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Subscribe to RSSStaff Sergeant Robert Bales, the American soldier charged with a grisly massacre of Afghan civilians, appears in a Washington state military courtroom Monday on accusations that he killed 16 villagers as they slept. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
TACOMA, Washington -- Military prosecutors said on Monday they would seek the death penalty for a U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers when he twice ventured out of his camp earlier this year.
The lead prosecutor, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Morse, told a preliminary hearing he would present evidence proving "chilling premeditation" on the part of Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The shootings of mostly women and children in Afghanistan's Kandahar province in March marked the worst case of civilian slaughter blamed on an individual U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War and eroded already strained U.S.-Afghan ties after more than a decade of conflict in the country.
Bales faces 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of assault and wrongfully possessing and using steroids and alcohol while deployed.
Morse said he was submitting a "capital referral" in the case, requesting that Bales be executed if convicted.
The hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State was expected to last two weeks and include witness testimony from Afghanistan carried by live video, including testimony from villagers and Afghan soldiers.
At the end, military commanders will decide whether there is sufficient evidence for Bales to stand trial by court-martial.
'I just shot up some people'
Bales, dressed in camouflage Army fatigues with his head shaven, embraced his wife Kari in court before the hearing began. He then sat silently watching the proceedings from the defense table as Morse summarized the prosecution's account of the events of March 10-11.
According to Morse, Bales had been drinking with two fellow soldiers before he left his base, Camp Belambay, and went to a village where he committed the first killings.
Morse said Bales then returned to the camp and told a drinking buddy, Sergeant Jason McLaughlin, "I just shot up some people," before leaving for a second village and killing more people. Morse called Bales' actions "deliberate, methodical."
According to McLaughlin, Bales asked him to smell his rifle and said "I'll be back at 5 (a.m.). You got me?" McLaughlin said he did not think Bales was serious, and "didn't think too much about it," going back to sleep for guard duty that started at 3 a.m.
Child witnesses to Afghan massacre: Bales was not alone
Prosecutors showed a video shot by night-vision camera from a surveillance balloon over the camp, showing a figure they identified as Bales walking back to the post wearing a dark blue bed sheet or throw rug tied around his neck like a cloak.
He is seen being confronted by three soldiers, including the two men prosecutors said he had been drinking with, who ordered him to drop his weapons and took him into custody as he is heard saying, "Are you ****ing kidding me?"
One of the three, Corporal David Godwin, testified that Bales kept repeating the words, "I thought I was doing the right thing," and "It's bad. It's bad. It's really bad." Several witnesses said Bales' trousers were spattered with blood. One said he had a "ghost-like look."
Drank whiskey, watched assassin film
Godwin recounted that he, Bales and McLaughlin had been drinking whiskey together in McLaughlin's room while watching the Hollywood film "Man on Fire," which stars Denzel Washington as a former assassin bent on revenge.
Several witnesses from the camp said Bales had been aggrieved over the lack of action over an improvised explosive device attack on a patrol near the camp several days earlier, in which one U.S. soldier lost the lower part of a leg.
Officials: US soldier in Afghanistan shooting spree said 'I did it'
Prosecutors said Bales had been armed with a rifle, a pistol and a grenade launcher on the night in question, and that the killings took place over a five-hour period in two villages. The dead included members of four families, most shot in the head.
When Bales returned to the camp and surrendered his weapons, he was brought to Captain Daniel Fields, team leader, at the camp's command center. "What the **** just happened?" Fields said he asked Bales. He said Bales avoided eye contact and just said "I'm sorry, I let you down."
Bales was not expected to testify during the so-called Article 32 hearing.
News that Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has sent shockwaves through his Washington state neighborhood. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
John Henry Browne, Bales' civilian lawyer, has suggested Bales may not have acted alone and may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kari Bales told NBC station KING5.com before Monday's hearing that she believed he was innocent, as a massacre of innocent civilians was "not something my husband would have done ... not the Bob that I know."
No motive has emerged for the killings.
Kari Bales had complained about financial difficulties on her blog in the year before the killings, and she had noted that Bales was disappointed at being passed over for a promotion.
Browne described those stresses as garden-variety — nothing that would prompt such a massacre — and has also said, without elaborating, that Bales suffered a traumatic incident during his second Iraq tour that triggered "tremendous depression.”
Asked about the prospect of the death penalty, Kari Bales told KING5 that she had not “had time to worry about that.”
“I know that’s a possibility,” she added. “If and when that happens then that’s the time I will worry about it. It’s in God’s hands.”
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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What bothers me is he went back another time so he had to know what he was doing was wrong. How could he look at a sleeping child and shot it in the head?
You've never seen a "child" with an AK shooting at you I surmise.
Not a child that was sleeping,,,,,and I don't think you did either.
And you were there justme??? you witnessed his "so called" crimes??? Are you an American Soldier justme??? Have you ever been in a war justme??? Do you have any empathy justme???
Air Force Veteran
STEELERMAMA: There's a lot of ground-pounders out here that will debate whether Air Force personnel know anything, either.
Lighten up.
Thanx for your service.
Ex-ground pounder.
So your saying because I'm an Air Force Vet I don't know sh*t right...I just sat home for a whole year with my finger up my a$$ while my son was deployed and my nephew a marine came out of Iraq with a bronze star and a purple heart...I might not have "pounded the ground" but you can't take away what the rest of us did during the wars.
By the way, if you mistook my post...I support SSgt Bales out here at Ft Lewis (JBLM) where my son is stationed. HOOAH!!!
tom-1768340
Nam 70-71.. saw it there.
Afghanistan - Iraq 2003- ???? saw it there.
Any questions?
Sleeping kids kill no one.
One more question. 70-03,,,33years right, 34 counting training?????
Were you a Major or Colonel?????
Thanx for service, I retired also.
Why do we hear about this soldier only when I never hear about the Muslim doctor who killed several of his fellow officers awhile back? He's probably being treated quite differently since we have to be politically correct now, don't we? This young man needs professional help, not the dealth penalty, but since he's not a Muslim he probably won't get the mental help he so obviously needs.
"Why do we hear about this soldier only when I never hear about the Muslim doctor who killed several of his fellow officers awhile back?"
You never hear about Major Hasan? You must be really, really bad at finding news stories. This was printed seventeen hours ago:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/05/14950235-fort-hood-shooting-victims-sue-government?lite
This guy is a coward..he deserves to be executed just as he did to those women and children..actually he should be beheaded....
How about the idiot responsible for the Fort Hood killings? Lets kill him off first, then onto the idiots at Gitmo.
Now isn't that something? Like I said before, they're probly trying to make a scape goat out of Bales. A couple of witnesses say there were more than one man involved, AND a helicopter overhead? I feel it was a military sanctioned event that had some VERY bad intelligence on it. If Bales truely came back to the base alone, it was because he got seperated from the group. Open your eyes and minds people.
Oh, and here is the link for the story verifying more than one soldier in on it.
#c71730730
Well, the US government has it's scape goat. It just so happens to be one of the volunteers from a poor family or a court ordered enlistment. This man killed a small number of people when compared with the hundreds and thousands that Bush and Cheney kill for fun. Where are courts when people with money kill and that have dodged the draft and refused to fight in wars. The US government estimates their are enough poor, uneducated 18 to 24 year old citizens to keep the endless wars going for the next 100 years.
Gary Hanson-737542
Court ordered enlistment? Sorry, but that went out with Viet Nam.
Granted the families some come from are poor, but there are a very large number of college graduates, and many of those with advanced degrees in uniform today. And those people are not only officers, all of whom have degrees. I personally know a large number with Masters and even a few with their PhD. It's not like the military of 20 ro 30 years ago.
Get with the times.
XD: You are already becoming an "irritating incorrect expert".
Yes, the courts in several jurisdictions give young men the option of military service as a condition of sentencing or lack thereof.
In this case, the judge kicked the can down the road to 15 dead people.
And Gary, will you state your source for:
tom-1768340
Sorry, I don't know that many recruiters hard up enough to accept people with arrest records. It's generally frowned on in the all volunteer service... not quite like when the draft was around.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I honestly haven't heard of that.
As you requested of Gary... do you have a source for that?
One son. The judge gave him a choice. He chose to grow up...shamed me by going army, but, hey, service is service.
And you really are out of the loop....ever since I was "that age" judges have been helping misquided kids become men....even AFTER the draft.
BTW: I got drafted. My notice was dated two weeks after the law expired. Still have it. I went down and told 'em to "Piss-Off".....went from C.O. to corpsman with the Marines 9 months later. My whole life has been an ironic set of circumstances.
Next time you have a chance to talk to a judge or recruiter, ask 'em if it doesn't happen occasionally.
Tell him to grow a beard, will never have to go to trial
His actions certainly warrant execution. But I say life imprisonment for 2 reasons: first, serving as many tours of duty as he had done must have taken a toll on his mental stability and that is a mitigating circumstance. Second, to execute a U.S. soldier to appease Muslims is foolish and weak.
Blame this tragic incident on nation building. We prolonged exposure of danger to our troops in the field for an unsustainable period of time. These 2 wars, over a 10+ year time, were poorly planned from conception and put our troops into the position of being 'bait' rather than fighters. If your gain is minor, you should not put VALUE at stake; troops should be nowhere close to civilians and a safe perimeter is isolation, especially in a desert enemy country in which its' defenders use the souls of their feet or light vehicles for transportation. I like the "sleep theory" for guidance and reinforcement of what's right for everyone, friend or foe.
You should vote or get off the grid. You have no voice when you do not participate. Obama is trying to stop the wars, but he has a lot of opposition. If Romney were in charge, we would have wars all over the place. He is the old republican concept of hit and ask questions later. He wants to drill more, does not believe or understands the scientific studies that show we should stop using fossil fuel. He would destroy what is left of our ecosystem as many are trying to save it. Such people should not allowed to control anything, certainly not the US.
Sounds like you have a good job and are secure in it. Also, sounds like you're a me me me me .
Yet, the Muslim terrorist in Texas is still awaiting trial. Guess the Kid should grow a beard and get darker skin so he has the same rights and privileges as the terrorist that killed Americans.
cunical
Political correctness gone mad. Much like many other aspects of American society today.
Amen, a bullsh*t UCMJ!
The Unites States is completely responsible for this young man and his actions.
I don't excuse what the Sergeant did but I understand how someone could snap placed in the same situation. There is only so much of seeing your friends butchered with impunity that a man can take before he flips out.
If there is someone to blame for this it our own government. It routinely and deliberately saddles our soldiers with impossible rules of engagement overseen by cowardly career generals who don't have any problem with sacrificing their troops for political correctness and career advancement. Our own government cynically sends its young men off to wars it has no intention of ever winning-just to keep the military industrial complex going.
All of you people, including the Prosecutors are full of it. Things happen in war. This Soldier deserves a Parade, not death. I suggest that all of you Holier than thou people should hunt down whoever authorizes the use of Drones and Prosecute that person and all persons who are operating the Drones. Many so called Innocents have been killed by our Drones, why dont you prosecute the use of Drones. This Soldier is an American Hero.
I pray for you SSgt Bales and the the US military will come to their senses on this one and find another way to punish you, but death is not the way.
Air Force Veteran and mother of a Combat Soldier...HOOAH!!!
Before any of you DARE condemn this man - this HERO, keep in mind what THEIR civilizans have done to OURS - the IEDs, the bombing attempts, actual bombings, kidnappings, stonings, decapitations, the list goes on and on.
When your enemy wears no uniform, when they are little more than gangs of wild animals, they have NO RIGHT to protest or complain.
How do you tell the difference between a Jihadist and Civilian?
The Jihadist blows up.
Who's willing to risk their life to find out which is which?
This man does not deserve a trial. He deserves a medal.
Lie to Pakistan and tell them we executed him. It's not like they've never or will never lie to us anyways.
then they better get going with that scumbag in Texas that shot the Army soldiers. i am tired them kissing on the Muslim terrorists. and its as plan as day that's what is happening. its the same thing with ether one and the Muslim in texas better go first.
I laugh when i see people say "you people have no clue" um HELLO MANY of us SERVED so we DO know......
This guy has issues, he was drinking and doing steroids and yes has PTSD BUT that is still NO excuse for going on a MURDERING spree and killing INNOCENT CHILDREN and women. NO excuse. He didnt go out and murder a bunch of talaban members he murdered CHILDREN. I dont like the death penalty but im not down to have my tax dollars spend on keeping this scumbag alive in prison for life.. He deserves to die just like he murdered all those innocent CHILDREN..
Indingo rage...WOW you have issues. YES what they over there are doing is NOT right and the ones that kill are scum and deserve to die but this guy didnt go over there and kill the BAD guys he did what those scumbags do.... MURDERED in COLD blood.. He MURDERED innocent CHILDREN.. he does NOT deserve a metal he deserves the DEATH penalty. If he killed BAD people over there then it would be different but he DIDNT he MURDERED INNOCENT CHILDREN
And your proof that they were innocent? Because their government said they were? We could speak volumes on their credibility.
Can you prove, beyond a reasonable doubt none of the people this man shot:
1. Curried money for the tallyban?
2. Curried messages for tallban?
3. Curried weapons, munitions or intelligence?
Can you offer ANY evidence at all that any of these people were innocent?
Even their great Osama hid behind women as SEAL team 6 kicked down his doors right before they repainted his walls with what passed for his brains.
And no, I do not have issues. I have a subscription.
No previous record. Obviously, this is some combination of PTS and drinking. Tough call for the officers deciding this case.
A military that does everything it can to dehumanize it's soldiers, a soldier who performed his assigned duties with such valor that he is awarded medals and called a hero, a soldier haunted by memories drinks too much looses his higher reasoning ability and kills innocents, an army having accomplished its task and produced a successful product asks for the death penalty when the inevitable happens. Hypocrisy to the very highest level. What this soldier did was wrong even evil. What he has been put through has been wrong even evil. The latter evil produced the former evil. What do you know: evil gives birth to evil. It is time to admit we cannot successfully carry out a war and stop the killing of innocents at the same time. Whomever is President if he has an ounce of compassion, an ounce of courage, an ounce of humanity must bring our soldiers home. We cannot fix their problems. We can't even fix our own problems. For the love of God, America, and our service men and women enough is enough, bring them home.
You are so right mabok...this has been done to a whole generation...just like Vietnam back in my day. Destroyed lives.
The uniform code of military justice is very clear on when you can kill. he went out on his own "mission" to get even for an IED. In the pre Vietnam army he would have been put up against a wall within weeks. This is curious to me as to why the military would be allowing a civilian to defend him. As the the commander of the theater could have lawfully had him shot that very day without issue.
Carry out your orders, or risk court-martial and a long sentence in a military prison. Tough choice.
He should of been a fighter pilot. If so, he wouldn't be punished for killing innocent people. Probably get a promotion, being marked down as killing terrorist.
War is hell people.
Still, Bates was a foot soldier. What he did was wrong in everyway. Prison time is needed.
God Bless the 99% outstanding military soldiers.
You contradict yourself in your post...
A study on alcohol in a war zone, which is a 24 hour job, should be made. I think of myself stationed on a USAF radar tower in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. We had a rule of no hard liquer allowed. As you know most of us can go into a bar and get drunk and cause no problems. It's always the few that cause the problems. This is a war zone, each person with weapons. I just don't feel hard liquer should be allowed. Mostly any second you might be called to fight the enemy.
Yep, and a half-bottle of hard liquor and the tissue I just blew my nose on makes a great incendiary device to hurl at enemy troops. They're so much more fun to shoot when on fire.
Former USAF Sat Com myself - once used an uplink dish to direct an enormous amount of microwave radiation at Saddam's Elite Guard - watched 'em pop like popcorn all over the place. Got ass chewed for taking down an uplink, got medal for defending the uplink.
Would do it again and again and again.
Once again deb, you think of yourself stationed, were you or weren't you??? Maybe you just wish you were in the military. I sure in the hell know what I did for 20 years in the Air Force and it wasn't "thinking" it was DOING!!!
This poor soldier was sent into war over and over. Ever hear of PSTD? It's outrageous that they are even trying him. He belongs in a military hospital and treated for PSTD.