WASHINGTON // The mental state of a US soldier accused of last week's massacre of 16 Afghan villagers is likely to form a crucial part of a case that has severely dented US-Afghanistan relations.
Military prosecutors have begun to prepare the charge sheet against the suspect, who was flown back to the US on Friday. It could take weeks to draft charges and longer to determine whether the case should be referred for a court martial.
The military on Friday identified the suspect as Robert Bales, an army staff sergeant.
Fragile US-Afghanistan relations have been further strained with the killings following US soldiers burning Qurans and a video of soldiers urinating on dead Taliban fighters.
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, who is unpopular and in a weak political position, lashed out on Friday at what he said was a lack of US coordination in the investigation.
Mr Karzai and many Afghan leaders want Sgt Bales tried in Afghanistan under Afghan law, not US military procedures. Mr Karzai has described relations as at the "end of the rope".
"The army chief has just reported that the Afghan investigation team did not receive the cooperation that they expected from the United States.
"Therefore these are all questions that we'll be raising and raising very loudly, and raising very clearly," Mr Karzai said, after meeting village elders and relatives of victims of the massacre.
The Afghan president is under domestic pressure to seek the extradition of Sgt Bales.
On Thursday, Afghan lawmakers said Afghanistan should not sign a strategic partnership agreement with the US to govern relations after a planned withdrawal of international troops at the end 2014, unless the soldier is held accountable in Afghanistan.
Mr Karzai had been trying to convince Afghan leaders the country need a continued US military presence after the scheduled 2014 withdrawal of all foreign troops
The US military has not ruled out a trial in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon has so far insisted that the soldier be tried under US military law.
Under a Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa) between the US and Afghanistan, the US is under no obligation to hand over the 38-year-old sniper. Sofas are negotiated whenever any foreign troops are deployed to another country.
Sgt Bales's identity had been kept secret for six days out of concern, military officials said, for the safety of his family.
Much had already been learnt about the married father of two, however.
Sgt Bales had served three tours of duty in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan.
He injured his head when his vehicle turned over in Iraq in 2010 and possibly suffered a concussion. Another injury required the surgical removal of part of a foot, according to his lawyer, John Henry Browne.
Mr Browne described his client as "an exemplary soldier" who joined the military right after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
On the day before the shootings, Mr Browne said, Sgt Bales had seen a fellow soldier lose a leg when a buried mine exploded. He suggested Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) might be a defence.
The symptoms of PTSD can vary from mild depressions, nightmares and insomnia to more severe symptoms like flashbacks, hallucinations, mood swings and increased aggression.
Bridget Cantrell, a mental health expert with the Hearts Towards Home, a non-profit organisation that specialises in helping returning service members deal with PTSD, said that "traumatic brain injuries, [personal] relational aspects and the stress of combat can cause a person to go over the edge".
But it is rarely a successful defence in military court, where defence lawyers struggle to convince judges that a traumatic brain injury or PTSD can make soldiers legally insane at the time of a crime.
Sgt Bales is alleged to have walked more than 1.5 kilometres to shoot 16 people, mostly women and children, some of them as they slept.
He is also understood to have tried to burn 11 of the bodies, before returning to his base where he "basically turned himself in", according to Leon Panetta, the US secretary of defence.
Mr Panetta last week suggested that the death penalty could be sought.
Such a sentence is rare, however. The last execution in a US military case was in 1961 when John A Bennet was hanged for rape and attempted murder.
Charges brought against Nidal Hasan, a US army major who is accused of killing 13 and injuring 32 others during a 2009 shooting spree at an army base in Texas included a recommendation for the death penalty.
okarmi@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
PRISCILLA
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
'Midnights'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Taylor%20Swift%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Republic%20Records%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
