p2pnet - rss feed: Video shows Afghan child deaths
p2pnet news view | Politics:- The “US-led coalition” has, “steadfastly rejected the civilian tolls from the August 22 strikes” on Azizabad in Afghan, saying “only” five to seven civilians died, “along with 30-35 Taliban rebels,” says Agence France-Presse.
But a video taken by a villager with a camera phone tells a different story.
According to UN teams, “more than 90 civilians” died, it says.
Now, the command will, “appoint a senior US military officer to review the investigation into the combined Afghan National Army (ANA) and US Forces operation,” says a statement from the US military, according to AFP.
“This review will consider new information that has become available since the completion of the initial investigation,” it said.
“The majority of the dead are children - babies and toddlers, some burned so badly they are barely recognisable,” says the BBC.
The story, which includes footage, adds:
“Clearly heard on the tape is the crying of relatives and the survivors of the bombing raid.
“US forces had originally said seven civilians were killed in a ’successful’ US raid targeting a Taleban commander in Azizabad village in Herat’s Shindand district.”
Agence France-Presse - US to begin new inquiry into Afghan civilian deaths, September 8, 2008
BBC - US to review Afghan attack case, September 8, 2008
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September 8th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
telling about this kind of thing on a site like this is not a good idea
September 8th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
It is very unfortunate that things like this happen. Not talking about it might make it happen more often. Or not. It needs to be talked about somewhere and I doubt that Fox News will mention it. Ignoring the problem seldom makes it go away.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Outrageous. Just outrageous. Such a disgusting disregard for civilian lives would be labelled as terrorism if the perpetrators were others… “Successful attack”… such hypocrisy! How many children lives are worth the one of a Taliban commander? And people wonder how terrorist ranks can keep growing…! They are fed with resentment and grief, straight from a Western spoon.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
What’s more outrageous is that people believe the Taliban propaganda when they record themselves killing 90 people and play it off to the international media whenever they take losses.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:33 am
What is usually never mentioned is that the insurgents or whoever will be shooting rockets, grenades, heavy machine gun fire etc. Then run into buildings they know are ocupied by civilians.
But they still bomb the buildings anyways knowing there may be civilian casualties. Its a win win situation for the insurgents. They will either not get bombed and survive to do it again another day, or they will get bombed, die along with civilian shields and win in the public eye.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:54 am
The Military rules of engagement are clear, shooting shelling or bombing indescriminately at civilians are crimes of war, accident do happen however and are best faced up to rather than discovered later.
As for your comment Jay I would when faced with an armed insurgent entering a civilian location and firing from such a site withdraw a safe distance as its no longer possible to ensure there will be no civilians injured, we can always catch up with such people later and still keep the respect of the locals, and that after all is something money cant buy.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Thats is the best thing to do. The problem is that they will always will run into those places for cover. Its the nature of urban combat.