A very red-faced Obama administration is moving to mitigate diplomatic fallout caused by graphic pictures of atrocities committed against civilians by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.
The images, published online by Der Spiegel, depicts the aftermath of at least two horrific killings.
One alleged participant described a particularly disturbing incident to his father in a Facebook chat session.
“They made it look like the guy threw a grenade at them and mowed him down.”
A total of 12 US soldiers suspected of taking part in various atrocities are expected to go on trial in the near future.
“The actions depicted in the photos are repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States,” stated Colonel Thomas Collins of the U.S. Army.
“[They stand] in stark contrast to the discipline, professionalism and respect that have characterized our soldiers’ performance during nearly 10 years of sustained operations.”
Meanwhile, a high-ranking official in the Afghan Foreign Ministry told Der Spiegel the full effects of the pictures wouldn’t be seen in Afghanistan until Tuesday, at the very earliest.
“Many people have Monday off… This is [clearly] engaging people, [and] can be seen by the fact that it is already being discussed on the Internet.”
It should be noted that Der Spiegel claims to have amassed approximately 4,000 photos and videos of alleged misconduct by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
