U.S. Soldiers Allegedly Killed Afghan Civilians, Kept Body Parts As Trophies

A dozen U.S. soldiers are charged with organizing a secret "kill team" which allegedly murdered Afghan civilians at random and cut fingers and other body parts from corpses as trophies, according to new documents released by the U.S. military.

According to news reports, details in the charging documents released Wednesday shed new light on the cases against 12 soldiers who served a year in southern Afghanistan with a Stryker infantry brigade.

The most serious accusations involve five soldiers -- Calvin Gibbs, Adam Winfield, Jeremy Mortlock, Andrew Holmes and Michael Wagnon II -- who are said to have slain three Afghans earlier this year. According to reports, those men would likely be charged with premeditated murder, but may face additional charges relating to obstructing justice, possessing human body parts and retaining mortar rounds for personal use.

Authorities allege that Gibbs kept finger bones, leg bones and a tooth from the Afghan corpses, while Wagnon is said to have kept a skull. The remaining seven soldiers are charged with participating in the cover-up, which included smoking hashish stolen from the civilians, taking photos of the corpses and lying to investigators about their deaths.

Winfield's father Christopher has slammed the accusations against his 22-year-old son, telling the Associated Press he tried nearly half a dozen times to pass on urgent messages to the Army, received via e-mail and Internet chats, from his son earlier this year. According to the elder Winfield, his son had been made aware of -- but did not witness or participate in -- the murder of the first civilian, and had been physically threatened by Gibbs to keep quiet.

From the AP:

On Feb. 14, he told his parents what happened in a lengthy Internet chat: Members of his unit on patrol had killed "some innocent guy about my age just farming." He said he did not witness the killing.

But, he wrote, those involved told him about it and urged him to "get one of my own."

He said that virtually everyone in the platoon was aware of what was going on, but no one seemed to object.

"If you talk to anyone on my behalf, I have proof that they are planning another one in the form of an AK-47 they want to drop on a guy."

Media outlets have equated the alleged crimes to abuses committed by U.S. troops at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison in 2004. "This is the kind of thing that hurts us enormously," foreign policy expert Michael O'Hanlon told CBS. "It will have a disproportionate effect, just like Abu Ghraib did ... just like the Koran burning would in Florida."

A military grand jury will consider the charges later this month. McClatchy has a helpful breakdown of the charges here.

Comments

[Don Alex]

01:22 PM on 09/12/2010

Jeremy Mortlock is from Wasilla, Alaska.

[bagfed]

08:23 PM on 09/12/2010

bloggers wrote all about it in June, search his name and the ex-gov. I would post a link but the mods wont allow it. Definitely chums though.

[PennsylvaniaPam]

10:15 PM on 10/01/2010

So?

[RavenWest]

10:51 PM on 09/11/2010

All I can say is that the history books wont remember America very kindly at all. This is a disgrace to humanity and every last effort of our armed forces. They need the death penalty, they are beyond reform and sickened to the very core.

Why are we still there? A single story like this just inspired an unimaginable number of new terrorists and critics.

I mean, the brutality of it all, it's worse than any dictator or regime the area has known. Here is the most powerful military on earth, virtually immune from all law and invincible to any foreign power - committing the very acts we invaded to stop in the first place.

[Inst]

11:54 AM on 09/12/2010

You're wrong! We're a big improvement on the British, who were a big improvement on the Dutch, who were a big improvement on the Spanish, who were a big improvement on the Mongols. Every successive Empire has been more humane and reasonable than its predecessor, simply because more "refined" methods of imperialism have been developed, that result in less murder and less mass carnage.

For evidence, consider the Mongols, who frequently just slaughtered cities to a man for resisting their armies, and then consider the Spanish, who enslaved indigenous populations to mine silver using toxic refining conditions. The British put India under their direct control via force of arms, then used gunboats to force open China's markets to narcotics. At the very least, the United States has no "true" imperial possessions, all masked underneath military bases. We may export putrefying mass culture, and infringe upon sovereignty in the name of liberty, but we do not do overt (covert may be another matter) and open imperialism with the aim of annexing territories.

Folowing this trend, if either the Chinese or Indians become future hegemons, we can expect them to be kinder than we are. For them, impoverished and weak nations are not resource exporters, but potential markets and by developing their economies and improving their living standards they benefit their own corporations.

[luckyone77]

12:32 PM on 09/12/2010

I'm waiting for you to say that we're an improvement on the Nazis.

http://www.georgewalkerbush.net/bush-nazilinkconfirmed.htm

[RavenWest]

09:26 PM on 09/12/2010

You're forgetting that standards have changed with the times. Sure, we don't drop nukes on cities anymore, or at least we haven't in 60 years. Sure, we don't murder entire cities, just +200,000 innocent Iraqis.

By modern standards, by the education and intellect that has propelled us to this level of civilization, we are worse than any of the ancient empires. Because we know history and can't help but repeat it in progressively more disgusting and inhumane ways.

Who cares if we've improved our murder rate. That's like telling me you don't smoke as much heroin than your parents did, no disrespect intended.

[Time Before]

07:12 PM on 09/11/2010

From the School of Americas to War Porn, we go....The US Calvary cutting off the groins of Indian women as medals and displaying them on the mantel of their horses like beaver hides. Even in the 1980's the US Trained deaths squads in South America: Were seen as they are today satanic: Check out Noam Chomsk on this and Mae Brussell. The actions are not of the few but are of the many and yes, the upper brass not only welcomes it- they train men do it - Terror, horror, for the civilians and more that the soldiers take such glee in it!

Look at the history of South America and the death of the 12 nuns raped to death by American trained and supported troops. The nuns crime was they supported Liberation theology.

The Muslims are seen as dogs un human. But hear this -these satanic actions are so trained into the soldier there not coming out. All the US troops coming home, to sit by you and have a beer and live next door - you better hope nothing triggers them or it’s just that they are not through with killing. What has been done to their hearts and minds is forever.

Anyone out there had the misfortune of seeing Vietnam men on the streets? That more killed themselves then died in battle.....and know what it is like to see one go off - drunk screaming about what they did! Anger, hate, berserken....mixed with sorrow...that is coming

[Thomas Bullard]

09:41 PM on 09/11/2010

Ok. So you aren't playing with a full deck. Regular U S. Cavalry at Sand Creek? Don't think so. American soldiers known for barbarity? Not so much. Number one cause of death among Amerinds? Other Amerinds.

[Time Before]

11:17 PM on 09/11/2010

before 1850, from Fr. canard "a hoax," lit. "a duck" (from O.Fr;.... said by Littré to be from the vendre un canard à moitié "to half-sell a duck," thus som forgotten joke, "to cheat."

First the blankets are well known in history. Written fact. Next I return the question are you within the scope of your mind. Truth either hurts or enlightens!

Next, The Native American Indians, starting with the East Coast were systematically cut down. The battle of *********Wounded Knee***** was just forsting on the cake. You can't give me any data on the deaths of Indians by Indians en mass - never happened!

I like When they killed all the Bufflo so they could starve out the Sioux on it went -killing and taking land and yes, then is scapling of Indian women'.groins..

but come now, I know your mind a bit ....

history or what they call big picture thinking - cross referencing and seeking is not your thing your into bullet points.

USSR and China like to call idea they didn't like nuts


Everyone knows - that we have really evolved in the game of war......South America and The School of the Americas - ruthless satanic means to put fear into others . Works.

Scalping heads was the French's way of proving a kill.

But here, what do think is going to happen to all these trained men who kill like this? What is the suicide rate? What is the rate of criminal behavior?

[PennsylvaniaPam]

10:23 PM on 10/01/2010

American soldiers not known for barbarity? I don't need to dig back into history to refute such a statement. All I need to do is to mention Vietnam. Soldiers were trained to be brutal & the Vietnamese were dehumanized to make killing easier. I can't even think of atrocities that were committed there without becoming sick to my stomach.

[Sheltowee]

04:00 PM on 09/11/2010

i was a soldier and this doesn't surprise me with the messed up retards they recruit. I'm telling you with the mindless idiots they call soldiers nowadays I'm ashamed to admit I was in the service. They didn't take body parts when I was a tanker in the 3/3 ACR, no those sociopaths just took lots of pictures of the people we killed and blew up the photos of the mangled bodies and put them on the wall of our office. So every day for 1 1/2 years I got to see the same shredded Iraqis on our wall. These people aren't right in the head.

[Duty2DrainU]

03:38 PM on 09/11/2010

who cares! This isn't news. Afgan civilians are getting more protection from our country than we are giving our own Americans.

[Time Before]

07:16 PM on 09/11/2010

So are you on Pluto or Mars - time to come home and deal with reality! Or is that you are just so empty of self and knowledge that you would write such words? Explain your position?

[luckyone77]

12:45 PM on 09/12/2010

Well its tiime we bring our troops home so that they can protect us again.

[KarlaElisa]

01:54 PM on 09/11/2010

I saw an interview a few weeks back on the Daily Show with some author that lived among some soldiers stationed in Afghanistan that were in some very remote area and everyday WISHED for combat. Their was some footage of his time with them and he said whenever they were to be furloughed and leave the post they beat the crap out of the guy going on leave for some barbaric, frat house kind of 'policy' to remind him of 'who his family was'.

Seems to me this extended and repetitive deployment for years on end has taken it's toll on the sanity of many members of our society that will someday return here and live amongst us. And many of them go into law enforcement or other 'can carry a gun' occupations. This makes me extremely nervous as I think they've become less than human.

[Blackorpheus]

11:19 AM on 09/11/2010

Are you saying that even virtuous white hats play dirty?

[joetrade]

09:07 AM on 09/11/2010

How come the MSM didn't pick this story up? This would have been great watching at dinner time?

[Kory Leach]

06:30 AM on 09/11/2010

I'm reading the comments and it sickens me that people are blaming anyone other than the accused for this heinous series of actions. President's Bush and Obama didn't do this, nor did they have any action in it. Don't blame the system or the Chain of Command, or the recruiting methods. As a soldier who has been in Afghanistan and two other combat zones this is shameful and disgusting behavior that should never occur. If found guilty I hope that the punishment is made common knowledge and that justice is served.

Acts such as this shame the service by the rest of us who attempt to act in a honorable fashion to display the better intentions of most service members.

[Art Jaquez]

10:26 AM on 09/11/2010

I certainly sypathize with your position, but:
"He said that virtually everyone in the platoon was aware of what was going on, but no one seemed to object."
If that is true, then there is a very serious problem in both the system and the chain of command.

[KarlaElisa]

01:50 PM on 09/11/2010

Not unlike the 'brotherhood' we see with law enforcement here that cover for other officers doing rotten things.

I've grown quite cynical when it comes to the people wearing uniforms here that 'claim' to be the 'good guys'.

[Art Jaquez]

10:43 AM on 09/11/2010

He also said: "he tried nearly half a dozen times to pass on urgent messages to the Army, received via e-mail and Internet chats, from his son earlier this year." That is clearly a problem with the chain of command.

[fireincarmation]

02:32 AM on 09/11/2010

A technicality, but as far as I can tell, possessing human body parts isn't a crime. Lots of schools have skeletons in their science classrooms. Also people have the ashes of their loved ones, lost teeth, and some people own mummies, or shrunken heads *shudders.* I followed the link to the crimes they were charged with and didn't see anything like that listed.

[joetrade]

09:04 AM on 09/11/2010

There are many "Technicalities" such as you mention.How abouit the serial killers who bury their victems in the basement or backyard? How about the guy who kept his dead mother in a trunk in the adjoining room? Do these situations and many similar ones also qualify?

[kokobin]

10:06 AM on 09/11/2010

It is amazing and astonishing that you consider the murders of innocent muslims by christian soldiers and the defilement of their bodies a "technicality".

Have you no shame?

[HollyG222]

01:53 AM on 09/11/2010

I dont know what the military is doing to these men, I dont know if they are psychotic going in or once theyve been "trained" by our government. I had a marine threaten to kill me for no good reason, and he had been a good friend, that put the fear of God into me. He was a normal kid, and to go threaten to kill me once the Marines had gotten their hands on him. I dunno. Some people cannot handle the strain of what our country is asking of them. Maybe we are creating psychopaths? We are definitely not helping the situation. Maybe born psychopaths are being put into the field with ones we are creating. All I know is that war and violence never solve anything.

[joetrade]

08:58 AM on 09/11/2010

If we trained our young men for peace instead of constant war we possibly might make this world a somewhat better place! Of course this would diminish the amount of money wasted on the MIC!

[KarlaElisa]

10:22 AM on 09/12/2010

That will never happen. There is no profit in peace and we are a nation focused on nothing but profit.

[noeffect]

11:24 PM on 09/10/2010

American Exceptionalism.

[alicante]

11:22 PM on 09/10/2010

John Kerry was swift boated for telling the truth. This is the hard fact of war. The horrors that these yound men experience with door to door combat is chilling. Some flip and feel the need for revenge or in their minds justice. It is devasting to see what we are doing over there. Bring our troops home now.

[veritbo]

11:50 PM on 10/10/2010

im sorry but you are wrong. ive been in a war. nothing jsutifies what happens above. you cannot stnad theire and jsutify this becuase of the cmbat experience. its sickening.

[rcozad]

11:20 PM on 09/10/2010

NRA poster boys!

[Megajim]

09:37 PM on 09/10/2010

Awwwww poppy bush'd be proud