5 soldiers charged with Afghan killings

SEATTLE, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Five U.S. soldiers from a Stryker infantry brigade have been charged with killing Afghan civilians, military officials say.

Seven other soldiers face related charges, including hindering the investigation and aggravated assault, The Seattle Times reports. All 12 were part of a unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and were deployed to Afghanistan a year ago.

The original five soldiers were charged in June. The Times said it has studied documents filed by a defense lawyer and obtained information from the Army about additional charges Tuesday.

Prosecutors say some of his fellow soldiers said Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, 25, of Billings, Mont., organized a "kill team" of men willing to kill civilians while on patrol. Another soldier, Spc. Jeremy Morlock, 22, of Wasilla, Alaska, reportedly gave detailed statements to investigators implicating himself and others.

Gibbs had done one tour in Afghanistan and one in Iraq before being redeployed. Some soldiers have said he boasted in Afghanistan about actions he had taken in Iraq.

Morlock's lawyer, Michael Waddington, says his client suffered brain damage while in Afghanistan and made his statements under the influence of a cocktail of prescription drugs.