An unidentified U.S. soldier’s rogue killing of up to 16 Afghan civilians Sunday has raised questions along the Beltway about America’s course in Afghanistan and pre-existing plans for troop withdrawal, NBC News reported. U.S. military and political officials were quick to differentiate America’s ongoing military presence from the violent shooting, and President Barack Obama apologized the families of those killed and the people of Afghanistan. Sunday’s events are likely to intensify the anti-American and anti-Western sentiment that came to a head after the recent Quran burnings at a NATO base in Afghanistan. The shooting — which left nine children dead — may also prompt calls for an expedited troop withdrawal after ten long and costly years of U.S. presence in the country.