The killing of 16 Afghan civilians by a US soldier has fueled anti-American sentiments and put further strain on the ties between Washington and Kabul. It is hoped the United States will properly handle the aftermath of the tragedy as it needs to mitigate its negative impact on US-Afghanistan relations so as to pave the way for a smooth transition leading up to the US-led NATO forces withdrawal in 2014.

According to media reports, an American soldier walked out of his base in the southern province of Kandahar on Sunday morning, entered homes of nearby Afghan villagers and opened fire on civilians. Sixteen people, including women and children, were killed by the soldier, who was identified by US officials later as a married, 38-year-old father of two who was trained as a sniper and recently suffered a head injury in Iraq.

The shooting rampage fueled anti-US sentiments, which had already erupted after US troops burned copies of the Quran last month.

Compared to its response to the burning of the Quran, the US has reacted promptly to the murders. US President Barack Obama and top US officials quickly condemned the attacks and offered their condolences to the families of the victims. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said on Monday the suspect could face capital punishment.

So far, reactions from the Afghanistan side have been fierce but controlled. President Hamid Karzai condemned the killings as an "unforgivable action" and demanded an "explanation" from Washington. The country's first significant demonstration since the killings flared up on Tuesday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, where around 2,000 demonstrators called for the death of the soldier accused of the murders. A lot of questions remain to be answered. Were the killings all done by one soldier? If he was a lone wolf, what was his motivation? How will the US-led NATO forces prevent similar tragedies in the future?

To return justice to the bereaved and restore its image in Afghanistan, there needs to be an investigation so that these questions can be truthfully answered. But although Obama has pledged a thorough investigation, saying the US was taking the case "as seriously as if it was our own citizens, and our children, who were murdered", an independent investigation by members of the international community would be more trusted to deliver truthful results.

Meanwhile the Obama administration is also facing a formidable task in dispelling the incident's negative effects on its strategy in Afghanistan and the region.

The magnitude of Afghan people's fury at the shooting spree and the burning of the Quran, is beyond imagination. This will weaken the Afghan government's position in maintaining close cooperation with the US on important security issues in the transition period leading up to the withdrawal.

The mishaps so far this year do not bode well for the US strategy in the central Asian country. Washington and Kabul are negotiating a strategic partnership document that will guide bilateral ties beyond 2014, when American and NATO forces are scheduled to end their combat mission and hand over security responsibility to the Afghan forces. The document will allow US advisers and possibly special forces to remain in Afghanistan after 2014.

To pursue greater geopolitical advantage in central and south Asia, the US hopes to establish a regional security framework with Afghanistan at its core. Establishing a strategic partnership with the central Asian country and keeping its military base there is a prerequisite for the US' overall strategy in the region. Hence, it has to devote a lot of energy into mending its bridges with Afghanistan and its people.

What has happened this year will also add new uncertainties to the reconciliation process in the central Asian country. In what was widely perceived as a sign to a nascent peace process, the Afghan Taliban announced in January it would open a political office in Qatar for peace negotiations.

But in the wake of the burning of the Quran in February and after Sunday's brutal killings, the Afghan Taliban not only threatened revenge but also called for the Afghan people to stand up to US-led NATO troops. So it is predictable that the Afghan Taliban will take a hard line during any negotiations.

As such, it seems the troubles for the US and NATO in Afghanistan are far from over.

The author is a writer with China Daily. E-mail: [email protected]

(China Daily 03/16/2012 page8)