THE GUARDIAN: Nine children and three women dead in incident that president Hamid Karzai condemns as 'intentional murders'
A US soldier has killed more than a dozen Afghan civilians, many of them women and children, in a night-time shooting spree in southern Afghanistan.
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, condemned the shootings as "intentional murders" and demanded an explanation from the US.
The victims of the shootings, which left up to 16 civilians dead, included nine children and three women, Karzai's office said in a statement.
"This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven," Karzai said. He said he has repeatedly demanded the US stop killing Afghan civilians.
The White House said it was deeply concerned by initial reports of the incident and was monitoring the situation closely.
General John Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan, issued a statement pledging a "rapid and thorough investigation" into the shooting spree, and said the soldier will remain in US custody. » | Emma Graham-Harrison in Kabul | Sunday, March 11, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US soldier who killed villagers should be put on trial in Afghanistan, parliament demands: A US soldier who went on a shooting spree that killed 16 villagers in their homes should be put on public trial in Afghanistan, the parliament has said, as the Taliban vowed revenge. » | Monday, March 12, 2012
