There is new concern over the safety of U.S. troops abroad following the attack by a U.S. soldier charged with killing 16 Afghanistan civilians, and a call by the Taliban for revenge.

Dr. Jalil Roshandel at ECU has academic roots in political science, specializing in middle east relations. He says, "Islamic society is culturally based on blood for blood- eye for eye- hand for hand. So that cannot be totally forgotten."

Alexis Johnson's husband is in the Marines. While he is in the U.S. now, she knows he can be called for combat at any minute. Johnson says, "I think anybody should worry. It's still a hostile situation over there."

Concern then turns to those troops still on the ground in Afghanistan. Some are quick to diagnose the soldier involved with with PTSD, or post traumatic stress disorder.

Charles Pearce is a clinical therapist, and says he knows blaming PTSD is a natural reaction, but he believes it was more likely a psychotic break, meaning "The solider became under so much stress, he was unable to really determine the nature of reality that he was working in and suddenly became aggressive and agitated and decided to take the action that he did probably for some delusional reason."