More Afghan children die in raid

[Smintjes]

More Afghan children die in raid

The US military in Afghanistan has revealed that six children died in a raid on suspected militants in the eastern province of Paktia last week.
News of the deaths came shortly after the US apologised for killing nine children in a separate raid in the neighbouring province of Ghazni.

About 2,000 troops backed by Afghan forces are pursuing militants in the south-east in a land and air assault.

US officials have warned they will not be deterred by civilian casualties.

Two adults' bodies were also found when ground forces searched the area on Saturday.

He said there had been no indication that civilians were at the scene before US forces launched their raid and he suggested the victims were partly to blame for being at a site used by militants to store munitions.

"In this incident, if non-combatants surround themselves with thousands of weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and howitzers and mortars, in a compound known to be used by a terrorist, we are not completely responsible for the consequences," he said.
The raid was launched in the belief that a suspected militant, Mullah Jilani, was staying in the compound.

When troops arrived they did not find the suspect but made nine other arrests, a US spokesman said.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has defended the aggressive pursuit of militant leaders in Afghanistan, saying the Pentagon is equally happy to capture or kill them.

'No guarantee'

The US military earlier admitted mistakenly killing nine children in an air attack on Saturday against another suspected militant in Ghazni Province.

"I can't guarantee that we will not injure more civilians," said Lieutenant Colonel Hilferty, adding: "I wish I could".
During the Ghazni raid, an A-10 ground attack aircraft opened fire at a figure thought to be that of a militant leader, Mullah Wazir.

The identity of the man killed along with the children has been disputed with villagers saying he was a local labourer while the intended target had left the area days before the attack.

The deaths of the children brought widespread condemnation abroad with Afghan officials warning that such "mistakes" risked undermining the US-backed Afghan Government.

"We haven't been perfect," General Richard Myers, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, offering his condolences.



BBC News


Go USA!

[Argyll]

He said there had been no indication that civilians were at the scene before US forces launched their raid and he suggested the victims were partly to blame for being at a site used by militants to store munitions.


What about your intel?...............playing a blinder these days is it not?

Thats almost as rediculous as depatching an A10 to take out a SINGLE man,talk about abusing resources!!

[Roger Rabbit]

I don't think we are being told the truth here. An airstrike on one man in a village. I have a strong feeling there is a lot more to this and its unlikely we'll find out what it is.

As it is then whatever has happen, it went wrong. The Americans in charge of sorting this mess out need to do far more than just say "sorry" and its "war".

[Vance]

What the flying #(%%#

[ShotOver]

They died by a falling wall...

Accidents happen, you gotta break some eggs to make a cake.

Atleast they arnt ruled by the taliban anymore.

[Argyll]

Ain't much good when there are bits of eggshells in the cake mate!!!
There are too many incidents happening that are coming from piss poor intel!

How would you feel if the Local SWAT team shot up a neighbours house killing some innocents,especially kids,when they were looking for some crack dealers,only to find that they were in the wrong house?
They get fu*ckin slaughtered that's what and they are made to be held accountable,and they are investigated thouroughly to prevent this from happening again..........you never heard of risk assessment?

[ShotOver]

Heh, your right mate.

But let's not forget, the pilots are loaded up on speed... makes them all wacky.

Thats twice in a week children have been killed.

[One?]

They died by a falling wall...

Accidents happen, you gotta break some eggs to make a cake.

Atleast they arnt ruled by the taliban anymore..


Lets say a SWAT takedown caused a wall to fall on US children what would happen on this board, media and the whole world? But I guess if you weren't american/European then your life is cheap....

[Uncle Sam]

One wrote:


Lets say a SWAT takedown caused a wall to fall on US children what would happen on this board, media and the whole world? But I guess if you weren't american/European then your life is cheap....

You got us figured out...Better change your Nationality :bash:

[radon]

how often did the uk army accidentally kill people they didnt want to?

[Royal]

how often did the uk army accidentally kill people they didnt want to?

Not very often - we usually kill who we're intending to - international opinion doesn't always agree with us, but as I'm sure our American friends would agree, you can't please everyone, all the time ;)

[Roger Rabbit]

The British don't kill people any more. Just look at the MI5 website, they say they no longer carry out assassinations. Bang when my ideas of joining. ;)

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

"In this incident, if non-combatants surround themselves with thousands of weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and howitzers and mortars, in a compound known to be used by a terrorist, we are not completely responsible for the consequences,"

Ummm who said these guys had a choice, ya know its there village right and they may be are forced to hide n live with all of those weapons also.
Wow life is cheap if your not an american or a european, if this was an american soldier or someone else that died you guys would be mourning it. But its not so you make stupid comments like this
You got us figured out...Better change your Nationality :bash:
You should feel ashamed of yourself dude, its kinda funny how they say
He said there had been no indication that civilians were at the scene before US forces launched their raid but then they arrested 9 others....dumb eh

[usa320]

In this incident, if non-combatants surround themselves with thousands of weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and howitzers and mortars, in a compound known to be used by a terrorist

I tell you what, i would have bombed the **** out of them too.

If the Afghans are willing to defeat whats left of the taliban than instead of hiding their howitzers they would tell the coalition of their location.

[marktigger]

yet again over reliance on hitec solutions screws up. :cantbeli:

[Argyll]

I see we have the token rectum post!
Its statement like that that make people condemn the actions taken by the US in certain scenarios!

[Trident-za]

Agreed, Argyll.

[hahaha]

Could the bodies have been planted by Al-Quaida as a way of blaming the Americans for killing children ? I'm not saying that's what happened, but is it a possibility ?

[Skaman]

It is carelessness. Someone mentioned how rare it is to see US civilian deaths in criminal take-downs. It happens, yet not as frequent as in Afghanistan due to the turbulent war zone. I suppose afghan civilians are not held in the same respect of life as they are not American civilians, and just "an egg to break on the way to baking the cake"? This is so sad.


Why is it, whenever I hear of friendly fire incidents and civilian killings, its an "accident" and just a "way" of war. Well, I will tell you what, I think these "accidents" should be held a little more serious as they are far too frequent.

I can’t help but think back to the Canadians killed in Afghanistan who were killed by an American pilot during a live fire exercise who claimed he was being fired upon. I’m not a pilot, yet, indirect artillery and small arms fire is hardly going to affect a jet at 6000 feet during the night. He disobeyed orders and followed his "gut"

Then we have the recent exhaustive list in Iraq of misfires and "accidents". Enough is enough, pull it together. Enough people have died based upon American carelessness.

[aFgHaNibOi]

[quote]
Go USA!

Go USA? The hell kinda **** is that? I'm all for the US stayin' there but what the hell kinda **** is that? GO USA FOR BECAUSE MORE KIDS DIED? :bash: Listen, these kinds of things do benefit to no one. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE US SHOULD REALLY DO SOMETHING THAT WILL SHOW THAT THEY ARE THE GOOD GUYS, THAT THEY ARE THERE TO HELP THE AFGHANS AND THAT THESE ARE ACCIDENTS. THESE ACCIDENTS WILL ONLY ANGER THE POPULACE...GOD DAMN MAN, WAKE THE HELL UP. GO USA... :slap:

[aFgHaNibOi]

Could the bodies have been planted by Al-Quaida as a way of blaming the Americans for killing children ? I'm not saying that's what happened, but is it a possibility ?
Yes, of course. Man Al Qaeda isn't smart enough to do that, damn you guys are givin' too much credit to these morons. The California Fires were caused by Al Qaeda...yeah right. rofl

[mocking_loudly_died]

Breaks out the napalm.

[hahaha]

Giving no-one any credit at all, just asking a question ****head.

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

Yea aFgHaNibOi does a great job of suming it up. Besides hes lived there so he knows what its like. You guys need to show respect, people died, because they arnt American we get people saying
Go USA
And you guys wonder why everyone in the middle east hates you. (except for Israel)


P.s.
just asking a question ****head. Comments like that are quite childish, and are not needed. If you dont have anything informative to say dont post it. Saying just asking a question would have been good enough, but instead you attempt to start a flame war. Do a favor for me grow up, and show some respect.

[The Walrus]

Ermmm..... methinks the 'go USA' statement was meant to be ironic/

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

Walrus I think the word your looking for is Sarcastic, maybe but it could have been left out and showed some respect.

[Beowulf]

[quote]
Go USA!

... THE US SHOULD REALLY DO SOMETHING THAT WILL SHOW THAT THEY ARE THE GOOD GUYS, THAT THEY ARE THERE TO HELP THE AFGHANS AND THAT THESE ARE ACCIDENTS. THESE ACCIDENTS WILL ONLY ANGER THE POPULACE...


The USA does a lot to help the people of Afghanistan, and Iraq as well. The problem is that it is rarely covered in the media.

There are huge portions of the military dedicated to Humanitarian Assistance, yet they are rarely covered in the media, b/c Pvt Snuffy getting shot up sells more copies.

[GazB]

Even the Soviets built schools and roads, but as long as the oppositionwas being supported by you know who there were always operations... and in those operations people got killed who weren't supposed to get killed and it just made things worse.

I don't think the Americans are the bad guys because mistakes have cost the lives of some innocent people. However if they are going to suggest that it might have been those childrens fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time then I lose respect for them and what they say they are trying to do.

Bad things happen during war and mistakes are made, but if you started that war then you are responsible for those mistakes and should treat the locals with respect. If you have no respect for the locals why are you there? Sure you are making their lives better, but they didn't ask you to do that and lets face it before 11/9 you were pretty much supporting the previous regime, so they can hardly be expected to give you big hugs and kisses for what you have done.

So for the Americans and pro Americans... keep in mind you are there to save these people, not kill them... there has not been any indiscriminate killing on the US side in the war on drugs, lets hope there isn't in the war on terror... remember it is a war AGAINST terror... not to promote it. Al qada thrives best in lawless countries.

For the nonpro americans here just remember this wasn't done on purpose and is no doubt genuinely regretted by those involved.

[aFgHaNibOi]

ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð,
Thanks a lot. Nice to know you understood. See, it's these kinds of events that the ousted Taliban members [as well as other groups of people in Afghansitan] utilize to achieve their own goals and aims. The Taliban is still there, no doubt, so are some foriegners [*cough*Pakis*cough*], and they feed off these sort of things, to gain support. They'll say things like, look at these people, they say they came here to help, but all they do is kill "our" children. They are all scum, and the Lord willing, Afghanistan will be their end [talkin' about the Talibs/foriegners/al Qaeda, etc.]...

Mr. Beowulf,
Oh I don't doubt that the U.S. is helping, I know they are. It would be lovely to see these sort of things covered by the media though. The only things that I see on Afghanistan on T.V. ever is from the CBC Channel, which is a Canadian Channel...God I love Canadians :hug: [as well as all the other nations whom are currently in Afghanistan :hug: May God help you all :roll:]...

GazB,
Very well said bro/sis. ;)

[Deuterium]

Even the Soviets built schools and roads, but as long as the oppositionwas being supported by you know who there were always operations... and in those operations people got killed who weren't supposed to get killed and it just made things worse.

I don't think the Americans are the bad guys because mistakes have cost the lives of some innocent people. However if they are going to suggest that it might have been those childrens fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time then I lose respect for them and what they say they are trying to do.

Bad things happen during war and mistakes are made, but if you started that war then you are responsible for those mistakes and should treat the locals with respect. If you have no respect for the locals why are you there? Sure you are making their lives better, but they didn't ask you to do that and lets face it before 11/9 you were pretty much supporting the previous regime, so they can hardly be expected to give you big hugs and kisses for what you have done.

So for the Americans and pro Americans... keep in mind you are there to save these people, not kill them... there has not been any indiscriminate killing on the US side in the war on drugs, lets hope there isn't in the war on terror... remember it is a war AGAINST terror... not to promote it. Al qada thrives best in lawless countries.

For the nonpro americans here just remember this wasn't done on purpose and is no doubt genuinely regretted by those involved.

A couple of years ago some kids snuck onto base and went to the impact area and wandered over some UXO and died....Yeah there is a time and place to blame kids for being in the wrong place.

[papasmerf]

RIP to the kids.

[usa320]

RIP indeed.

Anytime there is war, this things will happen.

All we can do is try our best to minimize those risks.

Afterall, its Al Queda that put those people in the position to be harmed.