Tags: andrew holmes, Army, army statement, army unit, der spiegel, Magazine, martial proceedings, murder, Spiegel, statement

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US Army on Monday formally apologized "for the distress" caused by pictures portraying abuse allegedly committed by American troops serving in Afghanistan.

"We apologize for the distress these photos cause," said a statement released by the Army.

German weekly Der Spiegel earlier Monday published photos that it said showed two US soldiers in Afghanistan from a rogue army unit posing with dead Afghans.

Two photos, which Spiegel said US authorities had sought to keep secret, appear to show two members of a unit that allegedly killed Afghan civilians for sport.

In one, a purported soldier, cigarette in hand, holds up the head of a blood-spattered man who is apparently dead. In a second, another purported soldier is grinning widely while also holding up the same man.

A third photo shows two bodies propped up against a post. Again the people in the picture appear to be dead.

The Army statement said the actions seen in the pictures were "repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army."

Read more here:  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/21/us-army-apologizes-for-afghan...