US general: Afghan civilians wounded at bomb site

[laststeamtrain]

Source: AP

US general: Afghan civilians wounded at bomb site
4 mins ago

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan – The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has confirmed villagers were wounded at the site of a NATO airstrike on hijacked fuel tankers that killed up to 70 people.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal inspected the site where a fighter jet blasted the tankers seized by the Taliban in northern Kunduz province. He also visited a hospital Saturday where the wounded have been taken and spoke with a 10-year-old boy with severe burns.

It remains unclear how many of the dead were militants and how many were villagers who rushed to siphon fuel from the stolen trucks. A NATO team began an investigation Saturday.

McChrystal says it was clear that Afghan civilians were wounded in the airstrike. He did not say if any civilians died.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090905/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[PeaceDreamer]

1. Obama is making a mess of Afghanistan

Get out now!

[Regret My New Name]

6. It was a mess before President Obama...

It would make more sense to say that Obama isn't doing much to clean up the mess Afghanistan.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. The thing is, these are human beings.

This is the same as if some country dropped bombs on Compton because Crips sell crack is it not? A ten year old boy- same as your kid- severely burned in the name of what exactly?
I dare you all to notice each kid around that age you see today. And think about the boy burned for some ideology.

[excess_3]

9. fuel tanker,,,, would make a really nice truck bomb

what was the attacking plane suppose to do?

wait for the '''villagere''' to leave?

[starroute]

10. You don't know what you're talking about

The trucks were both stuck in the mud, which is why the villages were trying to siphon off the gas. Nobody was about to use them as truck bombs any time soon.

Also, NATO has committed itself not to call in any airstrikes that could cause civilian casualties unless its own troops are in "imminent danger" -- which was clearly not the case here, since there were not even any NATO troops on the scene.

The real point is that there should not have been an "attacking plane" in the first place. The theft had been noted, the drones had spotted the trucks, and the plane should have reported back that the trucks were bogged down and were surrounded by dozens of people, clearly not all of them Taliban fighters.

It's thinking like yours, that assumes all of Afghanistan is a war zone and any Afghan a potential enemy combatant, that's a major source of our problems.

[excess_3]

11. these were enemy assets

suppose the entire trucks were not movable.

the engines, wheels/tires, other parts, fuel,
where movable

[starroute]

12. You don't kill 70 people over a few spare tires

Is there some fundamental principle of human behavior you're not getting here?

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. Apparently, the whole PNAC gang do not understand . . .

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And I hope we are not kidding ourselves,

the PNAC gang are still in control despite the election of Barack Obama.

Obama will not be the first president that has been controlled by the military complex,

and sadly, probably not the last.

Despite what the USA calls a "democracy" - the USA is really a militarily controlled administration - -

Many times, if not most, it is the MILITARY that is running the country, not its so-called democratically elected representatives.

Buck the military, - your outta there. (think JFK)

Bush kissed ass - so he got his two terms.

That's my personal opinion/observation.

[Alamuti Lotus]

15. the fundamental principle of human behavior he is missing is that HE is the enemy here

I realize that I am setting the keystone of his arch of reality on edge (the foundations of which seem to be a littly shaky to begin with, admittedly), but this is the real state of affairs that seems to be lacking in proper acknowledgement.

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. DEATH toll between 50 - 100 - but in USA-speak - that's just "collateral damage"

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"German forces had reported the two tankers hijacked by the Taliban while they were being driven from Tajikistan to supply Nato forces in Kabul.

Witnesses said one of the tankers had become stuck in a river and militants asked villagers to extract fuel to make it lighter.

At that point, the air strike occurred.

The death toll is still not confirmed, with reports varying from 56 to 90."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8239790.stm

USA fighting a ground war from the air

making more enemies by the minute.

How long do the USA "powers that be" figure they can continue to slaughter innocents before their surviving friends and families unite to destroy the Empirical USA?

THIS IS WHY EMPIRES DIE.

They get too caught up in their own power to realize that it is the so called "weak and poor" will rise up and destroy them.

"and the meek shall inherit the earth"

sumthing to ponder . . .

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. China is watching too - another link

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/06/content_12002383.htm

United Nations also expressed concern over the killing of civilians in Kunduz, saying the body would send an investigating team there, Deputy to UN special envoy Peter Galbraith said in a statement.

Inflicting casualties on civilians in the past had triggered protest demonstrations and promoted President Hamid Karzai to ask international troops coordinate operations with Afghan authorities.

Afghan leader has insisted that killing civilians would neither strengthen Afghan government nor serve the war on terror.

____________________________________________________________________

He's being very polite, political or stupid.

USA's actions over the last two decades have INCREASED the success of terrorists.

The Middle East is the Middle East, Europe is Europe , USA is the USA, and so on . .

WTF does the USA think has that it thinks is so special that it dictates the behavior of the World?

BESIDES bullets and bombs . . .

pulllleeeeeeeaaaaaze . .

(sigh)

[drdtroit]

7. It's all about STEALING resources! n/t

[winyanstaz]

5. I believe the death toll of innocent civilians is much higher...

then what they tell us.
Bring our troops OUT of the middle east and stop these wars for the war machine now!

[swilton]

8. Duh?!

You drop bombs

You kill innocent people - reminds me about a song I got from my brothers and sisters in Veterans for Peace at their National Convention in 2004 - Smart Bombs Stupid Leaders

Our military leaders and the chicken hawks try to convince us that we can wage war remotely and the efficacy of 'surgical strikes' with 'smart weapons'...:hurts: :hi:

[Alamuti Lotus]

14. the perpetrators of this massacre must be punished

Far too goddamn often the occupation forces receive a free pass for such horribly depraved acts such as this. Fires must burn beneath the feet of murderers like this, and also those that support their behavior.