Brutal US attack on unarmed Afghans captured by photos

[donsu]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1217554.ece




Claims that US troops shot dead up to six unarmed Afghan civilians two months ago in Kabul have been given added credibility with a series of photographs offering visual evidence of military misconduct.

The pictures were taken by an Afghan passer-by on 29 May in Khair Kane, a district of north Kabul. The 20 photographs appear to show a group of unarmed Afghan civilians being killed by gunfire from an American Humvee.

-snip-

The Kabul pictures were taken as American vehicles fled the scene of an accident in which several Afghans were killed and injured after a US Army truck lost control and hit a number of civilian vehicles. Shot from a hillside above where the original accident took place, they show a crowd of Afghans throwing stones at the American vehicles.

-snip-

The photographer, Atif Ahmadzai, 34, said: "I thought at first they were firing into the air. I was on the hill taking the pictures and, as they fired towards me, I ducked. One bullet grazed my thigh. Two people were killed behind me." He said he saw six bodies in total.

The day after the rioting he took the pictures to the US embassy. "I told them,'Just look at the people in the pictures, they are all unarmed'," he said. A statement released by the US military said a US Army truck had suffered a brake failure, causing it to lose control and hit up to 13 Afghan civilian vehicles, killing one person. The statement said: "There are indications that at least one coalition military vehicle fired warning shots over the crowd." US forces have launched an investigation into the incident, the results of which are due to be published next week.

All the witnesses to the incident reported at least one US vehicle opened fire on the civilians. "I saw with my own eyes that the soldier fired on the people," said Nazir Akhmad, 32, who owns a petrol station near where the accident occurred. "Her gun was pointed in the air but then she brought it down and started firing. The first bullet killed a boy called Khaled."
-snip-
-------------------------------

hand thrown stones vs the greatest military on earth

the US military woman who shot Khaled - if and when she comes home - I wouldn't want to know her

[liberalmuse]

1. I don't want to know any Bush-created war criminals.

When did we become f*cking Nazi's? What is sad, is that by his immoral war, Bush has turned people who may have had decent, moral lives into war criminals; mass murderers, torturers and rapists. When they return to the U.S., will they stop? Not likely. Either that, or some will realize what they've done in the heat of war and commit suicide. This is why we do not send our troops to fight needlessly. Why don't people get it???

[Supersedeas]

2. maybe, 6 to 9 months from now, Corp Media shills will give this a 10 sec

sound byte.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. "Regrettable", "Sad", "An investigation will be held." "Tragic incident"

"We avoid targetting civilians."
"Our troops are under a great deal of stress."
"Such things happen in war."
"A tense situation developed."
"Unavoidable"

etc, etc, etc.