Army Official Statement, Soldiers Abuse Civilians in Afghanistan

Statement of the U.S. Army (From DoD News Release 28 MARCH 2011)

“The photos published by Rolling Stone are disturbing and in striking contrast to the standards and values of the
United States Army. Like those published by Der Spiegel, the Army apologizes for the distress these latest photos
cause. Accountability remains the Army’s paramount concern in these alleged crimes. Accordingly, we are in the
midst of courts-martial, and we continue to investigate leads. We must allow the judicial process to continue to
unfold and be mindful that the government has distinct obligations to the victims and to the accused, which include
compliance with the court's protective order to ensure a fair trial. That said, the Army will relentlessly pursue the
truth, no matter where it leads, both in and out of court, no matter how unpleasant it may be, no matter how long it
takes. As an Army, we are troubled that any soldier would lose his ‘moral compass’ as one soldier said during his
trial. We will continue to do whatever we need to as an institution to understand how it happened, why it happened
and what we need to do to prevent it from happening again.”

(From DoD News Release 21 MAR 2011)
“Today Der Spiegel published photographs depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to
the standards and values of the United States Army. We apologize for the distress these photos cause. The
actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing U.S. court-
martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. These court-
martial proceedings speak for themselves. The photos appear in stark contrast to the discipline, professionalism
and respect that have characterized our soldiers’ performance during nearly 10 years of sustained operations. It
would be improper to comment further on these photographs at this time. The United States Army is committed to
adherence to the Law of War and the humane and respectful treatment of combatants, noncombatants, and the
dead. When allegations of wrongdoing by soldiers surface, to include the inappropriate treatment of the dead, they
are fully investigated. Soldiers who commit offenses will be held accountable as appropriate.”

Pictures from Der Spiegel on-line