March 27, 2011, Rolling Stones Magazine released a graphic horrifying spread about the "Kill Team" in Afghanistan. A group of US Army soldiers who killed innocent men and children for gruesome fun. The Kill Team then posed with the mutilated corpses who set the photographs to music videos. The Pentagon was not swift enough in recapturing all of the incriminating evidence pointing to the true nature of these US soldiers; it scrambled desperately to retrieve any incriminating evidence from Afghanistan to the States. After the media's discovery, the US Army hastily released an apology. "As an Army, we are troubled that any soldier would lose his ‘moral compass' as one soldier said during his trial. We will continue to do whatever we need to as an institution to understand how it happened, why it happened and what we need to do to prevent it from happening again."

The US Army is having trouble understanding how their soldiers lose their "moral compass." Former Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld, was quick to comment on the severity of the Kill Team's offences, "were much worse than the Abu Ghraib pictures because in this case people were actually killed." Obviously trying to minimize the severity and grotesque American behavior of the Abu Ghraib scandal. Yet, the US Army enlists soldiers with known criminal records and drug addicts to fight their so-called war on terrorism all the while they have continually proven they are the real terrorists with license from NATO. The US military is having trouble recruiting anyone with common sense and conscience to fight their war thus resorting to known criminals. Drug addicts who went from playing violent video games to being armed with live ammunition unleashed onto Afghan soil under the banner of democracy.

Did the US army expect a high code of ethics to be imposed? Lt. Col Anthony Shaffer, Center for Advanced Studies commented, "Well... I can tell you that there is a clear failure of both training and standards...[he]should have never been in the Army. This demonstrates to me how much our standards ...we didn't take anyone who even had a hint of a criminal record. He had all sorts of violations, including torturing his wife. You don't kill people arbitrarily. This is something I see is a huge problem on the battlefield right now." Yet General Petraeus has the audacity to demean the daily Afghani bloodshed arrogantly remarking, "You have to keep in mind what the Taliban is doing every day." It is appropriate to remind Muslims,

{ود كثير من أهل الكتاب لو يردونكم من بعد إيمانكم كفارا حسدا من عند أنفسهم من بعد ما تبين لهم الحق فاعفوا واصفحوا حتى يأتي الله بأمره إن الله على كل شيء قدير}

{Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves} [Al-Baqara: 109].

I have yet to read a single report of the Taliban mutilating dead corpses for mere repulsive entertainment. They treat their prisoners of war better than the Kill Team's member treated his own wife who was charged with burning her with cigarettes. The Kill Team lured children with candy only to riddle them with bullets as they reached for it, even worse they lined the front and back bumpers of their Skyper vehicles with candy as bait so they can run over the naive Afghan children. Allah swt said,

{يسألونك عن الشهر الحرام قتال فيه قل قتال فيه كبير وصد عن سبيل الله وكفر به والمسجد الحرام وإخراج أهله منه أكبر عند الله والفتنة أكبر من القتل ولا يزالون يقاتلونكم حتى يردوكم عن دينكم إن استطاعوا ومن يرتدد منكم عن دينه فيمت وهو كافر فأولئك حبطت أعمالهم في الدنيا والآخرة وأولئك أصحاب النار هم فيها خالدون}

{Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can.} [Al-Baqara: 217].

Where is the leader, the protector of Afghanistan while this was happening? Well at least he "read all nine pages last night. It was a heart-rending story," according to President Karzai. He, along with General McChrystal, was well aware of the Kill Team as they have been briefed in early May. Yet he stayed mute while the Pentagon frantically searched for the horrific videos and pictures throughout Afghan bases and in US homes until it became necessary for Karzai to make a mandatory press release.

A statement from Karzai's spokesman stated, "The president of Afghanistan... strongly condemns the killing of civilians in this operation and emphasizes once again that killing civilians will not help the fight against terrorism but will hinder it." What fight against terrorism? It is the likes of Karzai and Western regimes that have terrorized the Muslim civilians for the past decade. Karzai is the source of agony bringing harsh foreign occupation to degrade his noble people. On a worthless piece of paper, he condemns these blood-curdling acts committed by the most hypocritical power bombarding the lands of Afghanistan and Pakistan with bombs in the name of democracy and anti-terrorism ideals. Will Karzai's mere condemnation revive the hundreds of dead sons and husbands? Will it return the happiness in the hearts of widows? Will it restore the lost dignity to Afghani women?

Indeed the Kill Team's vulgar acts read like "a heart-rending story" straight from a Hollywood-style horror flick. The US army soldiers acted like wild animals in the jungles, except wild animals do not mutilate their own kind, hacking body parts to keep as trophy keepsakes on their mantles until the Pentagon confiscates them. Thereby, ranking them below US military standards and more importantly human standards. Of course, the Army will resort to shallow depictions of soldiers gone awry with drug abuse and thus unable to stand trial or maybe a slap on the wrist for the sake of media opinion. Who will stop the US court from passing deserving severe sentences, certainly not Karzai and his phony condemnation? He was the one who gave them license to ravage his land and people. Few words can describe the anger and resentment towards the occupier that wanted to allegedly counter terrorism in Central Asia only for them to be revealed as the true terrorists.

{وإذا ضربتم في الأرض فليس عليكم جناح أن تقصروا من الصلاة إن خفتم أن يفتنكم الذين كفروا إن الكافرين كانوا لكم عدوا مبينا} 

{Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy.} [an-Nissa: 101].

The Afghani and Pakistani people know the Trojan Horse exists in the heart of their land and they fight back to the best of their potential despite hindered efforts from their rulers and occupiers. They hold onto the ropes of Allah swt relying on His promised victory and the sincere people who are working to restoring the dignity of the Ummah. They know that Afghanistan is recorded in history as the Graveyard for all Conquerors. The Ummah, rest assured and remain vigilant.

{يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُطْفِؤُواْ نُورَ اللّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَيَأْبَى اللّهُ إِلاَّ أَن يُتِمَّ نُورَهُ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ}

{They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers detest it.} [At-Tawba: 32].

By; Manal Bader
Bayt Al-Maqdes