Afghan 'Massacre' Suspect Identified: Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales

WASHINGTON (AP/The Blaze) — A senior U.S. official says the soldier accused in the killing of 16 Afghan civilians is Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation into an incident that has roiled relations with Afghanistan.

American officials had previously said the suspect was a 38-year staff sergeant and that he had spent 11 years in the Army. But they had refused to release his name, saying it is military policy to publicly name a suspect only after he has been charged with an offense.

Bales has not yet been charged. He was being flown Friday from Kuwait to a military detention center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

CNN also commented on Bales' arrest today:

According to CNN, Bales had a close relationship with the Afghan people and did work with Afghani tribal elders. What motivated his alleged killing spree has not yet been revealed, as he has yet to be charged, or given a physical or psychological examination following his arrest.