Afghan Killer Of French Was Angry At Marine Video

Published January 25, 2012 7:27AM (EST)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A spokesman for the Afghan military says a soldier who turned on French troops and killed four of them was angry about a video purporting to show U.S. Marines desecrating the bodies of Taliban insurgents.

Defense Ministry Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said Wednesday that the 21-year-old Afghan recruit had viewed the video that was widely distributed on YouTube and other video-sharing websites.

Azimi said it wasn't clear if the video was the sole motivation for the attack last week that also wounded more than a dozen French troops at a base in eastern Afghanistan.

French investigators are traveling to Afghanistan to assist the investigation. Last week's attack was latest of several by an Afghan soldier on international troops working with the national army.


By Salon Staff

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