# The Kill Team Photos (WARNING: EXTREMELY DISTURBING) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328 "2011-03-28T23:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/1 "2011-03-28T23:57:10Z")
[Hearts and minds](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/photos/the-kill-team-photos-20110327/0602176), people. Hearts and minds. More specifically, if you shoot an innocent civilian through the heart AND the mind, chances are there won’t be enough left over for his relatives to identify. This is cold, brutal mass murder, and the Pentagon would love to bury it. (The two-click rule should be satisfied on this, but be warned: you don’t want to see what some US soldiers are doing in Afghanistan.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/2 "2011-03-29T00:11:48Z")
Do you want to give a basic summary? No need to get graphic with the pictures, but a bit of background in an OP helps. This could be the most outrageous thing on the planet, but the OP is a meh at best. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/3 "2011-03-29T00:19:55Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Do you want to give a basic summary? No need to get graphic with the pictures, but a bit of background in an OP helps. This could be the most outrageous thing on the planet, but the OP is a meh at best. I think the OP is quite enough. It gives all the relevant information. Innocent civilians. US soldiers. Afghanistan. Murder. Pentagon cover-up. What else do you want? Either you’ll take a look at what I linked, or not. If not, :shrug:. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/4 "2011-03-29T00:20:15Z")
I took the hit for the team. It’s a link to Rolling Stone, which has a collection of photos of US soldiers posing with corpses of what appear to be Afghan civilians. Accompanying text states that the photos were trophies, and that an army unit was killing civilians, to include children, and taking various trophies, fingers, etc. and posing with their dead and in many cases mutilated or fragmented bodies. Several soldiers are mentioned by name. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/5 "2011-03-29T00:23:20Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > I took the hit for the team. It’s a link to Rolling Stone, which has a collection of photos of US soldiers posing with corpses of what appear to be Afghan civilians. Accompanying text states that the photos were trophies, and that an army unit was killing civilians, to include children, and taking various trophies, fingers, etc. and posing with their dead and in many cases mutilated or fragmented bodies. Several soldiers are mentioned by name. That, unfortunately, is not all. Everyone knows that atrocities happen in wartime. When the Pentagon > [@](#): > > went to extraordinary measures to suppress the photos, launching a massive effort to find every file and pull the pictures out of circulation before they could touch off a scandal on the scale of Abu Ghraib , then we have a bigger problem. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/6 "2011-03-29T00:39:51Z")
I try not to look at or even follow this sort of stuff because seriously, that shit is depressing. I think the last time I read up on something like this was several years ago when some of our guys shot two pregnant Afghan women to death and then they dug the bullets out with knives and blamed it on insurgents. They eventually got found out, but I dunno what kind of repercussions they faced. How many people this time? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/7 "2011-03-29T02:07:57Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Do you want to give a basic summary? A volunteer army, short on the manpower necessary to drive our leaders’ military adventures, ends up letting in unsavory recruits who murder civilians (including children) and pose with them like they’re trophy bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/8 "2011-03-29T02:14:20Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I try not to look at or even follow this sort of stuff because seriously, that shit is depressing. I think the last time I read up on something like this was several years ago when some of our guys shot two pregnant Afghan women to death and then they dug the bullets out with knives and blamed it on insurgents. They eventually got found out, but I dunno what kind of repercussions they faced. > > How many people this time? Their being charged with the murder of three people, though the Rolling Stone article suggests there were more. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/9 "2011-03-29T02:28:48Z")
Those photos are gruesome. I had heard about this case on NPR last week. I believe Jeremy Morelock was sentenced to 24 years in exchange for his testimony. There are no words. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/10 "2011-03-29T03:21:32Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > A volunteer army, short on the manpower necessary to drive our leaders’ military adventures, ends up letting in unsavory recruits who murder civilians (including children) and pose with them like they’re trophy bucks. As oppossed to a conscripted army raping, murdering, and mutilating an entire village of civilians (including babies) at My Lai? ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/11 "2011-03-29T03:49:51Z")
I don’t see how this thing could result in anything less than the death penalty for these guys if everything turns out to be true, which is looks like it is since they were stupid enough to take pictures of this shit. I’m active duty military and I do believe in capital punishment in general. These guys should face the chair for this, straight up. Imagine if these same guys pulled this back here in the States? Pics of themselves smiling holding up the head of a dead 15 year old boy. If we are going to police our own guys we need to apply the harshest penalties when warranted otherwise we just look soft to the rest of the world. What prevents these guys from meeting a war crimes tribunal or some such thing? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/12 "2011-03-29T04:11:03Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > As oppossed to a conscripted army raping, murdering, and mutilating an entire village of civilians (including babies) at My Lai? Actually, I read that 70% of Charlie Company (the troops who were involved with that incident) were volunteers. Something has to be done about these guys, or else they will continue murdering people, including after they return home. I’ve never bought the explanation that “it’s just how war is” because the vast majority of troops in combat manage to not do things like this. The issue seems to be that psychopaths with no conscience manage to slip through the cracks of the military. ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/13 "2011-03-29T04:11:04Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I don’t see how this thing could result in anything less than the death penalty for these guys if everything turns out to be true, which is looks like it is since they were stupid enough to take pictures of this shit. > > I’m active duty military and I do believe in capital punishment in general. These guys should face the chair for this, straight up. Imagine if these same guys pulled this back here in the States? Pics of themselves smiling holding up the head of a dead 15 year old boy. If we are going to police our own guys we need to apply the harshest penalties when warranted otherwise we just look soft to the rest of the world. > > What prevents these guys from meeting a war crimes tribunal or some such thing? As I understand it the US government doesn’t hold with their folks (soldiers) being brought before war crimes tribunals. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/14 "2011-03-29T04:15:49Z")
The Rolling Stone captions are absolutely terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/15 "2011-03-29T04:21:17Z")
I have never, ever, ever been able to understand why people who do stuff like this always take so many fucking _pictures_ of it. Do they WANT to get caught and spend the rest of their lives incarcerated, or be executed? Do they want to have their names forever associated with the gruesome things they have done? I just don’t get it. We live in an age where everything that is photographed or videoed is potentially a matter of public record. And in the military, of all places, where higher authorities are always present and a vast system of intelligence keeps an eye on anything and everything? How could anyone think it would be wise to compulsively photograph themselves with the bodies of kids they have shot? ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/16 "2011-03-29T04:21:39Z")
There is no nice way to occupy a hostile population that is willing to fight back. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/17 "2011-03-29T04:33:01Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I have never, ever, ever been able to understand why people who do stuff like this always take so many fucking _pictures_ of it. Do they WANT to get caught and spend the rest of their lives incarcerated, or be executed? Do they want to have their names forever associated with the gruesome things they have done? I just don’t get it. We live in an age where everything that is photographed or videoed is potentially a matter of public record. And in the military, of all places, where higher authorities are always present and a vast system of intelligence keeps an eye on anything and everything? > > How could anyone think it would be wise to compulsively photograph themselves with the bodies of kids they have shot? People who lack the basic understanding that doing these things in the first place is wrong are unlikely to get the idea that photographing them makes it more likely that they’ll get caught. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/18 "2011-03-29T04:44:02Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I don’t see how this thing could result in anything less than the death penalty for these guys if everything turns out to be true, which is looks like it is since they were stupid enough to take pictures of this shit. > > I’m active duty military and I do believe in capital punishment in general. These guys should face the chair for this, straight up. Imagine if these same guys pulled this back here in the States? Pics of themselves smiling holding up the head of a dead 15 year old boy. If we are going to police our own guys we need to apply the harshest penalties when warranted otherwise we just look soft to the rest of the world. > > What prevents these guys from meeting a war crimes tribunal or some such thing? The International Criminal Court doesn’t have the death penalty. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/19 "2011-03-29T04:54:52Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Actually, I read that 70% of Charlie Company (the troops who were involved with that incident) were volunteers. > > Something has to be done about these guys, or else they will continue murdering people, including after they return home. I’ve never bought the explanation that “it’s just how war is” because the vast majority of troops in combat manage to not do things like this. The issue seems to be that psychopaths with no conscience manage to slip through the cracks of the military. I’m lucky enough to be in that middle generation, that knows people my parents age who were Vietnam veterans, people my own age who were in the Gulf, and now people younger who have been on multiple trips to Afghanistan and Iraq. My family is heavily Military on my mom’s side, with uncles, cousins and now second cousins joining up. Friends and family of mine who have been through active duty but not front lines came home just fine mentally and physically. Friends and family who saw front line duty and actually had to kill people, did not come back fine at all. It comes down to killing someone, whether that other person hates you or will certainly kill you whether you are also armed or not, doesn’t seem to matter in the end. Our guys are still killing other people, and that does serious damage to the psyche. I’m not convinced that the guys who perpetrated these heinous acts were psycho to begin with. I truly believe, after witnessing the change firsthand (knowing what someone was like both before and after going over there and killing in the name of war), that our guys are truly and utterly unprepared for what happens when you actually pull the trigger and blow another guy’s head off. I think it’s a kind of “make you or break you” action, and they either handle it for long enough to get home and then have a breakdown, or the breakdown happens while still over there, with devastating results. I’m certainly not giving these guys a pass. They deserve whatever punishment is dealt to them. But what I am saying is that they are not the root of the problem. This has happened before, and it will continue as long as our countrymen are sent to kill other people. Our troops may very well be trained to shoot a target, but that becomes a very different thing when the target actually pleads for its life and is obviously terrified but is shot anyway. Unless what runs across the crosshairs is wearing a US uniform, I contend that “insurgents” all start looking awfully similar to civilians, and when a group goes into a psychological break in reality together, the results look a lot like “The Kill Team.” ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328/20 "2011-03-29T05:48:48Z")
The most shocking photos are those where the soldiers pose with _living_ civilians. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kill-team-photos-warning-extremely-disturbing/576328.md?page=2)