10 things you need to know today: March 12, 2012

President Obama — (Image credit: Lance Rosenfield/Corbis)

1. AFGHAN MASSACRE PROMPTS CALLS FOR U.S. EXIT

An unstable U.S. soldier allegedly went on a brutal killing spree Sunday in southern Afghanistan, killing 16 villagers, including women and children, in their own homes. The massacre, which comes just weeks after violent protests over American soldiers burning Muslim holy books, has sparked calls for U.S. forces to immediately withdraw. On Monday, in a statement on its website, the Taliban vowed to "take revenge from the invaders and the savage murderers for every single martyr." [Reuters]

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The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, has spoken out in support of the Kony 2012 viral video. The half-hour documentary calls attention to the atrocities committed by Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army, but the group behind the video, Invisible Children, has been criticized over its methods and intentions. Invisible Children says it will release a new video Monday in response to the criticism. [Telegraph]

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