President Donald Trump on Saturday stated that the White House was reviewing the case of a Green Beret who has been charged with murder in the death of an alleged Afghan bomb-maker.
“The case of Major Mathew Golsteyn is now under review at the White House,” Trump tweeted. “Mathew is a highly decorated Green Beret who is being tried for killing a Taliban bombmaker.”
“We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!” he added.
Trump’s tweet came shortly after the case was highlighted during a segment on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
Golsteyn has been accused of telling CIA officials during a job interview that he killed the suspected bombmaker and that he and two others put the body in a burn pit on the base, according to Army Times.
Golsteyn has reportedly denied this characterization of the interview and told Army Times it was misconstrued.
Army Times reported that Golsteyn does not deny killing the man but has said it was justified under the law of armed conflict.
He told the news outlet that the man was identified as a Taliban bombmaker by a local village elder who feared for his life if the alleged bombmaker retaliated.
Golsteyn has been given the Silver Star medal for valor, but the award was rescinded after the accusations.
Trump said in May that he had not decided whether to pardon military service members who have been charged with war crimes including Golsteyn.
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