Accused Soldier to Face US Court, Lawyer Vows to Put 'Afghan War on Trial'

March 21, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

John Henry Browne, the lawyer defending US soldier Sergeant Robert Bales who is accused of killing 16 Afghan civliians in a shooting spree, says there is little hard evidence against his client. Browne vowed that if the case does go to court, there will be more than just Bales in the dock: "I think the war is on trial, I think the war should be on trial, and I'm hoping the war will be on trial." Browne also says Sergeant Robert Bales cannot remember much about the night of the shooting. Formal charges are expected in the next few days, but the case could take up to two years to get to court. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports from Washington, DC.

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Robert Bales

United States Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, age 38, is the primary suspect in the murder of 16 Afghan civilians on March 11, 2012 in the Panjwai District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He was taken into custody by US military authorities a... Explore this topic

Panjwai shooting spree

The Panjwaye shooting spree occurred in the early morning of Sunday, 11 March 2012, when 16 civilians were killed and five wounded in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Some corpses were partially burned. The dead included 11 members from one family. A United States Army sergeant... Explore this topic

Afghanistan War

สงครามอัฟกานิสถาน เริ่มขึ้นเมื่อวันที่ 7 ตุลาคม พ.ศ. 2544 เมื่อกองทัพสหรัฐอเมริกา สหราชอาณาจักร ออสเตรเลียเครือจักรภพ และพันธมิตรฝ่ายเหนือเริ่มปฏิบัติการเสรีภาพยั่งยืน แรงขับสำคัญของการรุกรานมาจากวินาศกรรม 11 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2544 ต่อสหรัฐอเมริกา โดยมีเป้าหมายแถลงไว้ว่า เพื่อทำลาย... Explore this topic

John Henry Browne

John Henry Browne is an American criminal defense attorney practicing in Seattle, Washington. Browne is known for both his zeal in defending his clients and his flair for garnering media attention. He has represented defendants in a number of high-profile cases, including seri... Explore this topic

Kandahar Province

Kandahar / is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country next to Pakistan. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan in the north and Zabul Province in the east. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on t... Explore this topic

Afghanistan

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked sovereign state forming part of South Asia, Central Asia, and to some extent Western Asia. It has a population of around 30 million inhabiting an area of approximately 647,500 km², making it the 42nd ... Explore this topic

US Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services. The modern army has its roots in the C... Explore this topic

Shooting

Shooting is the act or process of firing firearms or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets, and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman. Shooting can take place in a shooting range ... Explore this topic

Trial

In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, which may occur before a judge, jury, or other designated tr... Explore this topic

Panjwai district

Panjwayi is a district in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. It is located about 35 kilometres west of Kandahar city. The district borders Helmand Province to the southwest, Maywand District to the west, Zharay District to the north, ... Explore this topic

Also See

Robert Bales

Panjwai shooting spree

Afghanistan War