Errol Morris on Soldiers Posing With Dead Civilians

The Takeaway

The world has been shocked by three photographs released by German magazine Der Spiegel. The photos depict dead civilians in Afghanistan and U.S. Soldiers who are accused of killing them for sport.  Part of a self-designated “Kill Team,” the soldiers appear to be making fun of their victims. In one, a soldier smiles as he holds up the head of a civilian corpse. In another, two dead civilians appear to be tied at the wrists.  The U.S. Army has released a statement calling the soldiers’ actions “repugnant,” and assuring the public that prosecution is underway.  But will this be enough to stem the tide of what appears to be another Abu Ghraib? Filmmaker Errol Morris is familiar with this issue. Winner of the Oscar for “Fog of War,” he also directed the critically acclaimed documentary about Abu Ghraib “Standard Operating Procedure.”
  

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