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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier is in custody after opening fire on his fellow troops Monday, killing five American service members, the U.S. military confirmed.


U.S. Army troops get a safety briefing before departing Camp Liberty, Iraq, in December 2008.

The shootings mark the deadliest attack on troops by a fellow service member during Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to U.S. military records.

Three others were wounded in the incident, which happened about 2 p.m. at the U.S. military base, Camp Liberty, in Baghdad, two senior defense officials said.

It is unclear if the shooter was among the wounded, despite earlier reports that he killed himself, an official said.

"Any time we lose one of our own, it affects us all," said Col. John Robinson Multi-National Corps - Iraq spokesperson. "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of all the service members involved in this terrible tragedy."

President Obama was shocked and saddened to hear about the incident and planned to discuss the issue with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.

"The president's heart goes out to the families and friends of all the service members involved in this horrible tragedy. He was shocked by the news of this incident and will press to ensure that we fully understand what happened at the clinic and that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our men and women in uniform are protected," Gibbs said.

The incident happened at Camp Liberty's stress clinic, where U.S. service members are treated for psychological conditions, the sources said.

It is unclear if the shooter had any connection to the clinic.

Monday's attack marks the fifth incident in which a service member was killed by a fellow service member during Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to the U.S. military.

• In March 2003, Capt. Christopher Seifert and Maj. Gregory Stone were killed at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait, in a grenade attack by another soldier.

• Sgt. Joseph Tackett was fatally shot in June 2005 by a fellow soldier in Baghdad.

• Seaman Anamarie Camacho and Seaman Genesia Gresham were killed in a non-combat incident in Bahrain in October 2007.

• A 39-year-old soldier was charged with killing Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson and Sgt. Wesley Durbin in Tunnis, Iraq, in September.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/11/iraq.violence/index.html

damn!!! it's getting out of hand.....

As a Veteran, this saddens me on many levels.

I had heard that he was at Camp Liberty's stress clinic for treatment. How and why did this soldier have access to anything more dangerous than a spork?

Why do they have it there, when they could remove the troops from the combat zone entirely, and send them to one of our bases in say.. Turkey or Yemen? When properly diagnosed and treated, they could either be discharged, sent stateside for duty, or returned to the front line.

Fratricide (from the Latin word frater, meaning: "brother" and cide meaning to kill) is the act of a person killing his or her brother. It's also known as "Fragging" which does not need to include a fragmentation grenade, but often did, hence the term.

Why do they have to send the same troops again and again into combat? I have been shot at, and shot/killed people during Desert Storm, which luckily only lasted 4 days. To keep someone in a high stress level.. Afraid of snipers, I.E.D.s, mortar attacks, suicide bombers, civilians with AK-47s looking for bragging rights, and anything else for an extended period of time.. is LUDICROUS. They're told the tour will be X months in length. When you get near X, your mind starts to realize "I've made it through this, and I'm going HOME". Then, the rug is pulled out when you're told X is now X+?.

I condemn this soldier for doing what they did, but if they would have taken the steps to get that person out of the immediate area, and gotten them adequate psych help, this may not have happened.

Thanks Elwood for your service to our country. You are sincerely appreciated.

<----agrees with sully

Lesson: Don't send an armed wannabe to escort an unarmed warrior.