BREAKING NEWS

Hearing for US soldier accused of Afghan rampage to begin

By REUTERS

NOVEMBER 5, 2012 08:47

SEATTLE - A US Army soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers in a drunken rampage in March faces the military version of a preliminary hearing starting on Monday to determine if there is sufficient evidence for a court martial.

US Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is accused of walking off his base under cover of darkness and opening fire on civilians in their homes in at least two villages.

The shooting of mostly women and children in Afghanistan's Kandahar province marked the worst civilian slaughter by US forces since the Vietnam War and eroded already strained US-Afghan ties after over a decade of conflict in the country.

Bales faces 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of assault and wrongfully possessing and using steroids and alcohol while deployed. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

The hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state is expected to last two weeks and include witness testimony in Afghanistan carried by live video, including villagers and Afghan soldiers.

Taiwan rattled by 6.1 magnitude quake, no immediate reports of damage

By REUTERS

04/26/2024 09:43 PM

IDF: Mt Hermon targeted by 30 launches, no known casualties

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/26/2024 09:34 PM

Pentagon chief: Iran should question strategy after Israel attack failed

By REUTERS

04/26/2024 08:55 PM

Two expatriate workers killed by drone attack on Iraq's Khor Mor

By REUTERS

04/26/2024 08:52 PM