U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe has some questions about the death of Army Pvt. Buddy McLain, who was killed Monday in Afghanistan.
In a letter made public Thursday, Snowe asked Army Secretary John McHugh for a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding McLain’s death.
Part of the probe is expected to focus on things McLain may have said to his wife, Chelsea, shortly before he was killed.
A week before he died, McLain expressed misgivings about American soldiers training Afghan Border Police.
“He said he didn’t think it was right to train these people and give them guns,” Chelsea McLain said Wednesday.
In her letter, Snowe said she has been told that “Pvt. McLain sent correspondence before his death expressing his distrust of the very forces that killed him.”
“I am deeply troubled by these reports and urge you to ensure that all necessary resources are committed to a prompt and thorough investigation,” Snowe wrote. “These reports and others also raise a number of concerns regarding the policies and practices governing the training of foreign soldiers and police forces in Afghanistan.”
She then quoted from a New York Times story published about Sunday’s ambush, saying it was “at least the fifth time in 13 months that Afghan soldiers or police officers have turned their weapons on their NATO partners.”
“Given this information, I request that the Army specify how NATO partners have acted to eliminate the likelihood of future attacks by Afghan soldiers on U.S. troops,” she said.
Snowe urged McHugh to “immediately review all ongoing programs used to train Afghan soldiers and police officers, including the processes used to select, vet, train, and arm such personnel and, in view of this most recent attack, take steps to substantially increase the protection of U.S. service members against such threats.”
She concluded, “It is of the utmost importance that Private McLain’s family is immediately and regularly provided information about the details of the incident in which Private McLain was killed, as well as the status and findings of the ongoing investigation.”
Reached at home Thursday night, McLain’s wife, Chelsea McLain, said she had heard about the letter but had not seen it. She planned to read Snowe’s remarks before commenting.
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