Then, in the middle of the night last Sunday, shots rang out in a pair
of villages within walking distance of the base. Soon after, a
surveillance camera mounted to a blimp captured an image of a soldier
the Army identifies as Bales returning in the dark. A traditional Afghan
shawl was draped over the gun in his hands. As he reached the gates of
the base, the man in uniform lay the weapon down. He raised his arms in
surrender.
Browne said he did not know if his client had been suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder, but said it could be an issue at trial
if experts believe it's relevant. Experts on PTSD said witnessing the
injury of a fellow soldier and the soldier's own previous injuries put
him at risk.
"We've known ever since the Vietnam war that the unfortunate phenomenon
of abusive violence often closely follows the injury or death of a buddy
in combat," said Dr. Roger Pitman, a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist
who heads the PTSD Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General
Hospital. "The injury or death of a buddy creates a kind of a blind
rage."
On Friday evening, Bales' neighbors said they did not know what to
think. They gazed toward the soldier's home, where overflowing boxes
were piled on the front porch and a U.S. flag leaned against the siding.
"I just can't believe Bob's the guy who did this," Wohlberg said. "A
good guy got put in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Associated Press writer Rachel La Corte reported from Lake Tapps, Wash.
and AP National Writer Adam Geller reported from New York. AP writers
Gene Johnson in Seattle, National Security Writer Robert Burns in
Washington, Phuong Le in Seattle, Haven Daley and Manuel Valdes in Lake
Tapps, Wash. Lisa Cornwell in Evendale, Ohio, Dana Fields in Kansas
City, Mo., and John Milburn in Lawrence, Kan. contributed to this story.
http://news.yahoo.com/soldier-accused-killings-family-man-074238121.html
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