military and he’s also passionate about making money. He got into real estate investment. As an E-5 he owned several houses, I remember him talking about that before he went to the E-6 board. Like many other investments, there’s a risk of it going wrong. It happens all the time. I admire him for attempting it, and I know he wouldn’t stop there. He’d dust himself off and try again.

[Pat4ever]

Wow. Yahoo assisted by AP sources. I guess unbiased reporting went out the window with journalistic standards. Remember Obama told us not to jump to conclusions...oh wait...

[Ezekiel]

Are they trying to paint him as irresponsible?

Sure appears that way. Multiple examples of their attempting to guide readers to negative conclusions. Thank you for adding perspective re the houses.

bypassed for promotion

Yes, AP writers... just drop that in there and let the readers assume that the Army must have had some reservations about the SSgt. Ten years in and not yet promoted to E-7? OMG, what a flake! /s /s /s

And his hoping and looking to transfer to a much better duty station the next time around is reported as

eyed a way out of his job at a Washington state military base months before he was accused of the horrific nighttime slaughter

Even without your input as balance, it is obvious that the reporting is absolute garbage. I mean, if he were such an obvious bad apple, why all the crafty wordsmithing?

[Squantos]

Agree .... my rant is the presstitutes and polidiots that are making public his personal life versus his professional. You remember that you have posted here before you went active duty. Your word was gold then and gold now for me. You say he’s good that’s all I need to hear. My point is the presstitutes revealing information about his family , where they are etc ... is friggin irresponsible to the nth degree !

Every troop in my team was either in the emotional or fiscal hurt locker. Then and only then did we get to the stress of the job and being on the road for 8 months out of the year. Stress is after all of us. Be it a Mom at home or a door kicker in combat. Some folks handle it well yet it’s always a mindfu*k in the works that any small trigger can bring to the surface in many ways.

Prayers up for Staff Sgt Bales and his family.

Stay safe !