The U.S. Army has apologized for the “distress” caused by a German newspaper’s publication of photos showing U.S. Army soldiers posing with a dead Afghan man. Five soldiers connected to the murders of three Afghan civilians were the victims of a court-martial.

“Der Spiegel published photographs depicting actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army. We apologize for the distress these photos cause,” the Army said in a statement.

“These court-martial proceedings speak for themselves. The photos appear in stark contrast to the discipline, professionalism and respect that have characterized our soldiers’ performance during nearly 10 years of sustained operations,”

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