Army Condemns Photos of Troops with Dead Civilians

Reuters reports:

Germany's Der Spiegel magazine published pictures on Monday of American troops posing over the bloodied body of a man it said had been killed illegally in Afghanistan, drawing an apology from the U.S. army.

The magazine said one of the pictures showed a smiling Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, who agreed last month to plead guilty to murder charges and testify against his co-defendants in a court martial, according to his lawyer. [ID:nN27254117]

In a statement, the U.S. army said the photos depicted "actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army".

"We apologize for the distress these photos cause," said the statement issued through the U.S. embassy in Berlin.

Morlock is one of five soldiers charged with murdering three Afghan villagers whose killings were allegedly staged to look like legitimate combat casualties.

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