U.S. soldier may face death penalty for Afghan shootingsMarch 13, 2012 - 13:38 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghans could be executed if convicted, the Pentagon chief said, as President Barack Obama warned a war-weary public against a rushed exit from Afghanistan. According to AFP, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters aboard his plane en route to Kyrgyzstan that the shooting suspect would be brought to justice under the U.S. military legal code, which allows for the death penalty in some cases. The U.S. army sergeant, who was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan after serving three tours in Iraq, left his base in Kandahar province before dawn Sunday, March 11 and went on a murderous rampage, Afghan and U.S. officials say. He is accused of breaking into village homes and opening fire, killing 16 people including women and children, in an incident that has imperilled Afghan-U.S. relations anew after the burning of Korans at a U.S. military base. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has described the shootings as "unforgivable," and the Afghan parliament declared that "people are running out of patience" over the behavior of the 130,000 U.S.-led NATO troops deployed in the country. The Taliban, leading a 10-year insurgency against the foreign troops and Karzai's government, threatened to take revenge against "sick-minded American savages." The parliament on Monday demanded that U.S. officials "punish the culprits and try them in a public trial before the people of Afghanistan," then closed for the day in protest. The massacre is the latest serious test of the U.S.-Afghan alliance as the two countries pursue difficult talks on securing a strategic pact to govern their partnership once foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |