The Kill Team
March 27, 2011
How U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan murdered innocent civilians and mutilated their corpses – and how their officers failed to stop them. Plus: an exclusive look at the war crime photos censored by the Pentagon | Full Story »
Videos
'Death Zone'
How U.S. soldiers turned a night-time airstrike into a chilling “music video”
'Motorcycle Kill'
Footage of an Army patrol gunning down two men in Afghanistan
About The Story
Donald Rumsfeld Weighs In
Calls the revelations 'much worse' than Abu Ghraib, because 'people were actually killed'
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Rolling Stone Editor Unveils the Kill Team Investigation
Eric Bates says Army officers could have stopped the killing but chose to look away -
Glenn Beck's Insane Rolling Stone Conspiracy Theory
It's all a plot to undermine the Libya intervention -
President Hamid Karzai Condemns 'Kill Team' War Crimes
Says world has to 'finally wake up' -
Pentagon Apologizes for Photos
In wake of RS report, promises to 'relentlessly pursue the truth, no matter where it leads'
Comments & Opinions
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King David’s War
Gen. Petraeus has a new plan to end the war – with cash, killing, and plenty of spin
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The Runaway General
The Rolling Stone profile of Stanley McChrystal that changed history
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Arms and the Dudes
How two stoner kids became big-time arms dealers – until the Pentagon turned on them
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Another Runaway General
How the Army deployed psy-ops on U.S. senators
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Inside the Taliban
A 2008 journey into insurgent-controlled Afghanistan
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Osama's Prodigal Son
From Tora Bora to a Syrian strip club, the dark, twisted journey of Omar bin Laden
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The Insurgent's Tale
Rolling Stone's 2005 profile of a jihadist reconsidering the cause
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Plenty of Hell
As the war began, Evan Wright embedded with the troops in Afghanistan
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Join the ConversationWhile it cannot be denied that this is an atrocity, it should be noted that most soliders I know are not this cruel, heartless and vile. I work closely with mostly cadets. Every one of them is kind, patriotic and respects Army protocol. These men's actions donnot in any way reflect the whole of our troops. We would be dumb to not condemn these men and fix the system, but let us be careful not to stereotype our entire military.
Elizabeth Garcia
via RS Comments
As a veteran, I can tell you that these weren't soldiers. They were murderous thugs wearing a uniform. A court-martial and a 24 year prison sentence is too light.
Michael Allen Powell
via Twitter
To call this reprehensible is an understatement. There is never an excuse for intentionally killing innocent civilians. But almost as tragic as this is all of the good things that our troops have done are wiped away by the actions of a few fools.
Ted Sumrall
via RS Comments
So this is how we "get Bin Laden?" No --this is how we make two, three...many Bin Ladens. Time to get out of Afghanistan. We've inflicted enough revenge 9-11's on innocent people. This is how American moral stature in the world is destroyed. This is a national disgrace.
Time Machinist
via RS Comments
The U.S. Military has these soldiers on 2-4 tours of duty. We have turned [them] into killing machines without remorse. Many have become psychotic. Up to 33%... are on painkillers, antidepressants and more. Up to 35% are returning with PTSD and/or TBI. Our military has been broken and command and control is falling apart.
Mark O'Brien
via email
I don't know what's more disgusting -- what this rogue band of murderers did, or all the people defending their actions. What they did is so barbaric and wrong, that to defend it is to give up one's humanity.
Vivek Saxena
via RS Comments