Photos Show U.S. Soldiers Posed With Afghan Body Parts

The Los Angeles Times published on the front page of its early editions a photograph of what it described as a soldier from the Army’s 82nd Airborne with a dead insurgent’s hand on his shoulder. It said it was one of 18 photographs of soldiers posing with the corpses of insurgent fighters given to the newspaper by a soldier who served in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne’s 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Bragg, N.C. 

The paper said the Afghan died planting a bomb, citing police. The story was later posted to the paper’s Web site with another photograph of soldiers posing with dismembered legs held upright by ropes. The photographs were believed to have been taken in 2010, according to a spokeswoman for international forces in Afghanistan. She said it was not yet clear where the photographs had been taken, the number of service personnel involved nor whether they were still serving in the U.S. military. 

 According to the newspaper, the photographs were taken in Zabul Province in 2010. Zabul is in the south of the country and is one of Afghanistan poorest provinces where the Taliban has a strong presence. The story said in one photograph two soldiers posed holding a dead man’s hand with the middle finger raised. 

 The revelation of the photographs followed video uncovered in January of four United States Marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters and appeared likely to complicate an already tense atmosphere for American forces in Afghanistan. There are three major investigations underway into the burning of Korans at Bagram Air Force base in February that touched off deadly protests. 

The military is also investigating the killing last month of 17 Afghan villagers, including women and children, by a rogue United States soldier in Kandahar Province, also in the south. Mr. Panetta said in an emailed statement that the photographs did not represent the “professionalism of the vast majority of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan today.” He also voiced displeasure at the newspaper for publishing the images, saying he was “disappointed that despite our request not to publish these photographs, the Los Angeles Times went ahead.”

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The heart-stopping moment British soldier was blown up by the Taliban and lost both his legs

In the horrific roll call of death and injury that emanates from Afghanistan, it is sometimes easy to forget that each name, rank and number has its own unique story.

That is what makes this image of a seriously wounded Scottish soldier being treated in the heat of battle such an immediate snapshot of the random cruelty of war.

But the story of Private Stephen Bainbridge also describes the true bravery of a man forced to rebuild his life after a devastating injury sustained on Remembrance Day last year.

Now, for the first time, the soldier from Kirkcaldy, Fife, has spoken about his ordeal and the very different battle he now faces for the rest of his life after losing both legs.

Recalling the day he stepped on the mine, Pte Bainbridge, who has given his permission for the photograph to be used, said: ‘I was blown into the air, I felt the heat blast.

‘As I was coming back down it didn’t feel like I was falling, more like floating. That was until I hit the ground.’

The 25-year-old, who regained consciousness in hospital on November 20, added: ‘Before I woke up, I pretty much knew the legs were gone. I suppose I was conscious of the doctors talking. It still hit me when I woke up but not as badly as if I believed I was still all there. It wasn’t a pretty sight.’

Yet he has no regrets about joining the Army, saying: ‘I wouldn’t change anything. I chose the job, I chose to be with 3 Scots. There was no second choice, it was always going to be them.’

Pte Bainbridge was on patrol in Helmand Province on November 11 with 3 Scots (The Black Watch), alongside soldiers from 1st Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.

Walking through open farmland that morning near Nad-e-Ali, they were part of a series of ops called Tora Pishaw, aimed at disrupting insurgent activity in the area.

Second Lieutenant Robert Weir led his men on a mission to clear a series of compounds – and later said they all had a feeling of uneasiness about the situation.

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US soldier could face death penalty over Afghan massacre

The American soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians in their homes has been charged with premeditated murder and could face the death penalty.

The American soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians in their homes has been charged with premeditated murder and could face the death penalty.

US Army Staff Sgt Robert Bales was charged on Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, a capital offence.

The 38-year-old soldier is accused of walking off a US military base with his 9mm pistol and M-4 rifle, which was outfitted with a grenade launcher, before dawn on March 11, killing nine Afghan children and eight adults, then burning some of the bodies.

It was the worst allegation of civilian killings by an American and has severely strained US-Afghan ties at a critical time in the decade-old war.

Six other Afghans - a man, a woman and four children - were wounded in Panjwai district of Kandahar province, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Bales also was charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of assault in those cases, according to Col Gary Kolb, a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan.

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WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

A homecoming photo of a US Marine kissing his boyfriend went viral yesterday after it was posted on Facebook. But before you start 'hating', here's what Brandon Morgan, the marine said about the photo

To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and I want to say thank you. Dalan, the giant in the photo, can't believe how many shares and likes we have gotten on this.

We didn't do this to get famous,or something like that we did this cause after 3 deployments and four years knowing each other, we finally told each other how we felt. As for the haters, let em hate.

We are the happiest we have ever been and as for the whole PDA and kissing slash hugging in uniform...it was a homecoming, if the Sergeants Major, Captains, Majors, and Colonels around us didn't care...then why do you care what these random people have to say? In summation thank you for your love and support.

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US Army prepares for Nigeria’s possible break-up

There are strong indications that the United States of America, USA, may be gearing up for a possible balkanisation of the country following developments in the last few years.

This indication is contained in a publication credited to NEWSRESCUE in America, where accounts of an article written by Director of the African Security Research Project in Washington, DC and Guest Columnist of AllAfrica Global Media, Mr. Daniel Volman and speakers in an AFRICOM conference held at Fort McNair were given.

It would be recalled that in 2005, the US predicted that Nigeria would cease to be a nation state in 2015 in view of threats posed by continued ethno-religious crisis over the years. Similarly, the United States military had, in May 2008, conducted a war games test called Unified Quest 2008, to ascertain how its military might respond to a war in parts of Africa with a mention of Nigeria.

Also, the question of how to handle possible splits between factions within the Nigerian government was tested with a plan by the Americans to send about 20,000 troops to secure and take over the oil-rich South while the North would be turned into an Arab aligned, possibly terrorist enclave.

Recent developments in the polity, namely the post-election violence up country, the activities of militants in the South and the recent activities of the Islamic Boko Haram sect in a spate of terrorism-like bomb attacks may have laid strong credence to the claim.

Indications are that the US will favour a disintegration of the country given Nigeria’s not too distant past romance with countries considered not to be allies of the self-acclaimed world super power.

The Nigerian government had not long ago signed deals with Russia and Iran for major resource, military and power (Nuclear generation) mutual ventures. This alliance did not go down well with the US as these nations are considered perpetual enemies. In addition, Nigeria has been promoting development, not by serving US interest but by cooperation’s with so-called third world Nations like Brazil.

The US has been known to be at the center of important breakups in the past. Countries like Vietnam and Korea had the US play a major skewed role, and when these Nations divided into North and South, the US stationed its troops at the border to defend usually the Southern territory, and the Northern usually became a rejected, isolated rudiment.

It would also be recalled that in the 2010 budget, the US had made provision for the expansion of the operations of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), which will provide increased security assistance to repressive regimes in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and key US allies such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Rwanda and Uganda.

This is even as in 2009, Nigeria’s late President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, clearly rejected the installation of US AFRICOM military command in Nigeria, probably sensing that the Pentagon had planned to establish a new military command in Africa.

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