memeorandum: Western forces kill 16 civilians in Afghanistan

2:30 PM ET, March 11, 2012

Top Items:

BBC:

US soldier kills Afghan civilians in Kandahar — Tensions were already high in Afghanistan after the burning of Korans at a US base — A US soldier in Afghanistan has killed at least 16 civilians and wounded five after entering their homes in Kandahar province, senior local officials say.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Little Green Footballs, The Long War Journal, msnbc.com, Sister Toldjah, The Mahablog, Scared Monkeys, Vox Popoli, The Raw Story and americanthinker.com

New York Times:

American Is Held After Shooting of Civilians in Afghanistan — KABUL, Afghanistan — The United States military said on Sunday one of its service members had been detained after an apparent shooting incident in southern Afghanistan that local officials said had left at least three civilians dead.

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, Mediaite, Gothamist and Gretawire

Ahmad Nadem / Trust.org:

Western forces kill 16 civilians in Afghanistan - Kabul govt — Western forces shot dead 16 civilians including nine children in southern Kandahar province on Sunday, Afghan officials said, in a rampage that witnesses said was carried out by American soldiers who were laughing and appeared drunk.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

AJE - Al Jazeera English:

US soldier kills Afghans in shooting spree — Soldier opens fire on civilians in three separate homes near military base in Kandahar province before surrendering. — A US soldier has killed more than a dozen civilians in a shooting spree in southern Afghanistan before being detained, officials say.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Balloon Juice and The Agonist

Washington Post:

U.S. soldier detained after opening fire on Afghans; at least 16 killed — KABUL— An American soldier wandered outside his base in a remote southern Afghan village shortly before dawn Sunday and opened fire on civilians inside homes, killing at least 16, Afghan and U.S. officials said.

Discussion: Reuters, emptywheel and Hot Air

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill: Officials: US soldier detained after shooting of Afghan civilians

Ben Terris / NationalJournal.com:

Santorum: 'I'd Like Everybody to Get Out' — Rick Santorum needs about 60 percent of the remaining delegates to claim the Republican nomination. It would be an easier task, he admits, if former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich would drop out, but Santorum would not call explicitly for him to do so.

Discussion: The Raw Story

Rick Pearson / Chicago Tribune:
Poll: Romney slightly ahead of Santorum in Illinois

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Los Angeles Times

Sam Baker / The Hill:
Santorum: Romney doesn't ‘tell the truth’ to voters on healthcare

Discussion: Politico, CNN and Prairie Weather

Associated Press:

At Least 10 Killed as Suicide Bomber Attacks Catholic Church During Mass — Car bomb explodes near Nigeria church; 10 killed — JOS, Nigeria (AP) — A suicide car bomber attacked a Catholic church Sunday in the middle of Mass, killing at least 10 people in the latest violence targeting …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Gibbs: Romney loss in Kansas shows he's not ‘inevitable’ nominee — A top Obama campaign official sought to cast doubt Sunday on the idea that Romney is the “inevitable” Republican nominee. — Robert Gibbs, the former White House press secretary, took aim at Romney over his second-place finish …

Discussion: Politico, Ballot Box and GOP 12

Washington Post:
Santorum wins Kansas caucuses, Romney wins Wyoming

Discussion: Esquire, Crooks and Liars and Don Surber

John Hoeffel / Los Angeles Times:
Rick Santorum wins Kansas caucuses

Discussion: Hot Air, Mediaite and Associated Press

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:
Santorum Takes a Decisive Victory in Kansas Caucuses

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Taylor Marsh, The Reaction, Wall Street Journal, Balloon Juice and Associated Press

Andrew Restuccia / The Hill:

Analysts: White House, Congress have little control over gas prices — Federal policymakers have few options to lower gas prices in the short-term, according to energy analysts. — The recent run-up is fueling election-year political battles and thrusting White House energy policy into the spotlight …

Discussion: The Political Carnival and Prairie Weather

New York Post:

Iran does not ‘give a damn’ about your bombs, Ahmadinejad warns US — KARAJ, Iran — Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a defiant TV speech Sunday in which he taunted the West, saying the Islamic Republic is unfazed by the threat of Western military action.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Bill Maher to Rush Limbaugh: “You know what, Rush, when you can stand up in front of an audience of 3,000 people all the time like I do...” — I've already blogged about what Bill Maher said on his show last night about Rush Limbaugh, so forgive me if you've already had enough of the Maher-Limbaugh topic …

WESH-TV:

Grayson Involved In Crash With Lynx Bus — Campaign Event Held In Downtown Orlando — ORLANDO, Fla. — Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson crashed into a Lynx bus in downtown Orlando about noon Saturday. — Grayson was traveling to an upscale fundraising event for his Congressional campaign.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Mediaite and Moe_Lane's blog