US-led airstrike kills 7 Afghan children

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S.-led coalition jets bombed a compound suspected of housing al-Qaida militants in eastern Afghanistan, killing seven children and several militants, a coalition statement said Monday.

The strike, which had the support of Afghan troops, was launched Sunday on a compound that also contained a mosque and a madrassa, or Islamic school, in the Zarghun Shah district of Paktika province, a coalition statement said.

"Coalition forces confirmed the presence of nefarious activity occurring at the site before getting approval to conduct an air strike on the location," the statement said.

Early reports said seven children at the school were killed in the strike and that "several militants" also were killed, the coalition statement said. Two suspected militants also were detained.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070618/ap_on_re_as/afghan_airstrike

[IndianaGreen]

1. Another recruiting poster for the Taleban

All the civilian casualties may be the reason why there has been an increase in bombing incidents in Kabul.

[Judi Lynn]

2. They must have gone temporarily insane when they were led to think there was "nefarious activity"

going on in there. The very thought of suspected militants behaving nefariously is almost more than a normal man could take. Oh, cut them some slack.

Actually, they've killed so many children you'd think they would have made adjustments to prevent this happening over and over and over and over. I think it simply doesn't matter anymore. ALL the people they find over there are fair game, and it's not all that important to them if any of them survive anymore.

Let us take a moment to reflect on the immortal words of Dr. Laura's (Schlessinger) son, Deryk, taken from his website, concerning his warrior life in Afghanistan:

"Yes . . . F---ING Yes!!!" said one blog entry on the Schlessinger site. "I LOVE MY JOB, it takes everything reckless and deviant and heathenistic and just overall bad about me and hyper focuses these traits into my job of running around this horrid place doing nasty things to people that deserve it . . . and some that don't."
(snip)

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5934072

http://www.nypost.com.nyud.net:8090/seven/09142006/photos/pagesixA.jpg

http://images.google.com/images?q=Laura+Schlessinger&ndsp=20&svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&start=0&sa=N

[llmart]

4. And that idiot gives advice to people.............

about how to raise children? Sounds like she did a wonderful job with hers.

[NeoConsSuck]

3. "If we knew that there were children inside the building..."

I heard that quote before. It was from Timothy McVeigh.

[hatrack]

5. No one could have imagined that there would be children in a school.

:puke:

[sabra]

6. Central Command: CHILDREN SAY THEY WERE FORCED TO STAY INSIDE

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5126

Title:
CHILDREN SAY THEY WERE FORCED TO STAY INSIDE
Release Date:
6/18/2007
Release Number:
07-01-03P

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – The seven children who died in a Coalition airstrike on a compound in Zarghun Shah District, Paktika Province, last night were held inside the building throughout the day according to other children who survived the airstrike.

Coalition forces did not believe any children were in, or around, the compound during the day and ordered the strike believing the target was inside.

“We are truly sorry for the innocent lives lost in this attack,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Coalition spokesman. “We had surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building.”

Al-Qaida operatives have hidden amongst the people of Afghanistan in the past and caused unnecessary injury, and often death, to law-abiding citizens. Witness statements taken early this morning clearly put the blame on the suspected terrorists saying that if the children attempted to go outside they were beaten and pushed away from the door.

[maddezmom]

7. aren't there usually children inside of Madrassa

:shrug:

[pschoeb]

14. Yeah I surely trust Central Command

If there were various military forces around the area, what sane parent wouldn't keep their kids inside? Is the US military claiming none of these soldiers had thermal infra-red binoculars when doing reconnaissance?

What's interesting is that there is an insinuation that there was only one "target" of the airstrike, which seems to me to mean one person. It seems to me if you need an airstrike to take out one person, you are pretty much scum in my book.

[rodeodance]

8. U.S.-led air raid kills seven Afghan children

Source: (Reuters)



U.S.-led air raid kills seven Afghan children

By Sayed Salahuddin 58 minutes ago

KABUL (Reuters) - At least seven children were killed in a U.S.-led coalition air strike on a religious school in Afghanistan, the coalition said on Monday, amid rising anger over civilian deaths from foreign military operations.


A U.S. military spokesman said some children who survived Sunday's raid said insurgents had forced pupils to stay inside the madrasa.

"We are truly sorry for the innocent lives lost in this attack," said Army Major Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman, in a statement. "We had surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building."

The air strike on the school occurred on the same day a suspected suicide bomber killed more than 20 people in an attack on a police bus in the heart of Kabul.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070618/ts_nm/afghan_violence_dc;_ylt=AjEJAjoWmi_AF3hFyqBd3lPMWM0F

[pwb]

9. so sad,... they did nothing wrong

[gratuitous]

10. "No indications there were children inside the building"

So you just blew the school off the face of the earth? And what's with this laughable (well, laughable if you don't get caught up too much in the fact of seven children blasted into eternity by a bunch of nameless, faceless folks who just pushed a button several miles away) assertion from the military that they have already interviewed some of the juvenile survivors, who said that "insurgents had forced the pupils to stay inside the madrasa"?

This is what America and its vaunted wehrmacht stand for in the eyes of much of the world.

[acmavm]

11. Why in the hell are they bombing schools anyway? Regardless

of who is in the area or what's happened why are they bombing schools?

'Insurgents' blow up a bus in 'the heart of Kabul' and these fucking idiots BOMB A SCHOOL?

[Igel]

18. Some madaris are just schools.

Some arent'. There was one in nearby Pakistan in which children that acted up were put into shackles for weeks at a time. Many are notorious for the harsh punishments and excessive rigors--up for prayers before dark, up late memorizing the Qur'an.

Others are more than madaris. Some have been found that included, among the ways to praise Allah, firing automatic weapons and going through obstacle courses, learning hand-to-hand combat. When the Taliban needed forces years ago for taking over Afghanistan, many madressah headmasters emptied their schools kids over 13 or 14, telling them to go and kill for Muhammed, that Allah told them to go and seize land and put down apostates.

And, in fact, during the spring many madaris in the NWFP still empty of the graduating class, nicely trained to blow themselves up--taking, sometimes, as one brave freedom fighter for Allah and the Qur'an did a week ago, a number of kids that were stupid enough to not hate all foreigners and seek to oppress others.

So, when you say "bomb a school", it's best to know exactly what "school" means. Is it a place where they learn how to cultive African violets and read Gandhi, or is it a place where they seek to kill all non-Deobandis, South Asia's own Wahhabism?

[bullimiami]

12. and i heard on our cc/aa affiliate this morn courtesy of cnn radio news (sic)

how it was the fault of the taliban for using civilian sheilds.

i really dont like any corporate news, its all a pack of propaganda.

[pschoeb]

13. How were the "militants" to know they were going to be bombed?

that they would be able to let the kids out, also I'm pretty sure this "compound" is just a bunch of crappy buildings we would call houses, it seems all that can be claimed by the military is "nefarious" activity, what the fuck does that mean? and they still only say they are "suspected" of maybe being al-Qaida.

[KansDem]

15. This just makes me SICK, and I'm ****ing ANGRY about this!!!

Coalition troops had "surveillance on the compound all day and saw no indications there were children inside the building," Belcher said. He accused the militants of not letting the children leave the compound that was targeted.

"If we knew that there were children inside the building, there was no way that that airstrike would have occurred," said Sgt. 1st Class Dean Welch, another coalition spokesman.

I first listened to this report on the BBC between 3-5am Central Time. The "spokesman" for the US-led forces said they had "credible intelligence" that "terrorists" were located inside. He also said the lost of the children's lives was a result of al-Qaeda using the children "as human shields." There were also statements about how the "terrorists" wouldn't let the children leave the building and that the kids were being beaten. I thought to myself that this didn't make sense. Why use "human shields" but not make them visible or known? Well, when NPR came on at 5am, I heard this story repeated without reference to the "human shields" and all the information peripheral to that. I also do not recall hearing any reference to the US forces having "credible intelligence."

I notice in this article that references to "human shields" and "credible intelligence" is absent.

It sounded like the first report was an attempt for the US to CYA, then when those lies weren't working, or perceived to be too unbelievable and therefore unworkable, a modified press release was issued that closer resembled the truth.

As for "credible intelligence," we know how credible the intelligence of this administration really is!!! :grr:

[ShortnFiery]

16. Air-strikes are the best definition of "scorched earth" KILLING - Everything is shred into

kibbles and bits, i.e., enemy, civilians, and life stock. :(

[Massachusetts]

17. Collateral damage

FUBAR!

[ckramer]

19. Funny people keep asking - why do they hate us?

That's why.