Home > Afghanistan: Cleared of Wrongdoing
Wars and conflicts International USA
by Sarah Meyer
Mr. Nawab Buntangyar was shot in the face / head by an American soldier in Afghanistan. The case focused not on the murdered Afghan’s plight but on the `procedures’, And, so, yet another American has been let off the hook for murder.
Mr Nawab Buntangyar’s murder in Afghanistan was brought to my attention through an article by Robert Parry, George Bush’s Thug Nation. “According to evidence emerging from a military court hearing at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, US Special Forces are empowered to kill individuals who have been designated “enemy combatants,” even if they are unarmed and present no visible threat.
The hearing involves two Special Forces soldiers who took part in the cold-blooded execution of an Afghani who was suspected of leading an insurgent group. Though the Afghani, identified as Nawab Buntangyar, responded to questions and offered no resistance when encountered on Oct. 13, 2006, he was shot dead by Master Sgt. Troy Anderson on orders from his superior officer, Capt. Dave Staffel.
Mr Parry then continues the story of Mr. Buntangyar’s murder.
Parry then notes: “However, the greater significance of the case is its confirmation that the US chain of command, presumably up to President Bush, has approved standing orders that allow the US military to assassinate suspected militants on sight.
In effect, these orders have reestablished what was known during the Vietnam War as Operation Phoenix, a program that assassinated Vietcong cadre, including suspected communist political allies. “
Here are more stories on “legal sparring’ in the NY Times.