US trooper admits to mass killing of Afghan civilians

A US trooper involved in the mass killing of Afghan civilians in southern Afghanistan in March has admitted to his crimes for the first time before a military court in the United States.

Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, who was accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers, including nine children, in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province on March 11, faces 16 counts of murder, six of attempted murder, seven of assault, two of using drugs, and one of drinking alcohol on duty.

Bales is the only American soldier charged over the killings. However, witnesses and an Afghan fact-finding mission have said that at least 20 troops were involved in the slaughter.

Bales’ hearing started on Monday and is expected to last for two weeks.

“It’s bad, really bad,” prosecutor Joseph Morse quoted Bales as saying after admitting to the crimes.

“He was lucid, he was coherent, he was responsive,” Morse said.