WASHINGTON, 9 May 2007 — A US commander said yesterday he is deeply ashamed by the Marine killings of Afghan civilians in March and that the military has made payments to the families.
“Today we met with the families of those victims: 19 dead and 50 injured,” said Col. John Nicholson, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, deployed in eastern Afghanistan. “We made official apologies on the part of the US government” and payments of about $2,000 for each death.
Speaking to Defense Department reporters by video conference from Afghanistan, Nicholson read the apology he said he made to the families.
“I stand before you today, deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people,” he said.
