NATO Admits Killing Afghan Children in Air Strike

[Hissyspit]

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE81C0MU20120213?irpc=932

NATO admits killing Afghan children in air strike

Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:44am EST

By Rob Taylor and Mirwais Harooni

KABUL (Reuters) - NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said on Monday they had mistakenly killed a group of children in an air strike that has enraged the government, and said their deaths may have been linked to an anti-insurgent operation in the area.

The air strike took place last Wednesday near the village of Giawa, in eastern Kapisa province, and followed similar bombings that have stoked tension between the government and NATO over a civilian death toll that has risen annually for five years.

- snip -

Afghan government officials showed gruesome photographs of eight dead boys, and said seven of them had been aged between six and 14, while one had been around 18 years old. They were bombed twice while herding sheep in heavy snow and lighting a fire to keep warm, they said.

"Where were the rights for these children who have been violated? Did they have rights or not? Did they have rights to live as part of the world community?" said Mohammad Tahir Safi, a member of parliament sent by President Hamid Karzai to investigate the air strike.

MORE AT LINK[p]

[Kolesar]

1. Taliban Admits Killing Afghan Children

I would like to see Afghanistan manage security in their own country so we can leave.

[A-Long-Little-Doggie]

2. +1000000

Me, too

[Proletariatprincess]

3. Taliban Admits Killing..

I don't understand your comment. This story is about NATO killing Afgan children.
I would like to see Afghanistan manage it's own affairs as should every other country in this world.
I hate that NATO even exists and should never have been created.
We in the west need to mind our own business in the affairs of other countries.

[kemah]

4. So in WWII you would let the Nazis just do their thing

We live in a global economy and have responsibilities in other countries in order to maintain global peace. Killing of civilians has always been a problem in every war since the history of mankind. The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan killed a lot of civilians but in reality it shorten the war and saved more civilian lives.

NATO did not deliberately kill, but in the fog of war, bad things happen.

[atreides1]

5. Fog of War

The excuse that has been used by almost all militaries when they fuck up!

How do you know it wasn't deliberate?

[JohnyCanuck]

7. Like with these guys?

Why we should be furious the Haditha massacre Marines got no jail time

Orwellian-style agitprop; this best describes the latest article written by James Joyner for The Atlantic on the Haditha massacre, which refers to the event in which 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women and children were killed by a group of United States Marines in 2005 in the city of Haditha, in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar.

Roster of Deaths and injuries of Iraqi’s in Haditha, as provided by United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ):

snipped list of victims

The Marine Corps dropped all charges against Sgt. Sanick P. De la Cruz, Captain Lucas McConnell, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, LCpl. Stephen Tatum and Capt. Randy Stone; all charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani were dismissed by the military judge “citing unlawful command influence” and he was allowed to retire without loss of rank. 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson was acquitted of all charges stemming from the massacre after being charged with deleting photos of the deceased Iraqis in order to obstruct the investigation.

And in a final blow to the victims of the Haditha massacre, The United States military court determined, as of last week, that the last US Marine to be tried for his involvement in the Haditha massacre would serve not a single day in prison, instead Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich will receive only a demotion to the rank of private for his role in the killing of 24 innocent Iraqi’s.

During the trial Sgt. Sanick Dela Cruz admitted that he urinated on the skull of one of the dead Iraqis and went on to testify that Marine Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich shot the passengers of the car himself from close range: “Sergeant Wuterich approached me and told me if anyone asks, the Iraqis were running away from the car and the Iraqi army shot them.”

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/01/why-we-should-be-furious-the-haditha-massacre-marines-got-no-jail-time.html

[cyberpj]

9. ..."all charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani were dismissed by the military judge"

Well THERE'S the problem.

Just like cops disciplining themselves, corporations regulating themselves, congresspeople investigating themselves (not to mention providing their own raises).....

Any others?

Remember when it was The People that were supposed to have all the rights and power?

No, you may not, since it's been at least one generation without any...

[BadtotheboneBob]

8. It was a deliberate bombing...

... but, a mistake in targeting. Leave Afghanistan ASAP!

[bemildred]

10. Godwin's law:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

If we can't run our wars without killing unarmed people in large numbers, then the proper conclusion is that we should be very cautious about getting into these stupid little unwinnable wars, morally I mean, it is a moral failing of the worst sort to treat such things as "normal" or "collateral damage".

[Proletariatprincess]

11. That is exactly what the USA did back then...

Germany declared war on the USA after Pearl Harbor...the US didn't care what the Nazis were doing at the time.
As far as responsiblities, the USA has the responsibility to be a good world citizen and do no harm to other countries. The global economy should have nothing to do with it. The fact that it even enters the discussion shows that our business interests run our foreign policy and greed and exploitation of others and their resources is their only motive.
Are you aware that the USA is more hated around the world now than Nazi Germany was then?

[Kolesar]

12. USA is more hated around the world now than Nazi Germany was then? really??

I am skeptical about that claim.

[Proletariatprincess]

15. indeed it is....

The USA has invaded, overthrown and undermined legitimate governments in many more countries than Germany ever did and has been at it much much longer. It has made enemies where ever it has gone in every corner of the world. The USA is a constant threat to small nations whose assets and resources it covets, it never keeps it word in treaties or to it's friends, it impeads progress in the areas of health and enviroment around the world, and it is a billigerant and hostile neighbor.
USAmericans who travel extensively know that....but not many do anymore and we cling to the myth of US exceptionalism.

[denem]

20. That is simply ridiculous.

USAmericans who travel extensively know that America is more hated that Nazi Germany ever was? Twaddle.

[BadtotheboneBob]

17. So am I...

... just because someone claims something is true, doesn't make it so.

[Katashi_itto]

19. Total bull. If we take that tact, then lets manage Afghan's # 1 export. Opium. Thats what fuels

the Tailban machine.

[Katashi_itto]

18. Pentagon apologises for not killing enough Afghan children, thereby preventing future

Taliban warriors...

It's their new generational warfare plan...




Sort of like what Republicans are doing to us...

[Solly Mack]

6. K&R

Thank you, Hissyspit.

[Purveyor]

13. Time to call in the 'Hearts and Minds' taskforce. /sarc off eom

[DeSwiss]

14. K&R

"First of all, drones have not caused a great number of civilian casualties. For the most part they have been very precise, precision strikes against Al Qaeda and their affiliates. We have been very careful in how it's been applied." link

[gratuitous]

16. So, who's going to jail for these murders?

{Crickets}