U.S. Raid Kills 9 Children In Afghanistan
Target Was Militant Who Allegedly Murdered Contractors
POSTED: 8:58 p.m. EST December 6, 2003
UPDATED: 7:36 a.m. EST December 7, 2003
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The intended target was a "known terrorist," but an American air raid in eastern Afghanistan has also left nine children dead.
A coalition spokesman -- Army Maj. Christopher West -- says ground forces later found the bodies of the intended target and the children nearby.
West says an American A-10 aircraft attacked a site south of Ghazni after U.S. forces collected what he called "extensive intelligence over an extended period of time."
He says the target was a militant believed responsible for killing two foreign contractors on an Afghan road in October.
While the United States says nine children as well as the militant were killed, there's different account from a local official.
The secretary for the governor of Ghazni province says the Americans bombed the wrong house, killing eight children and two adults, but not the suspected terrorist. The official says actual target was a former Taliban commander named Mullah Wazir.
West says until an investigation is completed, the military can't say exactly what happened.
He says coalition forces will attempt to offer assistance to the families of the children and the military regrets the lost of any innocent life.
The worst accidental killing of Afghan civilians happened in July 2002. Afghan officials say that's when 48 civilians at a wedding party were killed by a U.S. Air Force gunship.
Sad, sad story, whichever version is the truth....Poor kids....
This will happen as long as airstrikes are used in place of ground operations in cases such as this. Ultimately, it is a matter of deciding to conduct operations in such a manner as to minimize American casualties at the expense of a heightened probability of collateral damage.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Darth Wong wrote:This will happen as long as airstrikes are used in place of ground operations in cases such as this.
Plenty of civilians die in the crossfire of ground operations. With a singular air attack at least there is a minimal chance of things getting out of control, unlike major ground operation.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Odd, neither the BBC or Arab News are reporting it. The latter would typically be all over something like this.
BoTM / JL / MM / HAB / VRWC / Horseman
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
Also, are there any reports available concerning the age of these children?
BoTM / JL / MM / HAB / VRWC / Horseman
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
Darth Wong wrote:This will happen as long as airstrikes are used in place of ground operations in cases such as this. Ultimately, it is a matter of deciding to conduct operations in such a manner as to minimize American casualties at the expense of a heightened probability of collateral damage.
Agreed. This was a perfect example of the 'sledgehammer for a fly' syndrome of US forces making sure that there are no US casualties. For one badguy, a group operation would have been preferable.
True, that there still could have been collateral damage, but the ground troops have a better chance of checking their targets than the A10 does before firing.
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
