Investigators: GI likely struck twice

— U.S. investigators believe the U.S. soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians split the slaughter into two episodes, returning to his base after the first attack and later slipping away to kill again, two American officials said Saturday.

This scenario seems to support the U.S. government’s assertion, contested by some Afghans, that the killings were done by one person, since they would have been perpetrated over a longer period of time than assumed when Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was detained March 11 outside his base in southern Afghanistan.

But it also raises new questions about how Bales, who was formally charged Friday with 17 counts of premeditated murder and other crimes, could have carried out the nighttime attacks without drawing attention from any Americans on the Kandahar province base.

The two American officials who disclosed the investigators’ finding spoke on condition of anonymity because the politically sensitive probe is ongoing.

Bales, 38, is accused of killing nine Afghan children and eight adults.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 03/25/2012

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