Yet another act of hideous brutality. The US is maintaining its claim to have killed “Thirty militants”. The UN, which unlike the US has actually been to the place to investigate, is confirming that the victims were sixty civilians including ninety children. Yet another notch upwards on the spiral of hate. How can anyone believe this is a solution?
“Investigations by UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) found convincing evidence, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, and others, that some 90 civilians were killed, including 60 children, 15 women and 15 men,” U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide said in a statement.”
The U.S. military has launched an investigation into the incident, after saying it was unaware of any civilians killed in what it said was a single air strike in the Shindand district of western Afghanistan on Friday.
Jets had targeted a known Taliban commander and killed 30 militants, the U.S.-led coalition said.
UNAMA sent its human rights team to the Shindand area to investigate, meeting local officials, elders and villagers.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35179320080826
These sorts of 'massacres' are truly horrific, and I believe, incredibly counter-productive. I wonder what the consequences for British soldiers on the ground will be of these reckless American aerial attacks? If we were really allied with the Americans surely we'd demand that they stopped trying to subdue Afghanistan with bombs? Only the sad truth is, we are not, we don't really count, we don't have a veto, we are auxillaries and nothing more.
There is a video of the post-massacre site at Shindland here:
http://afghancentral.blogspot.com/