Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Report To FDA Links Malaria Drug To U.S. Soldier's Killing Spree In Afghanistan



Report To FDA Links Malaria Drug To U.S. Soldier's Brutal Rampage In Afghanistan That Left 16 Civilians Dead -- Daily Mail

* 'There is no good reason for why I did the horrible things I did': In June, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales pleaded guilty to the rampage
* Antimalarial drug mefloquin has been linked to neurological events in 5 to 10 percent of users
* A 2012 report refers to an 'adverse event' where an unnamed soldier killed civilians in Afghanistan after taking the drug
* Bales also admitted to previous steroid use

The American soldier who entered a village and murdered 16 civilians in Afghanistan may now have documents that directly link his alleged crimes to use of the antimalarial drug mefloquine.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales pleaded guilty last month of slaughtering village people in the country’s Kandahar province in March 2012. It has since been suggested that Bales’ previous head injury, paired with use of the common drug, contributed to his homicidal actions but no direct link had previously been uncovered.

Read more ....

My Comment: I suspect that there were/are many other reasons on why Sgt. Bales snapped and commited this massacre. But the impact of this drug on the behavior on some U.S. soldiers and now this linkage to this massacre is disturbing.

No comments: