Over the weekend in Kandahar, a U.S. soldier is accused of killing Afghan civilians during a shooting rampage. Ehsan Ullah, the principal of a girls school there, tells Renee Montagne that his school is shocked and saddened by the incident.

A U.S. Soldier is accused of killing some 16 Afghan civilians in Kandahar on Sunday. Some say as far as U.S. policy is concerned, it couldn't have come at a worse time. Joining the conversation with Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep are Rajiv Chandrasekaran of The Washington Post, former White House adviser Vali Nasr and retired Lt. Gen. David Barno.

The killings of some 16 civilians in Afghanistan on Sunday allegedly by a U.S. soldier are raising new questions about U.S. military strategy: whether the surge of American troops worked and whether the U.S. troops have won over the Afghan people or alienated them.

The American soldier who allegedly shot and killed 16 Afghan civilians on Sunday was from Joint Base Lewis-McChord — an Army-Air Force installation just south of Tacoma, Wash. It's one of the biggest bases in the military, and some say it's also one of the most troubled.

The shooting of 16 Afghan civilians on Sunday is not likely to alter U.S. and NATO strategy in that country. But the incident will exacerbate tensions and could make it more difficult for the U.S. to work closely with the Afghans.

A series of recent episodes in Afghanistan has raised questions about the U.S. effort to work closely with the Afghans and wind down the U.S. military mission after more than a decade of war.