U.S. Troops Accused of Killing Afghans

Several rogue members of a platoon in Afghanistan have been charged with participating in a months-long killing spree against civilians, according to Army documents. And the investigation alleges the military of ignoring warnings that the soldiers were committing violent war crimes. The first incident occurred on January 15 in Kandahar province. An Afghan man approached a group of soldiers, who then tossed a grenade on the ground—creating the illusion that they were under attack—and then shot the man to death. Attorneys for the soldiers disagree on the specifics of the incident. Two more murders followed between January and May, and five members of the combat unit have been charged in the three killings, while seven other soldiers were charged with other crimes related to the killings, including hashish use and attempting to cover up the incidents by gang assaulting a whistle-blowing private.