Statement by the Army on Photographs Published by Rolling Stone

“The photos published by Rolling Stone are disturbing and in striking contrast to the standards and values of the United States Army.  Like those published by Der Spiegel, the Army apologizes for the distress these latest photos cause.  Accountability remains the Army’s paramount concern in these alleged crimes.  Accordingly, we are in the midst of courts-martial, and we continue to investigate leads.  We must allow the judicial process to continue to unfold and be mindful that the government has distinct obligations to the victims and to the accused, which include compliance with the court's protective order to ensure a fair trial.  That said, the Army will relentlessly pursue the truth, no matter where it leads, both in and out of court, no matter how unpleasant it may be, no matter how long it takes.  As an Army, we are troubled that any soldier would lose his ‘moral compass’ as one soldier said during his trial.  We will continue to do whatever we need to as an institution to understand how it happened, why it happened and what we need to do to prevent it from happening again.”