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On April 18, 2012 the Los Angeles Times released photos of U.S. soldiers posing with body parts of dead insurgents, after a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division gave the photos to the L.A. Times to draw attention to "a breakdown in security, discipline and professionalism" among U.S. troops operating in Afghanistan.
Contents
Reactions
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta called the soldiers behavior unacceptable, promised a full investigation and said about the soldiers behaviour in comparison to the U.S. armed forces in general: "This is not who we are, and it’s certainly not what we represent when it comes to the great majority of men and women in uniform." The actions of the soldiers were condemned by General John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF). US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker said: "The actions were morally repugnant, dishonor the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers and civilians who have served with distinction in Afghanistan, and do not represent the core values of the United States or our military.” The New York Times reported that according to White House sources President Obama called for an investigation of the matter and said that those responsible would be held accountable. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid called the pictures disrespectful and condemned both the U.S. soldiers involved in the pictures as well as the Afghan police also featured in them. "We strongly condemn these occupiers and their puppets who are without culture, who are brutal and inhuman," Mujahid said. "Next to these occupiers there are some Afghans -- puppets -- who were ordered to stand next to the bodies of the martyrs." Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that it is "a disgusting act to take photos with body parts and then share it with others".
As of April 19, 2012 there has been no news of mass protests by the Afghan people such as after the Quran burnings in February 2012, which Afghan lawmakers ascribe to the Afghan people's unsympathy for suicide bombers. Mohammad Naim Lalai Hamidzai, a parliamentarian from southern Kandahar, told the Associated Press that "the people of Afghanistan remember the killing of innocent people by suicide bombers and people do not have a good image of these suicide bombers. The burning of Qurans and the killing of children create emotions in people, but there is no sympathy for suicide bombers who kill innocent people." Another reason for the muted reaction in Afghanistan was that evening TV bulletins did not show the photos and that many ordinary Afghans have no internet access.
Investigation and Prosecution
The Army has started a criminal investigation.