塔利班誓言爲16名阿富汗平民復仇
The Taliban has vowed to seek revenge against what it called "American savages" after a U.S. Army sergeant went on an apparent shooting spree in southern Afghanistan, killing 16 Afghan villagers -- many of them children. U.S. and Afghan officials say the U.S. soldier walked off his base and attacked homes in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province early Sunday, shooting and killing civilians. Villagers say he set some of the bodies on fire. U.S.-forces stepped up security a day later, as the American embassy warned U.S. citizens in Afghanistan of the possibility of reprisals. The Taliban said Monday it would avenge the death of every Afghan who was Afghan parliament condemned the killings, urging the U.S. government to punish the culprits and put them on trial in a public court. Afghan lawmakers said Monday they have "run out of patience" with the lack of oversight of foreign solders.
The killings were the latest in a series of actions by international troops that have provoked outrage in Afghanistan. Last month, nearly 40 people were killed in deadly protests against the burning of Qurans at a U.S. spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said Monday the recent incidents are of grave concern. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded an explanation for attack, in which nine children and three women were killed. He said the act was "an intentional killing of innocent civilians that cannot be forgiven." U.S. President Barack Obama called the Afghan leader Sunday to extend his condolences to the Afghan people. He also issued a statement, saying the "tragic and shocking" incident "does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan." Mr. Obama said he stands behind Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's call for a quick investigation and his commitment to hold accountable anyone responsible.
NATO officials say the suspect, identified as U.S. Army staff sergeant from a unit based in Washington state, turned himself in following the early morning shooting rampage in Kandahar. Many witnesses have said there were several attackers, but U.S. officials say the soldier acted alone and then surrendered. U.S. military officials said the detained sergeant was married with children. They said he had served three tours in Iraq but was on his first Afghan deployment. Sunday's shooting in southern Afghanistan is likely to further fray Afghan-U.S. ties, just as U.S. and Afghan officials try to make progress on a strategic agreement outlining the U.S. role in Afghanistan after all American combat troops leave the country in 2014.塔利班誓言要報復“殘暴的美國人”。此前，一名美國陸軍中士在阿富汗南部大開殺戒，開槍打死16名阿富汗村民，其中很多是兒童。美國和阿富汗官員說，這名美國軍人星期天凌晨離開位於坎大哈省本傑瓦爾區的基地，進入住戶開槍射殺平民。村民說，這名軍人還將一些屍體點燃。美軍第二天加強了安全戒備，美國大使館警告在阿富汗的美國公民可能會遭到報復。塔利班星期一表示，將爲每一位被殺害的阿富汗人復仇。阿富汗議會譴責美軍殺害平民，敦促美國政府懲罰兇手，對他們進行公審。阿富汗議員星期一說，他們對外國軍人缺乏監管已經忍無可忍。
殺害平民事件是國際聯軍最近一系列令阿富汗人感到憤怒事件的最新一起。上月，有將近40人因抗議美軍基地內焚燒可蘭經而喪生。國際安全援助部隊發言人雅各布森准將星期一表示，最近的一系列事件令人嚴重關切。阿富汗總統卡爾扎伊要求美軍對襲擊事件做出解釋。事件中共有九名兒童和三名婦女被殺害。卡爾扎伊說，這是“故意殺害無辜平民，不可原諒。”美國總統奧巴馬星期天給卡爾扎伊一致電，傳達他對阿富汗人民的慰問。他還發表一份聲明，稱這一“令人震驚的悲劇事件並不能代表我們軍隊傑出的品質，以及美國對阿富汗人民的尊重。”奧巴馬說，他支持美國國防部長帕內塔要求迅速調查此事、並追究任何有關人員責任的立場。
北約官員說，嫌疑人是來自華盛頓州一個小分隊的陸軍中士，他在坎大哈省開槍行兇後已經自首。很多目擊者說，看到幾名襲擊者，但美國官員說這名軍人單獨行動，並且隨後投降。星期天在阿富汗南部發生的這起槍殺阿富汗平民的事件很有可能進一步損害阿富汗同美國的關係，這正值美國和阿富汗官員努力在達成一份戰略合作協議上取得進展之際。這份協議將概述全部美國作戰部隊2014年撤離阿富汗後美國在阿富汗扮演的角色。
