DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- The death sentence for Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Hassan and life in prison for Staff Sgt. Robert Bales shows the true face of U.S. justice, the Taliban said.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was sentenced to life without parole last week for the 2012 slaying of 16 Afghan civilians. He pleaded guilty in June to murder, which carries a mandatory minimum life sentence under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
A military panel last week sentenced Army Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the Fort Hood, Texas, mass shooting in 2009. He was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
The Taliban published a statement Tuesday saying it was dismayed by the court decisions. Bales targeted civilians who "had no intention of killing or harming anyone." Nidal killed U.S. soldiers trained to "torture and kill the innocent people [of Afghanistan]."
"The west neither realizes the true meaning of human rights, nor is familiar with mercy and compassion for the children and nor has any reverence for the dignity and nobility of women," the movement said.
Hassan said his militant actions were inspired by Islamic militants. Bales apologized for the shootings but offered no explanation for the rampage.
