AP Exclusive: Aid workers' last moments (before Taliban murdered them)

[Turborama]

Source: AP

By DEB RIECHMANN and AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writers –

KABUL, Afghanistan – The first sign of danger was the crackle of gunfire over their heads. Ten gunmen, their faces covered, rushed toward terrified humanitarian workers and began shouting "Satellite! Satellite!" — a demand to surrender their phones. Moments later, 10 of them lay dead, including two women hiding in the back seat of a car the attackers hit with a grenade, according to an Afghan official familiar with the account the sole survivor gave police.

It is the first detailed narrative of the slaying of six Americans, two Afghans, one German and a Briton on Aug. 5 in remote northern Afghanistan. They were ambushed and shot Aug. 5 after journeying about 100 miles — much of it on foot and horseback — through the Hindu Kush mountains, giving eye and other medical care to impoverished villagers.

Afghan and U.S. investigators spent at least four hours this week questioning the survivor, a 24-year-old father of three named Safiullah. He was employed as a driver for International Assistance Mission, a nonprofit Christian organization that has worked in Afghanistan since 1966.

Safiullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name, told investigators that the killings occurred around 7:30 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose details of the ongoing investigation. The official, whose information has proven reliable in the past, said Safiullah, who is being held but not behind bars, gave the following account of how the killings unfolded.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x403033">In Memoriam: Profiles of the 8 Aid Workers & 2 Afghan Assistants Murdered in Cold Blood by Taliban

[Swagman]

1. very sad. Wonder if G.Bush or T.Blair have read this.

[OKDem08]

2. Wikileaks having an affect?

the Pentagon suppresses release of the collateral murder video but I've noticed stories attempting to affect opinion on the occupation have become more prevalent lately. As another example: Time magazine's story implying the cause of women's rights will suffer if America leaves Afghanistan.

[Turborama]

3. No. Do you really think that this wouldn't have been reported if Wikileaks' release hadn't happened?

If so, that's a logic fail and a classic case of cognitive dissonance.

BTW the collateral murder video was about Iraq and was released by WikiLeaks ages ago. It received a huge amount of coverage at the time.

Way to conflate issues to try and make out like the release of the details of what the Taliban did to the aid workers is some kind of propaganda tool.

[SkyDaddy7]

4. I have to agree with you...

That comment did not make sense.

[joshcryer]

5. These sorts of reports are quite regular, and happen weekly if not daily.

The reason you don't hear of them is because they're hardly discussed on "progressive" sites. Talking about Islamists killing people is not PC.

[pampango]

6. Murders of Aid Workers A Turning Point in Afghanistan? - PBS Wide Angle

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/blog/murders-of-aid-workers-a-turning-point-in-afghanistan/5932/

The aid workers, members of the Christian non-profit the International Assistance Mission, were returning on foot from a two-week medical expedition in Badakhshan province when they were stopped by the Taliban. Gunmen then marched them into a forest, lined them up and shot them one-by-one. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid accused the group of proselytizing and spying – charges the IAM has denied. Many provinces in northern Afghanistan have long been considered bastions of relative calm, though there are now indications that insurgents are moving out of the Taliban homeland in the south and are attempting to open a second front in war.

The attack – which was the second-largest single loss of American civilian life since the 9-year war began – is also being cited as evidence of a marked shift in Taliban strategy. While in the past, the Taliban urged their fighters to avoid killing civilians, they are now actively targeting international aid workers and those working with the Afghan government and foreign forces. The number of civilians killed by insurgents, which comprises the majority of civilian casualties, is up more than 50 percent in the first six months of 2010.

This raises questions about the viability of President Barack Obama’s proposed “civilian surge” to help bring development to the country. Hawks argue that civilian development efforts cannot continue without a military victory. Others disagree. In a related development, The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the U.S. military brass is set to make a very public case for greatly downsizing the July 2011 troop withdrawal.

[Turborama]

7. Devastated Christian aid group pledges to continue work in Afghanistan

Interesting article which proves how desperate the Taliban are becoming, thanks for sharing.

However, the charity concerned are not going to stop their humanitarian work in Afghanistan...


Source: Washington Post

By Joshua Partlow

Monday, August 9, 2010

KABUL -- During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, the Christian aid group International Assistance Mission was forced to stop working anywhere outside the capital.

Under the mujaheddin government that followed, the group's medical teams had to negotiate with separate warring factions for safe passage across rocket-strafed Kabul just to travel from their homes to the eye clinic. The Taliban, when it came to power, prohibited the organization's female staff members from working in the same office as men.

=snip=

"It's devastating for everybody," executive director Dirk Frans said of the killings. "Still, I don't think it's actually going to stop our work. We've been here all those years, and, God willing, we'll continue."

=snip=

This focus on health care has allowed the International Assistance Mission to operate even under a Taliban government that was hostile to any Christian group, said Hans Ronnlund, an adviser to Frans who has worked with the group for 20 years in Afghanistan.

Links to the full story and more, here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4496852

[riderinthestorm]

10. Are they desperate or just simply emboldened since the US isn't effective.

I don't read this as the Taliban are desperate, but that they are emboldened. They know that there won't be any "justice" meted out for this despicable act. They can act with impunity.

They are reverting to their "old" ways when they were in control. Which they are for most parts of the country.

[Turborama]

11. This is in an area that has been relatively peaceful & they can "act with impunity"

....because it is a remote area and one of the few areas of the country where they can easily have control.



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Badakhshan_massacre

You know where all are troops are, don't you?


This is the latest map I can find...




(edited to take out the question you've already answered)

[Phil The Cat]

12. Brave people doing brave work

Peace to the fallen, and their families!

May their sacrifice plant a seed of peace and health for Afghanistan, and the world!

[Turborama]

8. The new Taliban targets - women, children and foreigners

By Kate Clark
Former BBC Kabul correspondent

The deaths earlier this month of eight foreign aid workers and two Afghans in the north-eastern Afghan province of Badakhshan show that the Taliban are abandoning all former limits on cruelty.

Full insightful article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8909049.stm

[Turborama]

9. .

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama/166

&

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Turborama/174