A group of U.S. Army soldiers accused of killing unarmed Afghan civilians in cold blood did not act clandestinely as the Pentagon has implied but in plain view of their combat unit, Rolling Stone magazine reported on Monday.
The magazine said a review of Army investigative files showed the civilian killings were common knowledge among the soldiers’ unit of the 5th Stryker Brigade, contrary to the impression left by the Army’s criminal case that they were operating without the awareness of their commanders.
The article said questions were raised about the unit’s behavior within days of the first killing in January 2010, but the issue was dropped after the soldiers were interviewed again about the incident and told consistent stories. More.