Da-Chief
05-18-2007, 12:41
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Chief
Conway Condemns Afghanistan Apology
The top Marine Corps officer took issue Thursday with statements made by Army commanders in Afghanistan that appeared to find fault with Corps special operations troops involved in a friendly-fire incident March 4.
Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway told reporters May 17 the recent statement made by a top Army commander in Afghanistan that the civilian deaths were a "stain on our honor" and a "terrible, terrible mistake" wasn't appropriate and did not factor in the presumption of innocence every service member enjoys.
"I would just as soon that no one - in any chain of command - apologize or talk about 'terrible, terrible mistakes' or those types of wrong doings," Conway said. "I think he was premature to apologize."
The overall Army spec ops commander in the Middle East, Maj. Gen. Francis Kearney, kicked the first-to-deploy Marine Forces Special Operations Company out of Afghanistan (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,129997,00.html) a few weeks after the incident in Nangahar province, initiating an investigation of the unit's reaction to a roadside bomb ambush that ultimately left 12 civilians dead.
The unprecedented move sent the newly-formed Marine spec ops community into crisis mode, with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based command recalling six members of the unit back to headquarters and relieving the company commander and his senior enlisted advisor of their jobs.
The initial investigation by Kearney suggested the Marine spec ops troops' response was "out of proportion to the threat that was immediately there," a senior U.S. commander said in April.
Another official said the initial military investigation concluded that there was a "reasonable suspicion" the Marines violated the rules for the use of deadly force, and that crimes, possibly including homicide, may have been committed in the aftermath of the ambush.
Kearney deemed the initial evidence compelling enough to launch a Naval Criminal Investigative Service inquiry.
On May 9 (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,135088,00.html), Col. John Nicholson, commander of the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan said he had conveyed "apologies" to the Afghan victims' families, giving them about $2,000 each in payments for their loss.
"I stand before you today deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people," Nicholson told the Afghans in a statement. "This was a terrible, terrible mistake. ... We humbly and respectfully ask your forgiveness."
MarSoc held off on commenting about Nicholson's remarks, saying in a statement on its Web site "in the interest of preserving the presumption of innocence that all U.S. service members deserve when facing allegations of misconduct, we will not characterize the incident until we have all the facts."
Conway did not dispute the condolence payments, saying they are "a matter of course" when civilians suffer in the crossfire. But he did take issue with the quick call to judgment by outside commanders.
"Senior military officials don't talk about those things while they're under investigation," Conway explained. "Too much has already been said because they have not been adjudicated."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Chief
Conway Condemns Afghanistan Apology
The top Marine Corps officer took issue Thursday with statements made by Army commanders in Afghanistan that appeared to find fault with Corps special operations troops involved in a friendly-fire incident March 4.
Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway told reporters May 17 the recent statement made by a top Army commander in Afghanistan that the civilian deaths were a "stain on our honor" and a "terrible, terrible mistake" wasn't appropriate and did not factor in the presumption of innocence every service member enjoys.
"I would just as soon that no one - in any chain of command - apologize or talk about 'terrible, terrible mistakes' or those types of wrong doings," Conway said. "I think he was premature to apologize."
The overall Army spec ops commander in the Middle East, Maj. Gen. Francis Kearney, kicked the first-to-deploy Marine Forces Special Operations Company out of Afghanistan (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,129997,00.html) a few weeks after the incident in Nangahar province, initiating an investigation of the unit's reaction to a roadside bomb ambush that ultimately left 12 civilians dead.
The unprecedented move sent the newly-formed Marine spec ops community into crisis mode, with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based command recalling six members of the unit back to headquarters and relieving the company commander and his senior enlisted advisor of their jobs.
The initial investigation by Kearney suggested the Marine spec ops troops' response was "out of proportion to the threat that was immediately there," a senior U.S. commander said in April.
Another official said the initial military investigation concluded that there was a "reasonable suspicion" the Marines violated the rules for the use of deadly force, and that crimes, possibly including homicide, may have been committed in the aftermath of the ambush.
Kearney deemed the initial evidence compelling enough to launch a Naval Criminal Investigative Service inquiry.
On May 9 (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,135088,00.html), Col. John Nicholson, commander of the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan said he had conveyed "apologies" to the Afghan victims' families, giving them about $2,000 each in payments for their loss.
"I stand before you today deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people," Nicholson told the Afghans in a statement. "This was a terrible, terrible mistake. ... We humbly and respectfully ask your forgiveness."
MarSoc held off on commenting about Nicholson's remarks, saying in a statement on its Web site "in the interest of preserving the presumption of innocence that all U.S. service members deserve when facing allegations of misconduct, we will not characterize the incident until we have all the facts."
Conway did not dispute the condolence payments, saying they are "a matter of course" when civilians suffer in the crossfire. But he did take issue with the quick call to judgment by outside commanders.
"Senior military officials don't talk about those things while they're under investigation," Conway explained. "Too much has already been said because they have not been adjudicated."
The Associated Press contributed to this report