Lawyer says US blocks investigation of Afghan massacre

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SEATTLE (Reuters) - The lawyer defending the U.S. soldier accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians claims U.S. authorities are blocking his ability to investigate the incident.

John Henry Browne, the lawyer for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, said U.S. forces in Afghanistan have prevented his team from interviewing injured civilians at a hospital in Kandahar, and are allowing other potential witnesses to scatter, making it difficult to track them down.

"My gut is the reason is they don't have much of a case," said Browne at a press conference at his downtown Seattle office on Friday.

Bales was formally charged last week with the murders of eight adults and nine children in a pre-dawn shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan on March 11, which further eroded U.S.-Afghan relations already strained by a decade of war.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

No date has been set for a trial, but U.S. military prosecutors are putting together their case while Browne is preparing his defence.

Browne said he has a team of investigators in Afghanistan now, but they are receiving little cooperation from military prosecutors who filed the charges.

"We are facing an almost complete information blackout from the government, which is having a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges preferred against our client," he said in a statement released earlier on Friday.

A reliable account of the events of the night of the massacre has not yet emerged. A recent report indicated Afghan villagers doubt Bales acted alone. Other reports suggest Bales left his base twice during the night.

"I don't believe that's the case, but we can't say that for sure," Browne said on Friday.

Browne said his investigators had spoken to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan but had not managed to contact any witnesses.

"When we tried to interview the injured civilians being treated at Kandahar Hospital we were denied access and told to coordinate with the prosecution team," Browne said in the earlier statement.

"The next day the prosecution team interviewed the civilians injured. We found out shortly after the prosecution interviews of the injured civilians that the civilians were all released from the hospital and there was no contact information for them." That means potential witnesses will scatter and could prove unreachable, Browne said.

Browne said it was too early to say whether his defence would rely on post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, or other psychiatric problems Bale may have suffered as a defence against the charges.

The next step in the case is for Bales - who is being held at a military detention centre at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas - to undergo a mental assessment by Army doctors independent of both the prosecution and defence, to determine if he is fit to stand trial, known as a "sanity board" in the Army. That could take several months, Browne said.

After that has occurred, the military justice system requires a preliminary hearing, known as an "Article 32" hearing, to establish whether there is a strong enough case to proceed to a court martial.

(Reporting By Bill Rigby; Editing by Todd Eastham and Paul Simao)

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Lawyer says US blocks investigation of Afghan massacre - Reuters

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1 of 2. Attorney John Henry Browne (R), civil legal counsel to Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) based soldier Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the then-deployed U.S. Army soldier accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians earlier this month, speaks in a press conference in his Seattle, Washington office March 30, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Anthony Bolante

By Bill Rigby

SEATTLE | Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:45pm EDT

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The lawyer defending the U.S. soldier accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians claims U.S. authorities are blocking his ability to investigate the incident.

John Henry Browne, the lawyer for Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, said U.S. forces in Afghanistan have prevented his team from interviewing injured civilians at a hospital in Kandahar, and are allowing other potential witnesses to scatter, making it difficult to track them down.

"When prosecutors don't cooperate, it's because they are concerned about the strength of their case," said Browne at a press conference at his downtown Seattle office on Friday.

Bales was formally charged last week with the murders of eight adults and nine children in a pre-dawn shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan on March 11, which further eroded U.S.-Afghan relations already strained by a decade of war.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

No date has been set for a trial, but U.S. military prosecutors are putting together their case while Browne is preparing his defense.

Browne said he has a team of investigators in Afghanistan now, but they are receiving little cooperation from military prosecutors who filed the charges.

"We are facing an almost complete information blackout from the government, which is having a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges preferred against our client," he said in a statement released earlier on Friday.

A reliable account of the events of the night of the massacre has not yet emerged. A recent report indicated Afghan villagers doubt Bales acted alone. Other reports suggest Bales left his base twice during the night.

"I don't believe that's the case, but we don't know for sure at this point," Browne said on Friday.

Browne said his investigators had spoken to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan but had not managed to contact any witnesses.

DENIED ACCESS

"When we tried to interview the injured civilians being treated at Kandahar Hospital we were denied access and told to coordinate with the prosecution team," Browne said in the earlier statement.

"The next day the prosecution team interviewed the civilians injured. We found out shortly after the prosecution interviews of the injured civilians that the civilians were all released from the hospital and there was no contact information for them." That means potential witnesses will scatter and could prove unreachable, Browne said.

Prosecutors had not shared their investigative findings with his team, and would not share images captured by a surveillance camera on a blimp above the base which the Army says shows Bales returning to the camp after the alleged shooting, he said.

The next step in the case is for Bales - who is being held at a military detention center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas - to undergo a mental assessment by Army doctors independent of both the prosecution and defense, to determine if he is fit to stand trial, known as a "sanity board" in the Army.

That could take several months, Browne said.

After that has occurred, the military justice system requires a preliminary hearing, known as an "Article 32" hearing, to establish whether there is a strong enough case to proceed to a court martial.

Browne said it was too early to say whether post-traumatic stress disorder would feature in his defense against the charges. "I don't know whether it will at all," said Browne.

"First thing we have to find out is whether the government has a case. Until we're convinced the government has a case, we're not going to start speculating on what our defenses are going to be."

(Reporting By Bill Rigby; Editing by Todd Eastham and Paul Simao)

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Lawyer says Us blocks investigation of Afghan massacre

SEATTLE (Reuters)-the U.s. military in Afghanistan, civilians to defend the murdering 17-the accused lawyer claims the US authorities to prevent his ability.

John Henry Browne, staff sergeant Robert bales, a lawyer, said the US forces in Afghanistan, is prevented from attending, his team to interview any person crossing the injured civilians in a hospital, Kandahar and other potential witnesses in a scatter chart, find it difficult to keep track of them.

"When prosecutors do not cooperate, is because they are worried about the strength of their case," Browne said at a press conference, his downtown Seattle Office Friday.

Bales was formally charged with the murder last week of eight adults and nine children in the pre-dawn Shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan on March 11 which undermines further the relations of the United States in the Afghan war strained already this decade.

He may prove to be the death penalty if convicted.

No date has been set for the proceedings, but the US military prosecutors are putting together their case, even though Browne is preparing his defence.

Browne said he has a team of researchers in Afghanistan now, but they are a little cooperation in the military prosecutors received, which filed the charges.

"We are facing almost the complete information blackout by the Government that a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges against our priorities," he said in the statement released in the past.

A reliable account of the events of the night of The massacre is not yet born. The last report indicated the Afghan villagers doubt Bales acted alone. Other reports Suggest Bales left his base twice during the night.

"I do not think so, but we do not know for sure at this stage," Browne said Friday.

Browne said his investigators had spoken to U.s. soldiers in Afghanistan, but it was could not be any witnesses.

BLOCKED

"When we tried to interview shall be treated in the Kandahar hospital, we were blocked and told to coordinate the prosecution, a group of injured civilians," Browne said in the statement.

"Following the prosecution of the group interviewed civilians i njured. We found shortly after the injured civilians to the charge, was released from the hospital, interviews with civilians and had them contact information. " This means, if any, of witnesses in the scatter chart, and can prove to be unreachable, Browne said.

Prosecutors had not shared his with his investigations of their findings and share control of the camera, the blimp in the base, which the military says displays a return to the camp after an alleged Shooting Bales photos taken, she said.

The next event is the Bales which are organised in the military detention Center-at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to submit to a mental health assessment of army doctors independent of the prosecution and the defence, in order to determine if he is fit to stand trial, is called "the sanity of the Board" in the armed forces.

That could take several months, Browne said.

The military judicial system requires that from occurring after the end of the preliminary hearing, which is known as the "article" at the hearing, whether or not strong enough in the case of the Court of Justice, which was able to do so.

Browne said it was too early to say whether the post-traumatic stress disorder in the property of his defense. "I do not know whether it is at all," said Browne.

"We have to find the first thing is to determine whether the Government has, in the case of. Until you have convinced the Government is, in any case, we will not start, what we in the security of the speculating. "

(Reports Of The Bill Rigby; Editing by Todd Eastham and Paul Simao)

View the original article here

Lawyer says Us blocks investigation of Afghan massacre

SEATTLE (Reuters)-the U.s. military in Afghanistan, civilians to defend the murdering 17-the accused lawyer claims the US authorities to prevent his ability.

John Henry Browne, staff sergeant Robert bales, a lawyer, said the US forces in Afghanistan, is prevented from attending, his team to interview any person crossing the injured civilians in a hospital, Kandahar and other potential witnesses in a scatter chart, find it difficult to keep track of them.

"When prosecutors do not cooperate, is because they are worried about the strength of their case," Browne said at a press conference, his downtown Seattle Office Friday.

Bales was formally charged with the murder last week of eight adults and nine children in the pre-dawn Shooting rampage in southern Afghanistan on March 11 which undermines further the relations of the United States in the Afghan war strained already this decade.

He may prove to be the death penalty if convicted.

No date has been set for the proceedings, but the US military prosecutors are putting together their case, even though Browne is preparing his defence.

Browne said he has a team of researchers in Afghanistan now, but they are a little cooperation in the military prosecutors received, which filed the charges.

"We are facing almost the complete information blackout by the Government that a devastating effect on our ability to investigate the charges against our priorities," he said in the statement released in the past.

A reliable account of the events of the night of The massacre is not yet born. The last report indicated the Afghan villagers doubt Bales acted alone. Other reports Suggest Bales left his base twice during the night.

"I do not think so, but we do not know for sure at this stage," Browne said Friday.

Browne said his investigators had spoken to U.s. soldiers in Afghanistan, but it was could not be any witnesses.

BLOCKED

"When we tried to interview shall be treated in the Kandahar hospital, we were blocked and told to coordinate the prosecution, a group of injured civilians," Browne said in the statement.

"Following the prosecution of the group interviewed civilians i njured. We found shortly after the injured civilians to the charge, was released from the hospital, interviews with civilians and had them contact information. " This means, if any, of witnesses in the scatter chart, and can prove to be unreachable, Browne said.

Prosecutors had not shared his with his investigations of their findings and share control of the camera, the blimp in the base, which the military says displays a return to the camp after an alleged Shooting Bales photos taken, she said.

The next event is the Bales which are organised in the military detention Center-at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to submit to a mental health assessment of army doctors independent of the prosecution and the defence, in order to determine if he is fit to stand trial, is called "the sanity of the Board" in the armed forces.

That could take several months, Browne said.

The military judicial system requires that from occurring after the end of the preliminary hearing, which is known as the "article" at the hearing, whether or not strong enough in the case of the Court of Justice, which was able to do so.

Browne said it was too early to say whether the post-traumatic stress disorder in the property of his defense. "I do not know whether it is at all," said Browne.

"We have to find the first thing is to determine whether the Government has, in the case of. Until you have convinced the Government is, in any case, we will not start, what we in the security of the speculating. "

(Reports Of The Bill Rigby; Editing by Todd Eastham and Paul Simao)

View the original article here