Afghans: U.S. Troops Shot at Civilians

Afghans: U.S. Troops Shot at Civilians

Source Link: abcnews.go.com

JALALABAD, Afghanistan Mar 4, 2007 (AP)— U.S. Marines fleeing a militant ambush Sunday opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, wounded Afghans said. Up to 16 people were killed and 34 wounded in the violence, officials said.

A suicide attacker detonated an explosives-filled minivan as the American convoy approached, then militant gunmen fired on the troops inside the vehicles, who returned fire, the U.S. military said.

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And as usual, USArmy and local reports are two completly different stories:

Afghan, U.S. reports on firefight differ

U.S. Marines fleeing a suicide bomber and militant ambush on Sunday opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, wounded Afghans said. Up to 10 people were killed and 35 wounded in the chaotic violence, officials said.

A suicide attacker detonated an explosives-filled minivan as the American convoy approached, then militant gunmen fired on the troops inside the vehicles, who returned fire, the U.S. military said.

"They were firing everywhere, and they even opened fire on 14 to 15 vehicles passing on the highway," said Tur Gul, 38, who was standing on the roadside by a gas station and was shot twice in his right hand. "They opened fire on everybody, the ones inside the vehicles and the ones on foot."

"When we parked our vehicle, when they passed us, they opened fire on our vehicle," said 15-year-old Mohammad Ishaq, who was hit by two bullets, in his left arm and his right ear. "It was a convoy of three American Humvees. All three humvees were firing around."

"One American was in the first vehicle, shouting to stop on the side of the road, and we stopped. The first vehicle did not fire on us, but the second opened fire on our car," Najib said, adding that his 2-year-old brother was grazed by a bullet on his cheek. "I saw them turning and firing in this direction, then turning and firing in that direction. I even saw a farmer shot by the Americans."

Related News Links:
Ambush on U.S. convoy leaves 16 dead

Winning Hearts and Minds?

Source: abcnews.go.com

Mar 4, 2007 (AP)— March 4: U.S. Marines fleeing a suicide bombing and militant ambush open fire on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, witnesses said. Officials say up to 10 civilians were killed and 35 injured. The Interior Ministry says American gunfire caused most of the casualties; U.S. officials say they are still sorting through the chain of events but that the suicide bombing or militant gunfire could have been responsible.

Feb. 27: NATO-led troops in the Kandahar shot and killed a civilian who drove too close to their convoy, police said.

Oct. 26: Between 30 and 80 civilians were killed during NATO airstrikes in Panjwayi, a volatile district in southern Afghanistan, according to the Afghan government and villagers. NATO said its preliminary inquiry found 12 civilian deaths.

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Well this kind of thing is unavoidable when fighting the taliban. they hide among civilians and use guerilla tactics. ITs unavoidable that the civilians they hide among are going to take the brunt of coalition forces retailiation.

Looks like more "incidents" from Afganistan:

NATO airstrike in Afghanistan kills 9

Militants overnight fired on a NATO base in Kapisa province, just north of Kabul, said Deputy Governor Sayad Mohammad Dawood Hashimmi. When soldiers returned fire, they hit a home, killing five women, three boys and a man, he said.

A deputy Interior Ministry spokesman also said nine civilians had been killed. He asked not to be identified because the ministry hadn't yet prepared a statement.

And as far as a certain statement goes, how this kind of incidents are "unavoidable"- please read the following quote:

Nine witnesses — including five Afghans recuperating from bullet wounds in the hospital — told The Associated Press that U.S. forces fired indiscriminately along at least a six-mile stretch of one of eastern Afghanistan's busiest highways — a route often filled not only with cars and trucks but Afghans on foot and bicycles.

It looks more to me like somebody was just going , shooting everything in his way - not really aiming at the militants, since the Afganistan busiests highway was full of civilians and cars. But I guess militants were "hiding" there, right?

And if there was nothing to see, why the following actions:

US 'erased Afghan attack footage'

The Associated Press is to complain to the US military after journalists said US soldiers deleted footage of the aftermath of an attack in Afghanistan.

Freelance journalists working for the Associated Press said troops erased photos and video showing a vehicle in which three people were shot dead during Sunday's incident in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

"When I went near the four-wheel drive, I saw the Americans taking pictures of the same car, so I started taking pictures," photographer Rahmat Gul said. "Two soldiers with a translator came and said, 'Why are you taking pictures? You don't have permission.'" Mr Gul said troops took his camera, deleted his photos and returned it to him.

Reporters Without Borders condemned the alleged actions of the US forces, saying they dealt with the media poorly.

"Why did the soldiers do it if they don't have anything to hide?" said Jean-Francois Julliard, a spokesman for the Paris-based group.

See the Afghan's leader reaction:
News Source

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday condemned the deaths of 10 civilians shot by U.S. troops after an attack on their convoy over the weekend.

Karzai has ordered an inquiry, but previous such investigations by NATO and the Afghan government have done nothing more than confirm witness accounts that those killed were civilians

Originally posted by searching_for_truth
See the Afghan's leader reaction:
News Source

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday condemned the deaths of 10 civilians shot by U.S. troops after an attack on their convoy over the weekend.

Karzai has ordered an inquiry, but previous such investigations by NATO and the Afghan government have done nothing more than confirm witness accounts that those killed were civilians

Well I think he is kind of scared, since he is just an Afgani living in Afganistan, which means, that sooner or later even his life could end with a western bullet, even if he is living in his own country...