Lawyer: Suspect Afghan was startled on injury of Comrade - voice of America

John Henry Browne, the lawyer representing the U.S. soldier who is accused of having killed 16 Afghan civilians, speaks to journalists, on March 15, 2012, in Seattle.

Civil counsel for the U.S. soldier accused of a fatal shooting rampage in Afghanistan, said that his client was probably suffering stress after the serious injury of one of his comrades in arms.

Attorney John Henry Browne, said that the 38-year-old staff sergeant had seen a fellow get his leg carried a day before the massacre of 16 Afghan civilians in Kandahar province.

Browne, said that his client was also satisfied with his posting to a fourth tour of duty in a war zone.? The soldier had served three tours in Iraq where he suffered an injury to the head and lost part of his foot.? Counsel said that the soldier has said he would not be deployed in Afghanistan, but that has changed literally "night."

The soldier has not yet been named or charged, flew out of the Afghanistan to the end Kuwait Wednesday.? The United States, the Lieutenant General Curtis Scaparotti, Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said that the suspect has been moved to ensure "appropriate preventive detention and access to legal services."

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has visited the Afghanistan this week and the assassination, allegedly carried out by the U.S. soldier, was the subject of talks with Afghan officials.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the NATO forces withdraw Afghan villages and move their bases in the wake of the incident.

Karzai also said Panetta that everything must be done to prevent incidents such as the shooting in the future.? The US Defense Secretary said he has promised the Afghan President that the shooter could be brought to justice.

Friday, the US military authorities, said as a high Commander U.S. Afghanistan has been in the path of an attack which coincided with the arrival of Panetta in Afghanistan. They had initially downplayed the incident.

More early said officials an Afghan stole a vehicle and driven on a runway ramp.? Officials, said the pilot was designed to a group of American soldiers at the airstrip for the arrival of Panetta, but crashed in a ditch before the emergence of the burning vehicle.

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