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Green Berets Face Hearing on Killing of Suspect in Afghan Village
NYT ^ | 9-18-07

Posted on 09/18/2007 8:12:33 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne

FORT BRAGG, N.C., Sept. 17 — From his position about 100 yards away, Master Sgt. Troy Anderson had a clear shot at the Afghan man standing outside a residential compound in a village near the Pakistan border last October. When Capt. Dave Staffel, the Special Forces officer in charge, gave the order to shoot, Sergeant Anderson fired a bullet into the man’s head, killing him.

In June, Captain Staffel and Sergeant Anderson were charged with premeditated murder. On Tuesday, in a rare public examination of the rules that govern the actions of Special Operations troops in Afghanistan, a military hearing will convene at Fort Bragg to weigh the evidence against the two men, both Green Berets.

The case revolves around differing interpretations of the kind of force that the Special Forces team that hunted and killed the man, Nawab Buntangyar, were allowed to use once they found him, apparently unarmed.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; greenberets; sof
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To: RedRover
Update - Great news! - All charges dropped! (Pass the news).

Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Csrnko has dismissed all charges against two Fort Bragg Special Forces who killed an “enemy combatant” who was “under the control of friendly forces” in Afghanistan.

Capt. Dave Staffel and Master Sgt. Troy Anderson were accused of premeditated murder in the shooting of Nawab Buntangyar on Oct. 13, 2006, at the village of Ster Kalay near the Pakistan border.

Witnesses at an Article 32 hearing — held to determine whether the soldiers should be court-martialed — testified that Nawab was identified as an enemy who was involved with suicide bombers and posed a threat. The man was within “blast range” of the soldiers. Several witnesses testified that they had little confidence in the competence of the Afghans working with the Special Forces soldiers who were supposed to have control over the man.

41 posted on 09/29/2007 6:53:02 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: DevSix; 4woodenboats; American Cabalist; AmericanYankee; AndrewWalden; Antoninus; AliVeritas; ...
Great news from DevSix!
See his post 41 above!

42 posted on 09/29/2007 6:59:14 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RedRover

Good.


43 posted on 09/29/2007 7:01:50 PM PDT by lilycicero (Defend Them All)
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To: lilycicero; DevSix; All
New post by DevSix: Special Forces soldiers cleared in Afghan killing.
44 posted on 09/29/2007 7:07:10 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: csvset
What is this guy's motivation?

I don't know why but I have a gut feeling this guy is with the Wesley Clark crowd in the Military. Even the Mama's are complaining about this General. I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever heard Mothers bring up names before in yahoo groups.

45 posted on 09/29/2007 7:08:39 PM PDT by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
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To: DevSix

YES! I hope someone who knows these Soldiers passes this thread along to let them know that there arre folks praying and thinking about them.


46 posted on 09/29/2007 7:29:48 PM PDT by Eagles6
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To: armymarinemom
"I don't know why but I have a gut feeling this guy is with the Wesley Clark crowd in the Military."

I agree with that.

47 posted on 09/29/2007 7:35:02 PM PDT by Eagles6
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To: RedRover; DevSix

Very good news and thanks for the ping, Red.

Hopefully there will be some kind of backlash for Lt. Gen. Kearney, what he did here was way over the top and despicable. He should have never put these men through this!


48 posted on 09/29/2007 7:37:58 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: DevSix
Mark Waple, a civilian lawyer representing Captain Staffel, said the charges against his client and Sergeant Anderson carry a whiff of “military politics.”

Yes, I see where this simple scumbag Kearney just got promoted. So you know who the bigger scumbag is in this whole fiasco? The assclown's boss. The Commander-in-Chief. Bush.

49 posted on 09/29/2007 7:40:51 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: RedRover

Thanks for that update, Red. That’s a relief.

What is not a relief is that this simple scumbag Kearney is still running loose.


50 posted on 09/29/2007 7:43:28 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Lancey Howard

General Frank H. Kearney

51 posted on 09/29/2007 7:45:17 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: RedRover

That’s funny!

Red, for the life of me I cannot figure out where Bush is.... It’s like he’s off having fun with himself while idiots like Kearney get promotions. Bush is supposed to be the CiC! He should be on the phone getting RID of idiots like Kearney!

It is really frustrating.

PS. You have freepmail coming.


52 posted on 09/29/2007 7:49:09 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: RedRover
I am not familliar with the military justice system, but won't these guys being cleared establish a precedent and take the heat off of troops in similar situations in the future?

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this give the green flag to this type of operation?

That should eliminate doubt of legality rather than establish it.

While it has to be the absolute sh*ts for the guys who were up on charges, shouldn't that be the end of this crap for special operations and snipers on similar missions?

Otherwise, they'd have to catch BinLaden armed to pick him off.

53 posted on 09/29/2007 8:01:37 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: RedRover

Kearney, and his like minded buddies should be stripped of their uniforms, and being a carpenter, I have a rail at hand, if anyone wants to help with the tar and feathers...


54 posted on 09/29/2007 8:05:36 PM PDT by bigheadfred (And there I see the Line of My Forefathers)
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To: Smokin' Joe; xzins
Not sure it establishes legality since the two guys had been investigated by the Army's police, the CID, and were cleared. Gen Kearney wanted to court martial them anyway and Kearney's boss put a stop to it by dismissing charges.

Irrespective of the result of this case, our solders and Marines are thinking twice before pulling the trigger in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that's going to mean more American dead.

55 posted on 09/29/2007 8:15:42 PM PDT by RedRover (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: Lancey Howard
The assclown's boss. The Commander-in-Chief. Bush.

You don't have a clue what you are talking about - Furthermore your ugly rhetoric only HELPs our enemies...both foreign and domestic (understand that!). It helps them (no matter what psycho babble spin you try and put on it.....Such foolish, ugly rhetoric about our CinC only HELPs our enemies). Full Stop.

56 posted on 09/29/2007 8:18:20 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: RedRover
I was hoping some good would come out of it, and that the establishment of a clear precedent would give these guys the ability to operate without fear of reprisal from within.

It is a d@mned shame that did not happen.

57 posted on 09/29/2007 8:55:35 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: RedRover

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-marines-fallujah,0,1938985.story

Just a little more on the Nazario case, to point out that this
“fifth column” of conviction hungry people can march forward and reverse, (which is an amazing feat with their heads up their Murthas)

And I’m sure our soldiers and Marines should be thinking of pulling the trigger twice, once at the enemy to the front and once at the enemy to the rear.


58 posted on 09/29/2007 9:36:34 PM PDT by bigheadfred (And there I see the Line of My Forefathers)
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To: RedRover
Thanks for the PING!

Not sure it establishes legality since the two guys had been investigated by the Army's police, the CID, and were cleared. Gen Kearney wanted to court martial them anyway and Kearney's boss put a stop to it by dismissing charges.

Irrespective of the result of this case, our solders and Marines are thinking twice before pulling the trigger in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that's going to mean more American dead.

This tying the hands of our troops, second guessing their actions in the field, and bringing charges to our guys for killing possible insurgents IN A WAR is just unconscionable.

If this doesn't stop, we can't win, and if we don't finish this, we are toast. Because, if we can't win a war over there with all the troops and heavy artillery, we sure as shootin' aren't going to win here with all our politicos wringing their hands, wetting their pants, and begging to sing kum bay ya when the enemy comes here to engage. And they will.

I think I need to go to bed before I get my adrenaline going again....

59 posted on 09/29/2007 10:02:17 PM PDT by Shelayne (NO running or relenting until the problem has been dealt with-decisively,systematically,permanently.)
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To: RedRover; DevSix; jazusamo; xzins; Girlene; smoothsailing

Great news, let’s hope and pray that the others in similar political witch-hunts are also quickly exonerated. I do wonder, though, just how long until we see the retirement of those who stand for righteousness against the socialists infusions of our government; prayers for their strength of purpose and long careers.


60 posted on 09/30/2007 6:01:46 AM PDT by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional !!)
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