Panetta: Death penalty possible in Afghan shooting

ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the death penalty is a consideration as the military moves to investigate and possibly put on trial a U.S. soldier suspected of gunning down 16 Afghans.

In his first public remarks on the incident, Panetta said Monday the shootings must not derail the military mission in Afghanistan, and pressure to do so from political leaders in Kabul and Washington must not alter that course.

He said the U.S. seems to get confronted every other day with challenges that test U.S. leadership and its commitment to the mission.

Panetta shed little light on what may have triggered the weekend massacre, but said officials will use the military justice system, and that capital punishment is possible.

He spoke with reporters traveling with him to Kyrgyzstan on Monday.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes