Afghan children killed in US attack [biased headline: US was targetting a terrorist camp]

NineMSN ^ | Sun 7 Dec 2003 | AFP

[yonif]

AFP - Nine children were among 10 people killed in a US air attack on a suspected terrorist in southeast Afghanistan, the US military said.

"Following the attack, coalition ground forces searching the area found the bodies of both the intended target and those of nine children nearby," the US military said in a statement from the coalition's Bagram Air Base headquarters north of Kabul.

Coalition aircraft opened fire on the suspect at about 10.30am (1700 AEDT) on Saturday south of the town of Ghazni, 130km southwest of Kabul.

"Coalition forces acted after developing extensive intelligence over an extended period of time that determined the known terrorist was at the isolated rural site," the military said.

"Coalition forces regret the loss of any innocent life."

[jocon307]

Who was this guy? He sounds like the Michael Jackson of Afghanistan.

[thoughtomator]

Child soldiers most likely

[yankeedame]

...and the puppies. Don't forget the puppies!

[yonif]

While the report said Israeli forces made efforts to minimize civilian casualties, they often undertook targeted killings in civilian areas that resulted in innocent bystanders being killed.

U.S. cites China, Israel, Saudi Arabia for poor human rights

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the US opposes the use of heavy weapons in urban areas even when they are used against people like Mohammed Deif, who have been responsible for the deaths of American citizens.

US criticizes Israel for attempt to kill Deif

Powell criticizes attempt to kill Hamas leader, says US has never supported targeted assassinations

"We are saddened by these injuries and the loss of innocent lives. The second thing I'd say is we have reiterated to Israel that it should consider the consequences of its actions and take appropriate precautions to prevent the death or injury of innocent civilians and damage to civilian and humanitarian infrastructure," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Consider the consequences, US urges Israel

Mr. Bush made his comments at a meeting with the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, several hours after Israeli helicopter gunships carried out the missile attacks in Gaza, including the failed effort to kill Mr. Rantisi. "I am troubled by the recent Israeli helicopter gunship attacks," Mr. Bush said. "I regret the loss of innocent life. I'm concerned that the attacks will make it more difficult for the Palestinian leadership to fight off terrorist attacks. I also don't believe the attacks help the Israeli security."

Bush Rebukes Israel for Attack in Gaza (aimed at killing terrorist leader, but which killed a number of civilians)

In a July 2002 attack, a warplane dropped a one-ton bomb that killed its target — Hamas military leader Salah Shehadeh — but also 14 bystanders, among them several children, prompting an international outcry.

Israel Bombs Gaza City

[Dick Vomer]

Damn...only 9. This attack was sponsored by Planned Parenthood.... I thought at least 2 or 3 hundred were to be terminated-aborted-... "choiced" to be without life...

I mean they're only kids.. it's not like they've got a life or anything...

Gee, we're just trying to control the overpopulation of the country and have "zero-growth". Hopefully they're all Christian male children, since they are the most evil children of all and need to die.... (/sarcasm)

[yonif]

Nine children killed in US attack

December 7, 2003

Nine children were among 10 people killed in a US air attack on a suspected "terrorist" in south-east Afghanistan, the US military said today.

"Following the attack, coalition ground forces searching the area found the bodies of both the intended target and those of nine children nearby," the US military said in a statement early today from the coalition's Bagram Air Base headquarters north of Kabul.

Coalition aircraft opened fire on the suspect at about 10:30am(1700 AEDT) yesterday south of the town of Ghazni, 130 kilometres south-west of the capital.

The suspect was believed to be responsible for recently killing two contractors working on the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat ring road, the military said.

"Coalition forces acted after developing extensive intelligence over an extended period of time that determined the known terrorist was at the isolated rural site," the military said.

The coalition said a commission is being set up to investigate the deaths and said its forces "follow stringent rules of engagement to specifically avoid this type of incident while continuing to target terrorists" in Afghanistan.

"Coalition forces regret the loss of any innocent life," it said.

US-led troops were remaining in the area and "over the next several days will make every effort to assist the families of the innocent casualties and determine the cause of the civilian deaths".

Scores of civilians have been killed in US-led bombing since the start of the US-led campaign against the Taliban regime and al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan in October 2001.

The US has not previously offered compensation to families of innocent victims killed in a "war zone".

Last month Afghan officials claimed eight civilians were killed in a coalition bombing raid in north-east Afghanistan.

Afghan officials in September said eight nomads were among 10 people killed by US bombing of a nomad camp in violence-wracked Zabul amid a massive anti-militant offensive by US and Afghan troops which left around 150 suspected militants dead.

The US military is investigating the incident after initially denying any civilians were killed.

Eleven Afghan civilians were also killed on April 9 when their house was hit by a stray 450kg laser-guided bomb in a US bombing raid against suspected Taliban in the mountains of south-east Paktika province.

After that incident rights watchdog Amnesty International said the US military should take urgent measures to avoid a repetition.

"The safety of civilians must be made a priority and urgent measures taken to avoid the repetition of such tragedies," it said in April.

"US forces must take sufficient precautions to protect civilians in selecting military objectives and means of attack," it said.

"Civilian casualties cannot be allowed - neither in Afghanistan nor in Iraq - to become an acceptable feature of war."

Some 48 people were also killed in June 2002 when US forces mistakenly bombed a wedding party in central Uruzgan province.

-AFP


This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/07/1070732055135.html

[J. L. Chamberlain]

Nine out of the ten killed were children and you think the headline is biased?

Sheesh!

J

[Cicero]

I'm a little suspicious that they don't give ANY details about the children. What age children? What sex? Teenage boys are often warriors in tribal societies.

This sounds to me suspiciously like liberal lies about the number of children in America killed by guns. It sounds terrible until you learn that they include teenage drug dealers and gang members who shoot each other.

[armymarinemom]

One of the first US fatalities was a SF soldier who was shot by a child in Khowst. This story lacks a lot of detail most likely intentional.

[yonif]

I personally feel the children were innocent, and the terrorist simply hid in that area thinking they were safe. The US had a right to target that terrorist and so does Israel, even though the US has criticized Israel when it targetted a terrorist and children or other innocents were killed.

[yonif]

Nine out of the ten killed were children and you think the headline is biased?

Not biased in that sense, but in the sense the headline makes it look like the US targetted children on purpose.

[Bringbackthedraft]

On Purpose? Maybe. How many weapons did they find?

[Uncle Miltie]

"Afghan children killed in US attack"

Correction: "Islamofascist War Crime: Co-locating Terrorists Results in Children's Death."

[nwrep]

Yonif, great points. Now I am waiting to hear Powell criticize Rumsfeld for loss of innocent life during a targeted assassination. Ahh, never mind.

[Theo]

Is a 17-year-old young man technically a "child"? I'd imagine a group of 17-year-olds who've been groomed for terrorism could be pretty rough. That said, nobody yet knows if these "children" are young men or babies....

Best to withold judgment at this point, which is hard to do in our world that demands polls without sufficient evidence....

[cyborg]

Well I'm not surprised terrorists would use innocent babes as human shields, coward scum bags. I remember that postcard of the baby dressed up as the suicide bomber. Boy the PA was scrambling to say it was fake weren't they?

[Dave Elias]

"Not biased in that sense, but in the sense the headline makes it look like the US targetted children on purpose."

Huh? You're bloody paranoid...The headline is:

"Afghan children killed in US attack"

Which is pretty much as perfuntory as an headline can be. I fail to see how you can infer the bias from that. The fact is that nine children were killed to one terrorist.

If anything the story is if anything suggesting this was a pretty poor effort, which on the face of, it was.