In a highly unusual move, around 200 U.S. Marines were asked to leave their weapons outside the tent where U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was set to speak during his trip to Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Although the military said the order was not given in response to Sunday's shooting of 16 Afghan civilians allegedly by an American soldier, it possibly underlined how high tensions were running after the incident.
"You've got one of the most important people in the world in the room," Maj. Gen. Mark Gurganus told reporters at Camp Leatherneck, dismissing concerns related to the shooting. "This is not a big deal."
He said he had given the order because the two dozen Afghan soldiers also there were unarmed and he did not want to treat them differently.
Among those killed Sunday were nine children, and some of the bodies were reportedly burned. The suspect, who hasn't been named, is in U.S. custody.
According to reporters at Camp Leatherneck, the Marines were waiting to hear Panetta's speech when they were abruptly told by their commander to get up, leave their weapons, including M16 and M-4 automatic rifles and 9 mm pistols, outside and return unarmed.
"All I know is I was told to get the weapons out," Sergeant Major Brandon Hall told The New York Times. Asked why, he replied, "Somebody got itchy, that's all I've got to say. Somebody got itchy; we just adjust."
Hall said he was acting on orders from superiors, the Times reported.
'Sends the wrong message'
Military officials in Washington told NBC News' chief Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski that the decision to disarm the Marines was indeed significant.
Panetta: Village massacre won't deter US mission
"It sends the wrong message" that Marines can't be trusted in the presence of the secretary of defense," one told him.
According to one official the decision was "stupid."
Miklaszewski also told NBC's Chuck Todd Wednesday that the move was "highly unusual" and that Marines in combat zones are always supposed to have weapons within their reach.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- 22 kids die as bus crashes near Swiss ski area
- 'Fascinating' Libya to be next tourism hot spot?
- Source: Video shows US soldier in shawl after massacre
- Foreign exchange students sexually abused
- Sarkozy denies Gadhafi gave campaign $65 million
- China's super rich snapping up European vineyards
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
