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The veteran staff sergeant allegedly left his base in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province and walked about a mile to a nearby village, where he went on a house-to-house rampage, methodically shooting Afghan civilians.
U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan stepped up security following the shootings out of concern about retaliatory attacks. The U.S. Embassy also has warned American citizens in Afghanistan about the possibility of reprisals.
Taliban Vows Revenge for Killings
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The Taliban emerged in Afghanistan in 1994. |
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The Taliban is vowing revenge against the United States for the attacks. In a statement on its website, the militant group promised to "take revenge from the invaders and the savage murderers for every single martyr." It added: "American savages" committed the "blood-soaked and inhumane crime."
"If the perpetrators of this massacre were in fact mentally ill then this testifies to yet another moral transgression by the American military because they are arming lunatics in Afghanistan who turn their weapons against the defenseless Afghans without giving a second thought," the statement said, reported the Associated Press.
White House Issues Apologies
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President Obama announced plans to withdraw 33,000 troops from Afghanistan this year. |
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President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta both called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to express their condolences for the incident.
In a statement released Sunday, Mr. Obama said, "This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan."
"I gave (Afghan) President (Hamid) Karzai my assurances that we will bring those responsible to justice," Panetta said in a statement. "We will spare no effort in getting the facts as quickly as possible, and we will hold any perpetrator who is responsible for this violence fully accountable under the law."
NATO officials apologized for the shootings but did not confirm that anyone was killed, referring instead to reports of deaths
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"I wish to convey my profound regrets and dismay at the actions apparently taken by one coalition member in Kandahar province, said a statement from Lt. Gen. Adrian Bradshaw, the deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Future of U.S. presence in Afghanistan
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The White House has made it clear that the withdrawal timeline has not been affected by the surge in violence. |
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As the United States begins to wind down its presence in Afghanistan and bring the decade-long war to a close, many are now speculating whether or not the recent surge in unrest across the country will affect the pull-out date for U.S. troops.
President Obama plans to withdraw 33,000 troops this year, but there is now growing impatience among both the American and Afghan public for the troops to leave the country earlier.
However, the White House has made it clear that the withdrawal timeline has not been affected. Spokesman Jay Carney said the United States will stick to its plan of creating an Afghan government stable enough to allow for troop withdrawal, despite rising resentment among Afghan civilians.
"That strategy very much remains the right one and remains in place," he said.
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I think we've been witnessing violence for years, whether in reality through the media or through video games, and I don't think that's a first-hand effect.
