Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton should be held accountable for the Panjwai massacre
Posted on March 18th, 2012

Ajit Randeniya

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Panjwai massacreƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in Afghanistan last week by an American Army Staff Sergeant named Robert Bales, and possibly others, came in the wake of a string of war crimes committed by US troops there, including the burning of Qurans, Marines urinating on dead Afghan bodies, and murder of civilians by soldiers formed in to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”kill unitsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Washington so far has offered the civilised world nothing other than the usual deluge of predictable outpourings of feigned sympathies and promises ofƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ investigationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢: Obama phoned the Afghan puppet Hamid Karzai and offered condolences and described that the massacre as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-outrageous and unacceptableƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. He assured that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We will follow the facts wherever they lead us and we will make sure that anybody who is involved is held fully accountable with the full force of the law.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton whose day job appears to involve going around the world forcefully demanding accountability from leaders of other countries including Sri Lanka, said: “this is not who we are, and the United States is committed to seeing that those responsible are held accountable”.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Defence Secretary Leon Panetta called the shooting an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-isolated eventƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and went on to moralise: “War is hell. These kinds of events and incidents are going to take place; they’ve taken place in any war. They’re terrible events. And this is not the first of those events, and it probably won’t be the last” he said.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All such outpourings of sorrow and regret appeared contrived and disingenuous in view of the familiar refrain associated with every one of them that the US mission in Afghanistan would stay ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”on courseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ despite the abominable massacre. The neocon haven, the US Congress affirmed the same intention, with the senile John McCain and neocon Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry stridently announcing their determination not to pull-out the troops.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Having carried out the chore of reading the hollow media statements crafted by his neocon minders, Obama quickly got on to the busy task of unrolling the Red Carpet for the fellow war monger, David Cameron: the British Prime Minister was in town to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”keep upƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”special relationshipƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ while the poor Afghan villagers who lost their families were wallowing in the misery created by his policies

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Well, enough of empty words from Obama, Clinton, Cameron and other war mongers. There needs to be an end to this criminal hypocrisy. Time has come for the (real) international community to hold Obama and Clinton accountable: after all, they just need to be asked to look down at their own toes and they will find the culprits! As a lasting remedy that will prevent the recurrence of such massacres, the UN Security Council needs to compel the US and other foreign armies to leave Afghanistan immediately.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s disingenuous outpourings of grief was followed by a series of actions that cast doubt on the sincerity of his intentions, and that anything resembling justice (which is meaningless anyway after such horrendous loss of life) is going to be served to the poor Afghans.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As an example, the Afghan assertion based on eye witness evidence that more than one killer was involved in carrying out the killings was ignored despite KarzaiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s dismissal of the video ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”evidenceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ produced by the US Army to prove it was a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”lone gun manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, as unconvincing; Afghan demands for the trying of the suspect in Afghanistan was similarly disregarded.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Gen. John Allen, the US and NATO commander in Afghanistan insisted that the alleged criminal will be investigated by American military authorities and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the outcome will be in accordance with US lawƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The alleged killer has already been secretly moved, in a hurry, to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: according to the Defence Department spokesman Capt. John Kirby the suspect was moved on the legal recommendation of the command’s lawyer.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The outcomes of previous military trials of US troops who have committed war crimes suggest that any such trial would likely be the inverse of a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”show trialƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. None of the eight Marines Charged in the notorious 2005 Haditha massacre of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians has been convicted of murder or even manslaughter: six had their cases dropped in exchange for their testimony against the other two; one was acquitted previously and on January 24, 2012, and nine counts of manslaughter against the eighth, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, were dropped for a plea of guilty to a single count of negligent dereliction of duty! The military judge Lt. Col. David Jones recommended a maximum sentence of just three months to Wutrerich.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The result of the court martials of those accused of the Haditha massacre has been compared to that of the 1968 My Lai massacre in the Vietnam War, of over 500 unarmed civilians: 26 US soldiers were charged but only one was convicted of killing 22 villagers; he was given a sentence of three and a half years, under house arrest on a military base. Similarly, the US Army has dismissed all charges against the last of five soldiers to face a court-martial in the slaying of 10 unarmed Afghan civilians in February 2010. Some justice!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The American excuse of a lone gunman going off the rails in Panjwai ignores the obvious impact of the well-known use of psychological desensitisation and conditioning techniques by the US and British armies: the process started as far back as the late 1940s following the report of the official US historian of the second world war, SLA Marshall, in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Men Against FireƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (1947) that nearly 75% of combat troops deliberately aimed their guns over the heads of the enemy due to their inability to kill the enemy. An intensive desensitising program reduced the figure to 55% by the time of the Korean War in 1953, and by Vietnam, up to 90% were able to fire on the enemy: the result was achieved through the adoption of training techniques designed to dehumanise the troops in order to prepare them to kill more easily.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The current generation of armed force recruits have grown up on a steady diet of violent films and video games that make violence look and feel ordinary even before they enlist. They then undergo military training arranged to simulate a killing environment along the lines of Americans and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”bad guysƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (who are usually dark skinned and eastern in appearance). Trainee soldiers these days shoot at dummies made to look as much like people as possible; the act of killing is continually rehearsed to achieve perfection. Like Robert Bales, some are deployed repeatedly in the same or different theatres of war, in some cases forcibly, despite their complaints of mental and physical fatigue suffered during previous stints.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The armed forces in the US, UK and in Australia face serious recruitment problems due to the younger generations ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”waking upƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to the hidden agendas of the shadow governments (not the elected ones) in their countries. The armed forces andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the intelligence agencies are trying to address the situation by intensifying their efforts to psychologically influence the young through movies, cartoon, video games, and increasingly through social media.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Kony 2012ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, a 30-minute video posted on You tube by a shadowy group, interestingly named ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Invisible ChildrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is one such fraud geared towards high school and college students. In the video, Jason Russell (33) talks to his young son Gavin about the notorious Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, glorifying a non-existent American moral mission to rid the world of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”bad guysƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. At one point the little boy describes his dadƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s job as: “You stop the bad guys from being mean.” At conclusion Russell says, “At the end of my life I want to say that the world we left behind is one Gavin can be proud of.” Gavin replies: “I’m going to be like you dad. I’m going to come with you to Africa.”

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Internet is full of information that reveals the inaccuracies contained in the video, and who is behind its production. But that is the sort of attempt they make to brainwash the young. Disturbingly, less than two weeks after the video’s smashing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”successƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, the co-founder of the Invisible Children group is hospitalised following police detention in Pacific Beach for being drunk and masturbating in public; looks like the pressure got to him!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The accused soldier Robert Bales is typical of a generation that has been exposed to such ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”hogwashƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ from early childhood: apparently grew up in Ohio where he worked as a financial adviser before enlisting with the US Army within a week of the WTC events of 2001, on the belief that he had to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”stand upƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for America. He has received training as an infantry sniper to fire fatal shots from up to 800 meters away, and has been based at the notorious Lewis-McChord base near Seattle where most of the soldiers who have committed war crimes have come from. He has been on three tours of Iraq, has suffered injuries, described by a former platoon leader as a soldier “who prided himself on identifying the bad guys from non-combatants”.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are clear indications that the promised court martial or other form of military trial in the US is going to be designed to extricate the killer. It is likely to be argued that the accused does not have the mental capacity to stand trial: the media and the public have already been ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”softened upƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ through revelations that he was treated for traumatic brain injury suffered in a vehicle rollover in 2010 during a previous deployment in Iraq. A Pentagon official has quipped: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-When it all comes out, it will be a combination of stress, alcohol and domestic issues – he just snapped.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Though his crime is clearly unpardonable, it needs to be remembered that what is referred to as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”justiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in cases like this is closer to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”revengeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ rather than justice: serving whatever punishment on Bales, even death sentence, will only be an ineffective treatment of the symptom of a deep rooted malaise. The killer Robert Bales himself is just another victim from a population of veterans who has suffered irreparable physical incapacitation and debilitating mental trauma in meaningless combat in faraway lands.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The accountability should lie with the civilian leadership of the immoral military industrial complex who commits the lives of young soldiers in pursuit of their hegemonic aims. The real problem is that the US government and its armed forces have been captured by the neocons hell-bent on using their geopolitical aims using the might of American weapons.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What emerged last week was a morality story for a nation whose power base has been captured and corrupted by the neocon network that is dealing in an irrational and self-destructive brand of ideology based on military might and long drawn out wars against sovereignty of other nations.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For more than two years, opinion polls have been clearly indicating that the American public are against the Afghan war: this was again confirmed in a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on the day of the massacre, but conducted before the news broke: 65 per cent of Americans see the war as not worth its costs (that have exceeded $500 billion so far); according to the same poll, a majority of Americans believe that the Afghans oppose the NATO-led military occupation and the US should withdraw troops whether or not the Afghan army is able to stand on its own.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But in this land of the self-proclaimed guardians of human rights and democracy worldwide, American public opinion or Afghan lives are simply irrelevant: itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s all in the name of the surreptitious neocon wish to rule the realm.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Accountability for Robert BalesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ crimes should stop at ObamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s feet because he is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the civilian leader who willingly expanded and redefined the militarised occupation of Afghanistan as a frontal assault on al-Qaida: he is keeping around 90000 US troops in Afghanistan following the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”surgeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. It is essentially Obama’s war. Obama should be charged at the International Criminal Court (ICC), disregarding any immunity arising from the American non-signing of the Rome Statute.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The civilised world demands it.

5 Responses to “Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton should be held accountable for the Panjwai massacre”

  1. AnuD Says:

    They have proved so many times, if one had money, he can win any court case.

    What happened to the “Chandra Levy” murder case by the Senator ?

  2. mj.williammartin Says:

    Yes, Both Hillary and Obama should be charged and Why?
    Both of these have SENT… Caused to BE deployed for the 4th Time after confirmed PTSD from prior action in the field and Vehicle Accident.
    Like the Sheriff said, of the constant ATF Scandal[s] Operation Fast & Furious, Operation Castaway and now another… Operation “White Gun.” That those who place “Gun’s” in the hands of those that Murder, “We call them Accomplice’s” and are charged Equally by law as if they too PULLED THE TRIGGER!

    It is high time that the TREASON from the White House comes to a abrupt STOP! This path of constant Regime Change and Yes, That old fool in Afghanistan was one of Bush’s UNOCAL buddies. Then Iraq, Then Libya while calling Col. Gaddafi a “Evil Dictator” the U.N. Last March was about to hand that evil dictator a Human Right’s award. Question, Do they give Human Rights awards to Evil Dictator’s or did the White House LIE yet again.

    Hillary admits the USA made the Al Qaeda, The CIA also admits they made the Al Qaeda. Then Joe Biden say’s and confirmed by the White House that the Taliban aren’t Enemies of the USA. So tell that to the Families of the Seal Team 6 Shot down by a Taliban RPG.

    This continued Foreign Policy of Regime Change is going to spark WWIII. Next is Syria and then Iran. All at the Orders of the Zionist’s. As Netenyahu say’s, “We would RATHER have the United States attack Iran as the back wash will not be so bad for Israel.” Translated that means More American BLOOD in the Sands rather then Jewish Blood. And THEY are the one’s Hyping the Lie, that OUT RIGHT LIE that Ahmadinejad NEVER SAID, about wiping Israel off the map. They the Iranians also want Regime Change.. But in Israel.

    You might consider this, Why? Germany’s History 1924 was all the Banks controlled all Money and Commerce in Germany. While Stores like MACY’S in the USA all Boycotted all German Goods. Then New York imploded the German Currency and MILLIONS lost everything. Ten’s of Thousands Starved to DEATH.

    The United States TODAY is following the Exact same footprint of Germany from 1924-1933 Including the Killing of it’s OWN CITIZENS, The NDAA and now the New Executive Order of the 112 that the Dictator Obama has Signed. To now Seize all United States FOOD, WATER, Citizens Vehicles and so on and on for a PEACE TIME “Martial Law” as the Zionist Banks have Imploded Our Economy too. Where Millions lost Homes and all Credit and the Banks continued to receive Bailouts.

    Someday, Yes Someday the People WILL wake up.
    I am happy to say that MANY of the Sheriff’s in this Country HAVE and so have the Oath Keepers in our Armed Services. May God bless them all.

  3. mj.williammartin Says:

    I forgot to add, That the majority of ALL Soldiers are so pumped full of Anti-Depressant’s that also BIG PHARMA should also be Charged in the Mental Mind Twisting of our Soldiers, If those who came back from Viet Nam were so OUT OF IT, And in Iraq there were more SUICIDES then Deaths caused from Battle. Yes, They Forced these boys into a Perpetual SERVICE with NO END. As this Government’s FBI runs around giving Bombs to Terrorist’s THEY CREATED to keep this War on Terror going and going and going.

    The War on Drugs is a HOAX also as our Soldiers are hooked on the PRODUCT they are FORCED to Grow Opium and Heroin for the Afghan People as it is their WAY OF LIFE. How Sweet. Here Growing Drugs is a CRIME yet A-OK in Afghanistan?

    The Continued FAILED Foreign Policy of this Country is drawing Targets on the Back’s of ALL American’s as People WILL get even for the constant Droning to death of their Family Members and again.. Without Proof. No Trials Nothing. The Same that they want for American’s. Leave your Cell Phones OFF because I bet the Government will use them for the Drones to HOME IN ON…. BOOM!

  4. Christie Says:

    Looks like I am the only person who sees India behind this resolution.

    Finally India has come out to say they will support US.

    Or is it the sacred bull behind it.

    Let us se who is behind this resolution.

    The resolution is brought in by the Us supported by UK and Norway etc. Its is a shame the Conservatives have capitulated to Indians. How much will th Pound be if not for the Indians and Indian colonial parasitism?

    Finally India has come out saying it will support the resolution if it meets what India wants.

    I am sure it was drafted by Indians either in the US or the UNHCR or India.

    No one has heard about war crimes committed by India in Kashmir.

  5. Rohan8 Says:

    Ajith Randeniya believes in a shadow government so do I. Let me also tell you that the Shadow government is centred in England. United States doesn’t run England. England runs America. England get America do its dirty work for the British Empire which is to dominate the world. If you want to know where all the problems of the world stem from it stems from England. Everyone should focus on what the British are upto because that is where all the problems of the world stem from.

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