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, checks a motor bike at a temporary check point after a suicide attacker on a motorbike blew himself up, killing one policeman and a civilian in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, May 23.','pp'))
A British soldier, part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), checks a motor bike at a temporary check point after a suicide attacker on a motorbike blew himself up, killing one policeman and a civilian in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, May 23.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Investigators found convincing evidence of a suicide-bombing, along with spent ammunition thought to have been fired by the enemy, at the site in Afghanistan where gun fire from members of an elite U.S. Marine unit killed civilians, according to a secret military police report The Examiner obtained Wednesday.
The discoveries, which were made 40 minutes after the incident, could be a significant factor in the Marines' defense in an ongoing criminal investigation, a source close to the probe said.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous because he was discussing a classified document, said the evidence proves the first special operations unit ever deployed by the Marines was under attack at the time it returned fire. The Afghan government says 10 civilians were killed.
Some eyewitnesses have expressed doubt that any Taliban ambushers fired on the Marines last March 4 in Nangarhar Province, near the Pakistan border. ?fghans accuse the Marines of firing at civilians indiscriminately as they sped away after the bomb blast. The Marines contend they returned enemy fire.
An Army officer in Afghanistan issued a formal apology for the deaths. That brought a rebuke last week from Gen. James Conway, the Marine commandant.
"I think he was premature to apologize, in that there is an investigation ongoing to determine what happened," Conway said. "I will just assume that no one at this point, in any chain of command, apologize or talk about terrible, terrible mistakes or those types of wrongdoings. I think it's just premature."
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai personally complained to the U.S. command about the civilian deaths.
Shortly afterward, the U.S. military recalled the entire 120-man company, which is based at Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
A member of the 66th Military Police Company wrote the one-page classified document after it secured the scene.
The report said police found a 120-yard "blast radius from the blast site. The SVBIED [suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device] detonated in the east bound lane. The body of the vehicle was disintegrated due to the blast .... A person was found approximately 50 [meters] from the blast site with no head or limbs. Individual may have been in close proximity of SVBIED when the blast occurred."
No Marine was killed.
The report also said police found casings along the roadside, including 7.62 shells, which are used in AK-47 assault rifles, the Taliban's primary firearm.
The military police report also said, "Thirteen mortar bases were found near the blast site." The source said this indicates that the Taliban had set up a base near the road.
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Comments from Examiner Readers
12:57 PM MST on Mon., Jun. 4, 2007 re: "Marines who killed civilians were attacked"
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3:05 PM MST on Thu., May. 24, 2007
re: "Marines who killed civilians were attacked"
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Remote.Medic said:
I work in the Khost area of Afghanistan, this is an area that is huge sympathetic to the Taliban and given its proximity to Pakistan an area of major weapons and insurgent trafficking, so I totally understand what happens when the proverbable hits the fan. It is obvious this decision to 'damn' these Marines was taken at a much higher level... 'State Weenies' to appease and supplicate the sensitives of the Afghan policticians, but isn't this always the way, not only must our military bear the brunt of the war they also have to become scapegoats for weak and power hungry politicians who will sell them for 'polictical expediency' Maybe the Turks have it right, they don't trust any politician, they are the protectors of the constitution. Now we need an investigation into who authorized this Col, and General to make a statement of admittion of guilt prior to the conclusion of a formal investigation then a charge of 'Subversion of a formal investigation' or such like indictment.
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Examiner Reader said:
The New York Times, LA Times etc. have had a feast calling these Marines murderers of "innocent" civilians. If there were thirteen mortar bases found near the blast site indicating that the Taliban had set up a base near the road, how likely were any of these "innocent" civilians. Did the Army General who ordered the Marines out of Afghanistan have a copy of this report? Will he be held accountable??????? What he has done, along with the Colonal who apologized so profusely and paid blood money to these "innocent" Taliban, was embolden the enemy. Disgraceful
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