Man, this SO not a good thing :(


Skull scandal 'disgusts' Germany


BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel called photos of German soldiers in Afghanistan playing with a skull "shocking and disgusting," and Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung said those involved will be dealt with harshly.

One image was published on the cover of the national tabloid Bild, under the words "Schock Fotos."

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/4572/storyskullscandalafpwt0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


In the picture, a soldier seems to be slightly smirking as he poses with the skull in his raised right hand. A black banner covers his face.

Other images show the skull displayed like an off-center hood ornament on the front of a jeep. Another picture shows a soldier holding the skull near his exposed penis.

A German army spokesman said a prosecutor was questioning two men -- a soldier and a former soldier -- in the case.

Bild did not say how it obtained the photographs, and provided no proof of their authenticity. It is not clear where the skull came from, the newspaper said.

Germany has about 2,700 soldiers in Afghanistan with the International Security Assistance Force, which the United Nations set up in 2001 after the U.S.-led battle to oust the Taliban regime and rout al Qaeda.

The German soldiers provide security for the government in Kabul and other locations in northern Afghanistan. Soldiers from other nations, including the United States and Canada, patrol elsewhere in the country.

"It is crucial to clarify through a clear and unambiguous reaction that the behavior of German soldiers in Afghanistan is condemnable. There are no excuses," Merkel said in a written statement.

"There is no doubt regarding the pictures that the behavior of German soldiers in Afghanistan damages the reputation of the German Bundeswehr (military), which succeeded in building up a high reputation by being involved in international missions over the last years. The incidence also harms the standing of our country."

Germany's deployment of troops to Afghanistan and other destinations is already a controversial issue at home, where many people believe the country still carries the historical burden of World War II.

Nevertheless, Berlin has expanded its international military role with some 9,000 soldiers in hotspots such as the Balkans, Afghanistan, Congo and off the Lebanese coast.
:bombout:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/10/25/germany.afghan/index.html

Let's not jump to conclusions now.
Fritz and Hans could've brought that skull from home with them. Why just automatically assume it's a local Afghan skull?

I myself, for instance, routinely travel with a severed head in my checked luggage.

Give these poor guys a break, I say.
:eek:

You too? :D

This is not that serious, compared to other scandals involving western forces. It's not like they tortured or murdered anyone, and I'm pretty sure the skull didn't mind.

The first thing I would note after looking at the picture, is that there is no blood or flesh on the skull. That means it is unlikely to be someone recently killed. Most likely it was found, and the fools were posing with it. This is in bad taste, and could be construed as dishonoring the dead of Afghanistan, but is not murder. I'm not sure what charges might apply to soldiers posing with a skull they found, but humor tends to be pretty rough in combat zones.

seriously, is this a real "scandal"? its official, the west will never win a war again. thanks left wing media!

seriously, is this a real "scandal"? its official, the west will never win a war again. thanks left wing media!
I know the lefties here are really gonna laugh at me for saying this, but there's a lot of truth to your comment. Could you imagine (with today's media) if it were WW2 right now, what we'd be doing? Bombing Japan would be out.

bombing anybody would be out. They probably would have demanded we surrender after Kasserine Pass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasserine_Pass

Trav, why do you think this is the "left wing medias" fault? Bild is a tabloid, they'll call anything a "scandal" and stuff it on the front page to increase readership. Futhermore, Bild is traditionally known to be conservative biased, so I think your accusations are groundless - at least in this case.

Hold up just a minute here.
If they bomb Japan, I wanna know were Im gonna get parts for my new flatscreen if anything goes wrong with it.

Apart from thar, I seen this storey a couple of days ago,I think its a wind up.

I know the lefties here are really gonna laugh at me for saying this, but there's a lot of truth to your comment. Could you imagine (with today's media) if it were WW2 right now, what we'd be doing? Bombing Japan would be out.:rolleyes: