BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN — The Afghan soldier accused of killing 16 U.S. military personnel in a "green-on-blue" attack, many of them asleep in their tents, pleaded guilty to murder Thursday in an effort to avoid the death penalty.
Corporal Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed's plea ensures that he will avoid the most serious punishments from the Afghan court, including death by firing squad, dismemberment, torture with fire, and sex with a woman.
Prosecutors say Mohammed slipped away before dawn on March 11, 2012, from his camp at Bagram Air Field. Armed with an AK-47 rifle and an "I hate infidels" t-shirt, he attacked the tents of multiple U.S. troops, then returned to tell a fellow soldier what he had done.
