So I am hearing today that the soldier who massacred 16 people in Afghanistan is being shipped back to our nation in order to stand trial. I think this is probably the dumbest thing that our government could have done, even though it is probably standard protocol for the “enlightened” nations of the west.
This soldier has committed an act of murder in a foreign nation. We have always been willing to let regular US citizens stand trial in foreign nations for crimes they commit based on the judicial processes of those nations. Why should we treat this soldier any differently when he was clearly not acting on the orders of the United States government?
Oh right. He was a soldier in a warzone, although technically the nation he was operating in is supposed to be our ally.
This whole incident reveals the contempt we truly have for Afghanistan and the government that we propped up. We gave them democracy at the end of a gun and then we flaunt their own system when we choose to. And we are supposed to be surprised and outraged when they riot in the streets over a Koran burning?
The truth of the matter is, we need to turn this man over to Afghan authorities to be tried for murder in an Afghan court system, whatever that may be. He will probably be found guilty and executed for his crimes.
Now, I am not saying that Afghani judicial process is superior to ours nor am I saying that it will be a fair hearing in comparison to our own. That is not the point of this. The point of this is that this man murdered 16 Afghani people, including women and children, in cold blood. Therefore, the people of Afghanistan are the avengers of blood and should be allowed to bring justice for their lost people.
Whatever his reasons for doing so are irrelevant. Temporary insanity is irrelevant. People are dead in a foreign nation and they are being denied the true justice that they deserve. I don’t care how fair their system is nor do I care that he will probably be executed within a year of being turned over to the Afghan authorities.
The fact remains, he committed a serious crime in a foreign nation and should have to account for it.