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Robert Bales to face murder charges over Afghan massacre | Robert Bales to face murder charges over Afghan massacre |
(40 minutes later) | |
A US soldier suspected of killing civilians in Afghanistan will be charged with 17 counts of murder, Pentagon officials have told the BBC. | A US soldier suspected of killing civilians in Afghanistan will be charged with 17 counts of murder, Pentagon officials have told the BBC. |
Staff Sgt Robert Bales is accused of attacking the villagers in their homes in Kandahar province on 11 March. Most victims were women and children. | |
Sgt Bales, 38, was later moved to a military prison in the US after being transported from Afghanistan to Kuwait. | |
He could face the death penalty if convicted. | |
'No evidence' | |
Sgt Bales would also be charged with six counts of assault and attempted murder, a Pentagon official told the BBC. | |
The soldier is the only known suspect in the killings - despite repeated Afghan assertions that more than one American was involved. | |
He is being held in solitary confinement at a military detention centre in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. | |
His lawyer, who has played down reports that his client was drunk on the night of the killings, said earlier this week he remembers "very little" of the incident. | His lawyer, who has played down reports that his client was drunk on the night of the killings, said earlier this week he remembers "very little" of the incident. |
John Henry Brown also said there was "no forensic evidence" against Staff Sgt Robert Bales and "no confession". | |
The case has undermined US relations with Kabul and led to calls for Nato to speed up its planned withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. | The case has undermined US relations with Kabul and led to calls for Nato to speed up its planned withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. |
Sgt Bales' trial could take years, contrasting with Afghan demands for swift and decisive justice. | |
The Taliban called off peace talks in the wake of the deadly rampage. | |