A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians last year in a night-time attack on a village, will not face the death penalty after his lawyers confirmed he would plead guilty.
US Staff Sgt. Robert Bales’s lawyer, John Browne, announced,
"Today we announced that we reached an agreement with the military to take the death penalty off the table if he will plead... And then he'll have a sentencing trial in September to determine whether he can get life with parole or whether he will get life without parole".
The news angered relatives of the victims, with one family member, Baraan Noorzia, stating,
“This is a shameful act by the Americans. They promised us the death penalty, and now they are going back on their word”.
Another man, Mohammed Wazir, who lost 11 family members killed that night, including his mother and 2-year-old daughter, heatedly stated,
“For this one thing, we would kill 100 American soldiers”.
Yet another relative, Said Jan, added,
“A prison sentence doesn’t mean anything... I know we have no power now. But I will become stronger, and if he does not hang, I will have my revenge.”
No US service member has been executed in more than 50 years.
In November last year Wazir spoke to the Spiegel, where he stated,
"We want to see this man hang,... I won't speak his name, I don't want to dirty my mouth. I would like to hang him myself. I'll go to America to the Mahkama [court], to the great court, to see him hang. Then my heart will be calm."
See his comments here.
The US military attempted to pay compensation to the victims’ families in March 2012. Agha Lalai, a member of the Kandahar provincial council, commented at the time,
“We are grateful to the United States government for its help with the grieved families. But this cannot be counted as compensation for the death.
Another relative of the dead said,
“I want no compensation, from no one.
I don't want Hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca], I don't want money, I don't want a villa inAino Mina [a posh neighbourhood in Kandahar city],
I just want the punishment of the Americans. I want it, I want it, I want it. And I have laid down my own head in god's will. And if that is not possible, god be with you, I am leaving right now.”
