US military to pay Afghans for traffic accident that triggered riots

[rainbow4321]

$112,000 for triggering the "deadliest riot there in years". Pocket change in chimp's regime.


http://www.katu.com/news/ap_story_international.asp?URL=http://localhost/apwirefeed/d8ivt540o.xml&NewsSection=BreakingNewsHeadlines


The US military is going to be paying compensation to the victims of a traffic accident in Afghanistan.

The accident in Kabul on May 29th triggered the deadliest riot there in years. A military truck apparently suffered a brake failure, then rammed into cars at an intersection. At least one person was killed.

The military says it's going to pay about 112-thousand dollars to victims and family members. In all, there were 24 claims of property and personal damage stemming from the accident.

It was followed by rioting by hundreds of people who rampaged through the city, causing widespread destruction. About 20 people died, many apparently from gunfire by Afghan security forces.

[Erika]

1. But our troops who died there have no compensation?

I guess it's because they are only Americans. No big deal.

[MADem]

6. SGLI pays the surviving family, as designated by the servicemember,

four hundred thousand dollars. There are also other benefits that accrue in addition to that. For example, if the spouse is living in base housing, they give them half a year to pack up. They pay a funeral allowance and will provide a plot. A Casualty Assistance Calls Officer will brief the survivors on benefits.

Where ever did you get the idea that there was no compensation paid out? The only way there won't be a SGLI payout is if the servicemember goes out of his way to REFUSE the insurance.

[babylonsister]

2. Refresh my memory; this was the deal the US wasn't involved in?

Initially? What else are they lying about?

[rainbow4321]

7. US fired "warning shots" at the crowd and then ran off

Here is one source but I've seen others via Google. The US fired shots over the crowd's heads and then they got the hell out of there "with the disabled truck".
Would have loved for that truck to been examined to see if the brakes really did fail or if it was wreckless driving--one article I saw had locals complaining about US military guys having a long history of driving too fast/wrecklessly in their city, long before this accident.
Initially, looks like the military brass tried to pin the post accident response on "some local police" (as in the local police inciting the riots and not the US).

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/05/mil-060529-afps02.htm

A deadly traffic accident involving a coalition convoy in the Afghan capital of Kabul today sparked civil unrest in its aftermath, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported.


Coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Thomas Collins issued a statement that said a large cargo truck apparently experienced a mechanical failure and struck as many as 12 civilian vehicles at about 8 a.m.

When a crowd gathered at the scene and became hostile, a second convoy came to help, and both convoys moved out of the area with the damaged truck while Afghan security forces handled crowd control. Collins said a full investigation is under way, and that soldiers in at least one convoy vehicle may have fired warning shots over the crowd

"Apparently there was a traffic accident of some kind," he told interviewer Miles O'Brien in an interview originally intended to focus on the nation's observance of Memorial Day. "As a result of that, a crowd gathered. I understand that some local police responded to the scene. After that it's a little bit sketchy as far as what happened. So I don't want to speculate. But there has been a problem there. We need to find out what happened."
-------------

http://voanews.com/english/archive/2006-05/2006-05-29-voa3.cfm?CFID=28252644&CFTOKEN=63390674

The rioting started after an American military truck accidentally slammed into as many as a dozen civilian vehicles Monday morning. Local officials say the crash killed at least five people and injured several others.

U.S. Military spokesman Colonel Thomas Collins says American troops fired only warning shots into the air, as the crowd tried to surround their vehicles.

"When the gathering became hostile, the coalition vehicles attempted to move out of the area to reduce tensions," said Colonel Collins. "There are indications that at least one coalition military vehicle fired warning shots over the crowd."

[blonndee]

3. $112,000 for 24 claims.

Shows you what the MIC thinks the value of Afghani lives are worth.

I do believe this was an accident; however, the US MIC is responsible for this and all they want to offer is a fucking $112K? We need to stop the war machine and help the Afghanis rebuild their country and give them a hope for the future. There's plenty of money for that.

[Rex]

4. So did we capture OBL yet!?!?!

Find any of those WMDs!?!?!

Still holding my breath. :blush:

[ConsAreLiars]

5. Now pay compensation to those murdered by US hirelings

after that accident. And then to the many thousands more who have been murdered in that country in order to put another pawn on "the great chessboard" as the psychopath who created the Taliban called it.