"That trust is going to be eroded by this kind of incident, so not only are we likely to see protests and possibly American, possibly British soldiers killed over what happened on Saturday night, but also a very severe weakening of the relationship between many of the people in Afghanistan who were supporting us."
The former commander said relations between international security forces and the Afghan government would also be weakened as a result of the murders, which took place in two villages close to a US army base in Panjwai, southern Kandahar, on Saturday.
President Barack Obama yesterday offered his condolences to Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai and expressed his "shock and sadness" over the incident.
US military officials vowed to bring those responsible to justice and launched an investigation into the killings.
They said a service member, reported to be an Army staff sergeant, was being detained in Kandahar with initial indications suggesting he handed himself in following the massacre.
Mr Kemp added: "I think every soldier in Afghanistan, British, American and other allies, will be sickened by a person wearing their own uniform literally going door to door and killing people as they sleep in their houses.
"These are the very people that this soldier and his comrades are supposed to be in Afghanistan to protect not kill."
Asked if mental strain may have led to the massacre, he added: "You would have to make a very persuasive case that these actions were due to mental stress, that's not to say that the stress isn't there for every soldier in Afghanistan."
The UK ambassador to Afghanistan Sir William Patey said the incident had nothing to do with Nato operations and was a "completely out-of-the-ordinary event".
He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "It's obviously clear from what we know so far, and we obviously have to await the outcome of an investigation, that this looks like the apparent act of a single individual and is no part of any Nato/Isaf operation. So we proceed in that context.
"This is not something that has characterised Nato/Isaf's presence over the last 10 years in Afghanistan. It's a unique event, out of the blue."
In a statement released by the White House, President Obama said: "This incident is tragic and shocking, and does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan."
Nato officials also apologised for the killings.
Lieutenant General Adrian Bradshaw, deputy commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, said: "I wish to convey my profound regrets and dismay at the actions apparently taken by one coalition member in Kandahar province.
"One of our soldiers is reported to have killed and injured a number of civilians in villages adjacent to his base. I cannot explain the motivation behind such callous acts but they were in no way part of authorised Isaf military activity."
American troops sparked public outrage last month after burning copies of the Koran.
Barack Obama immediately condemned the attack calling it a ?tragic and shocking incident?, with Nato pledging to conduct a "rapid and thorough investigation".
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, is currently in Afghanistan on a surprise visit to the country as officials said a pact between Western and Afghan forces could be delayed. The strategic pact was expected to enable the long-term deployment of US troops in Afghanistan.
Anti-western sentiment is already at boiling point following widespread demonstrations less than three weeks ago after the discovery of burned copies of the Koran at a US airbase. More than 40 people died during the protests, including four Americans.
Only one month before that, video footage emerged of four US soldiers urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters, provoking fury across the Arab world.
Yesterday?s deadly rampage, where a lone US soldier broke into three houses and shot 16 civilians, was described as unprecedented by Western officials.
Hamid Karzai immediately condemned the killings as ?unforgivable? and said the deaths, which included nine children and three women, were ?an assassination?.
The soldier?s motivation was unclear, the Nato-led coalition said, but the American embassy in Kabul vowed the individual responsible would be brought to justice.
Once there he entered three houses and opened fire, killing 11 from a single family in one house alone. Many of the bodies were also burned neighbours said.
"No Taliban were here. No gun battle was going on," one woman from Alkozai told Associated Press.
"We don't know why this foreign soldier came and killed our innocent family members. Either he was drunk or he was enjoying killing civilians."
American military officials in Kabul denied reports from villagers that more than one soldier had been involved in the attack.
A spokesman for the coalition said: ?It was one US service member acting alone. This was not part of any operation. He walked out of the compound and fired on civilians, then returned to his compound and handed himself in.?
The Koran-burning protests have already set back aid efforts after hundreds of foreign advisers were pulled from their jobs in Afghan ministries following the shooting dead of two American officers in reprisal.
Both Nato and Washington tried to limit the damage with a series of condolence statements and promises to investigate fully what had happened.
The American embassy in Kabul said: ?We deplore any attack by a member of the United States armed forces against innocent civilians, and denounce all violence against civilians.?
?We assure the people of Afghanistan that the individual or individuals responsible for this act will be identified and brought to
justice.?
Lt Gen Adrian Bradshaw, deputy commander of the coalition, added: ?I cannot explain the motivation behind such callous acts, but they were in no way part of authorised [coalition] military activity.?
The Taliban posted a statement calling the killings ?genocidal?.
It said: ?The so-called American peace keepers have once again quenched their thirst with the blood of innocent Afghan civilians in Kandahar province.?
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