Karzai blasts US over massacre probe: ‘I’m at the end of the rope’

Published time: March 16, 2012 12:37
Edited time: March 17, 2012 02:01
Afghan President Hamid Karzai talks during a meeting with relatives of the Kandahar incident victims at the Presidential Palace in Kabul on March 16, 2012 (AFP Photo / Massound Hossaini)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai slams Washington for its lack of cooperation over the probe into the killing of 16 Afghan civilians who were shot by at least one US soldier on Sunday. Karzai says the US stance has put him "at the end of the rope."

­President Karzai says the Afghan delegation he has sent to look into the incident has not received the cooperation Kabul expected from American officials, reports the Associated Press.

"The Afghan government didn't receive cooperation from the USA regarding the surrender of the US soldiers to the Afghan government. This (civilian casualties) has been going on too long. This is by all means the end of the rope here," Karzai said after meeting families of the civilians killed in the shooting spree.

During the meeting, the relatives of the deceased insisted there was more than one shooter and complained the Americans failed to provide all the information they requested. Earlier, Kabul said there was surveillance video Washington was not willing to share with Afghan investigators.

The families of the deseased demanded justice and repeated their call for a public trial of the American suspect in Afghanistan.

"I don't want any compensation. I don't want money, I don't want a trip to Mecca, I don't want a house. I want nothing. But what I absolutely want is the punishment of the Americans. This is my demand," one villager, whose brother was killed in the slaughter, told Reuters.

According to NATO’s probe, only one soldier was behind the slaughter in southern Afghanistan. Various reasons have been given for the rampage: abuse of alcohol, combat trauma, and even a troubled marriage. At the moment, the 38-year-old army staff sergeant, whose name is still withheld, is being moved from Kuwait to a military base in Kansas, reports Agence France Presse.

But Afghan investigators are convinced that it takes more than one to kill so many people in two villages within one hour. Currently, they are considering the possibility a number of American soldiers were involved in the massacre as 15 to 20 of them split into two groups.

"In (one) family, in four rooms people were killed, women and children were killed, and they were all brought together in one room and then put on fire. That one man cannot do," Karzai said as quoted by Reuters.

On Friday, the Afghan leader said he wanted to preserve good relations with Washington, but this is becoming increasingly difficult. The US should show more respect to Afghan culture and laws, he added.

"This form of activity, this behavior, cannot be tolerated. It's past, past, past the time," says Karzai.

On Thursday, Karzai had also demanded that NATO troops keep to their main bases withdrawing from rural areas and villages. The Afghan leader now also wants to take over security duties from the US in 2013, he said in his meeting with the US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. If agreed, this would come a year earlier compared to the US original plan to pull out its forces by 2014.

Comments (52)

William Pelegrini 18.03.2012 03:15

you! Israel haters! close your big mouth!aren't you always dragging your bodies heading to mecca? aren't you that always say your 'god" (the old "god"/idol moon) would destroy muslim enemies??Israel war independence?? weren't you pulverized? with all your military superiority? or what about the 6 days war? ha? 500 tanks against zero of Israel?get a GRIP. The creator of heavens and earth have chosen Israel as the apple of his eye!So...before you come here and write hateful comments against Israel and America, look at the mirrow. What kind of idol that you worship? someone who order blow up coffe shops and restaurants?..get a life.what happened in afghanistan was a TRAGEDY. period. And the guy will be punish under American law. Period. Karzai should close his mouth or he will be kicked out. Afghanistan is a Nation under the USA's feets (and we all love down here in Brasil. Justice.). And it will continue until either have a decent government or totally broke up from within. I loooove the USA because is different than dictator's lovers like russians, chinese or crazy religious like the irarians. Imagine russia with 10% of the mighy of the US military. We would be making our wars now with sticks and stones. p.s.: so, karzai, get your little frustration and your political teatrics and put under your tale or "Rome" will take care of yah... from Brasil with Love  

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A.Smith 17.03.2012 06:56

This latest massacre of Afghanistan Children is simply ONE of MANY involving US and NATO soldiers and the CIA/Blackwater midnight raids in Afghanistan during the past 10 years.

In every instance, President Karzai has gotten more death threats, more US soldiers were killed by IEDs and defecting Afghanistan soldiers shooting their counterpart US/NATO troops dead.

This has occurred multiple times, making it much more likely such massacres were planned and DELIBERATE. Part of the backstory is the village area had a IED that blew up some troops a few days before, so the troops planned a payback, a revenge on the villagers who likely had nothing to do with the IED.

But in Occupations and Wars with blanket immunity, there's simply no compulsion about machine gunning innocent men,women and children then engaging in a coverup. Afterwards the DOD sends out paymasters to flip 100 dollar bills to the familys of the effected hoping they didn't create dozens of new Occupation Resistance fighters by their evil deeds.

A majority of American citizens want USA out of Afghanistan NOW, they want a end of Afghanistan Occupation. However in a TerroristIsrael hijacked Democracy, the US Government appears to be led,directed and only concerned about the Zionist 1% more than willing to sacrifice the 99% American citizens in their endless War schemes.

Pres ident Karzai is absolutely right to demand US Occupation forces OUT of all Afghanistan villages. He knows full well he'll recieve even more death threats on his life and that of his family directly resulting from this latest massacre of Afghanistan children and women.

My thoughts on this are it's a deliberate behind the scenes evil attack aimed at later resulting in the assassination of Karzai blamed on the Pakistan Taliban to continue the US Occupation of Afghanistan.

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Topolcats 17.03.2012 03:38

Interesting heading!
"I am at the end of my rope, so says Kurzia"!
Well not yet.....when the Taliban takeover in 1214-15
Indeed he will be at the end of his rope!

Imagine what an interesting sight?
A beautifully dressed well known bisexual and pedophile,not to mention scared US stooge swinging like a flag in the winds of Afghanistan.
It almost sounds like Poetry. 
  

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