Gut wrenching.   I held off posting anything about this yesterday, trying desperately to see through the fog of speculation.   Almost every news outlet was framing a narrative trying to  explain, or lay blame, or find a bigger meaning, or use as ideological reference for their specific agenda.    Damn hard to just find facts without opinion.  Frustratingly so.  Below is the most unbiased report I can find.   But first a word of praise for President Obama.
I’ve been critical of Obama when he led off with an apologetic narrative for the unintentional Koran burning.   But I’ll give him credit for this official statement yesterday:

I am deeply saddened by the reported killing and wounding of Afghan civilians. I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and to the people of Afghanistan, who have endured too much violence and suffering.
This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan. I fully support Secretary Panetta’s and General Allen’s commitment to get the facts as quickly as possible and to hold accountable anyone responsible.

Notice what this very deliberately is not: an apology. It’s an offer of condolence. The president has moved swiftly to respond with a statement that expresses profound dismay without sounding weak, as he did when he apologized for last month’s burning of the Korans.
What’s more, he noted the inconsistency of this action with “the exceptional character” of our armed forces, making it clear that there is nothing about our military that could have led to such a tragedy. It was important to remind our service members that we know this is not them and that we support them, and to let the Afghans and the world know that we stand proud even as we share the Afghans’s shock and grief.
IMHO – Obviously, this was a very difficult offical statement to deliver, given the shere weight of the tension and potential consquences.   So, well done President Obama and White House team.   Good Job, this time.   Here is the factual report:

AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgents Monday vowed revenge against “sick minded American savages” for the murderous rampage by a U.S. soldier who killed 16 villagers in their homes.
The Taliban would “take revenge from the invaders and the savage murderers for every single martyr,” the hardline Islamist group said in a statement on their website, according to AFP.
President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta both called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to express their condolences after a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan wandered off base and allegedly gunned down 16 villagers, and Panetta vowed to “bring those responsible to justice.”
In a statement released Sunday by the White House, Obama said, “This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan.”
Panetta said a full investigation was under way, The Associated Press reported.
The killing of 16 Afghan villagers in Kandahar province by an American soldier could hurt efforts to reach a strategic pact with Kabul to allow a long-term U.S. presence in the country, an Afghan government official told Reuters on Monday.
“This could delay the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement,” said the official.
The shootings come at a particularly sensitive and critical time for the U.S., just as violence over the burning of Muslim holy books at a U.S. base was starting to calm down. The killings could further fuel calls for a more rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
U.S. officials said the service member was being detained in Kandahar and the military was treating at least five wounded. One U.S. official said the soldier, an Army staff sergeant, was believed to have acted alone and said initial reports indicated he returned to the base after the shooting and turned himself in.
A U.S. official said the suspect is a conventional soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
Another U.S. official said the sergeant is married and has two children. He served three tours in Iraq and had been serving his first deployment in Afghanistan since December.
He was assigned to support a special operations unit of either Green Berets or Navy SEALs engaged in a village stability operation. Such operations are among NATO’s best hopes for transitioning out of Afghanistan. They pair special operations troops with local villagers chosen by village elders to become essentially a sanctioned, armed neighborhood watch.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, issued a statement pledging a “rapid and thorough investigation” into the shooting spree, and said the soldier will remain in U.S. custody.  (read more)
Immediately my thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families.
In addition the wife, children, and family of the soldier who carried out the attack.  It is only a matter of time before they are subject to a brutal media onslaught and I can’t even imagine how disconnected and shocked they are at the news of what has happened.   Three tours in Iraq, and another now in Afghanistan is a long time to be away from home.  
May the comforting arms of our loving God provide some small measure of stability and condolence.