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Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 13. Mars 2012 / Time Line March 13, 2012
Version 3.503/13/2012
Obama Promises Full Investigation of Afghanistan
Shootings
By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2012 - President Barack Obama today said the
United States takes seriously the March 11 murder of Afghan
civilians and promised Afghan leaders a full investigation into the
incident.
"We're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life," Obama said of
the incident in Kandahar province where an American soldier
allegedly left his combat outpost and murdered Afghan
civilians.
The Afghan government says 17 people were killed in the incident,
and U.S. officials are going along with that number. "We are not in
a position to dispute the numbers put out by the Afghan
government," said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.
Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai and spoke about the
incident, which he addressed today at a White House news briefing
centered mostly about trade with China. "The killing of innocent
civilians is outrageous, and it's unacceptable," the president
said. "It's not who we are as a country, and it does not represent
our military."
The president directed the Pentagon to spare no effort in
conducting a full investigation. "I can assure the American people
and the Afghan people that we will follow the facts wherever they
lead us, and we will make sure that anybody who was involved is
held fully accountable with the full force of the law," he
said.
International Security Assistance Force commander Marine Corps Gen.
John R. Allen and the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker
are in Washington on a prearranged trip and met with the president.
"I have extraordinary confidence in them and in the many Americans
who are serving in Afghanistan ... and who have made extraordinary
sacrifices to be there," Obama said.
The United States will stick by its strategy in Afghanistan, the
president said. "We're steadily transitioning to the Afghans, who
are moving into the lead," he said. "And that's going to allow us
to bring our troops home."
The United States already has withdrawn 10,000 troops from
Afghanistan and plans to redeploy 23,000 more by the end of the
summer. "Meanwhile, we will continue the work of devastating
al-Qaida's leadership and denying them a safe haven," the president
said.
Obama said he is confident the United States can meet its
objectives in Afghanistan and responsibly bring the troops home,
despite difficulties there.
The shooting suspect remains in U.S. custody, Kirby said. DOD, he
added, is not releasing his name "unless or until charges are
preferred against the individual."
The Army's Criminal Investigation Division is in charge of the
case. Once they finish their investigation they will send the
findings to the chain of command, who will then make judicial
process decisions, Kirby said.
There have been protests in Afghanistan in response to the
shooting. While militants fired on an Afghan delegation that
visited the village where the shooting occurred, it otherwise has
been "peaceful and stable with respect to this tragic action,"
Kirby said.
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