The Afghan View on US Soldier and Convicted Killer, Robert Bales
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales (L) and Judge Col. Jeffery Nance as seen in a courtroom sketch from earlier this year. (REUTERS/Peter Millett)
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales has been sentenced to life in military prison without the possibility of parole.
That’s the verdict of a military jury at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State.
Bales had admitted killing 16 unarmed Afghan civilians on March 11, 2012.
On that night, Bales left his military base, unauthorized and alone.
He raided two villages near Kandahar, killing everyone he came across: men, women and children.
Then he calmly returned to base.
Not surprisingly, his case has gotten a lot of attention in Afghanistan.
“It was indeed a very tragic incident and the Afghan people talk about it all the time,” says Lotfullah Najafizada.
Najafizada is Head of Current Affairs for Tolo News, Afghanistan’s first 24/7 news channel.
He says he expects people in Aghanistan will be satisfied with the maximum sentence handed down to Bales.
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!