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US-Led Forces Accused of Executing Schoolchildren
In Afghanistan, hundreds have taken to the streets of Kabul and elsewhere to protest U.S. killing of civilians. The incident that has sparked the most outrage took place in eastern Kunar on December 27th when ten Afghans, eight of them schoolchildren, were killed. According to The Times of London, US-led troops dragged innocent children from their beds and shot them during a nighttime raid. Afghan government investigators said the eight students were aged from 11 to 17, all but one of the from the same family.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai had harsh words for US and NATO forces on Tuesday in the wake of a string of attacks that has killed dozens of civilians. His comments came in an interview on Al Jazeera.
On Monday, hundreds of people, mostly students, protested in Kabul and in the province of Nangarhar against the US killing of civilians. Nearly 30 civilians have died over the past two weeks alone in US-led airstrikes and ground operations.
But the incident that has sparked the most outrage took place in eastern Kunar on December 27th when ten Afghans, eight of them schoolchildren, were killed.
According to the Times of London, US-led troops dragged innocent children from their beds and shot them during a nighttime raid. Afghan government investigators said the eight students were aged from 11 to 17, all but one of the from the same family. The headmaster of the local school said seven of the children were handcuffed and then executed. A preliminary investigation by the United Nations reinforced Afghan claims that most of the dead were schoolboys.
For more we go to Afghanistan to speak with Jerome Sparkey, he is the Times of London correspondent in Afghanistan who reported on this story. He joins us on the telephone from Kabul.
Jerome Starkey, the Times of London correspondent in Afghanistan. Website: JeromeStarkey.com
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Show AllSpokespeople for The US Military and NATO have changed their story as to what happened in Kunar over and over again.
Both an Afghani Government panel and a UN panel have indicated those killed were schoolchildren. The Afghan panel goes on to conclude that some of those killed were handcuffed and executed corrbarating claims made by a witness to the attacks.
Yet some people insist that the word of the United States is more reliable then that Afghanis.
This was an obvious terrorist attack undertaken by the US Military against Afghani Civilians. The message was simple just as it is with those drone attacks that kill 90 percent Civilians and Airstrikes launched on homes and weeding parties.
"If you allow the Taliban into your area and do not report it we will kill you. Hang out with suspect Taliban and we will kill you. Support the forces of the UNited States of America or we will kill you".
It is a message GW Bush PUBLICLY stated when he said "if you are not with us you are with the terrorists"
Haven't civilian injuries and deaths been COLLATERAL DAMAGE since the US media coined the euphemism during the Gulf War?
We no longer have to imagine Nazi Germany, we are living it.
Muslims are todays Jews.
The only just end to the USA will mirror Nazi Germany.
I know we are guilty as sin. We have had many chances to take the peaceful path, but persist in killing, maiming and causing disease and disfigurement of people who have done nothing to us, including children. Meanwhile, we can't find a possible terrorist even when his own father drops a dime on him.
The nightmare continues. It is very sad and frightening to me that our children may have to suffer a fate like the civilians of Dresden if our agression is ever to stop. Unless we can stop our criminal government from continuing in its current disastrous and evil evil evil course.
Joe
Is this what the CIA meant by getting revenge? sick
Six 10:55 -------- The children were executed prior the elimination of the CIA war criminals.
Yes, the children were executed on December 27th, and the attack on the CIA happened on December 30th. It may be that their "asset" was avenging those deaths.
Can US spell G-E-N-O-C-I-D-E?!
The truth lays somewhere else. We really don't know what happened yet.
Remember how long it took to get the truth on the Pat Tilman murder?
Obama will bring us justice.
DHC 11:01 ------ Are you serious ? Criminals are not known for dispensing justice.
Obomber has blocked every domestic and international attempt to prosecute Bush et. al. war crimes.
Tillman, who was coming out against the war, was killed at close range by his own comrades, MaChrystal covered it up, as he is covering up this one.
DHC if you support these wars I denounce you as a WAR CRIMINAL.
Will it matter if "my support" is either willful or compelled?
When you can't accept the truth, deny the facts. We have heard this line each time the murderous Pentagon and its puppet head, Barack Obama, George Bush previously, murder innocents. Lie about it, claim they were armed terrorists, blah, blah, blah!
We are a rogue, out of control nation. We have no right to be occupying Afghanistan, Iraq, and soon Yemen.
These ongoing murders and violence are the reason, the only reason, freedom fighters are stuffing explosives in their underwear and burying IED's.
The people the world over want the United States of America to go home, mind their own business, stop the plundering for profit!
DCH 11:07 am "Obama will bring us justice." Obama will bring you permanent destitution and DEATH.
"Obama will bring us justice."
I need a smile as much as anyone, but please!
This comments thread is no place for such jokes.
Oh, and as for "the truth on the Pat Tilman [sic] murder":
The Official Truth, like the Truths about Fallujah, Haditha, etc. boils down to: it was really just a Merry Mixup. US forces didn't do any really, really bad stuff; that was all unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo by People Who Hate Our Freedoms-- and besides, we've taken steps to make sure it'll never happen again.
· Yr Obd't Servant
"I need a smile as much as anyone, but please!"
Its only by smiling and reflecting on the futillity of war that I stop myself from crying and banging my head on the wall.
With the way things are going such comments, about justice, will become more frequent because the watchers will be taking the more outspoken for re-education. Seems like just the two of us, Mr. Obd't Servant, noticed DHC had his tongue in his cheek. The others need to to become more observant for when the real crackdown comes.
Thanks, I did not think it would be taken so seriously.
DCH summary: We consider the current circumstances unlikely.
Show me one shred of evidence that Obama will bring us justice.
Joe
You are a fool!
And how will this story be reported in the mainstream news media. If more Americans knew the truth, that terrible violence and inhumanity is being commited in their name, there would be more outrage.
Watching CNN over the last two weeks there seems to be a new propaganda campaign preparing Americans to accept more brutal killings in their name and an expansion of the war on terror. This is why stories like this will either be ignored in the mainstream news or altered to such a point that the "meaning" behind this action becomes incomprehensible.
Even if this story is reported to the general public I can gurantee that it will be sandwiched in-between the x-mas bomber story and the attack on the CIA story.
What's is most upsetting (well secondary to the loss of life and subsequent increase in extremism) is that even if America was informed and demanded change they would probably be ignored.
I am such a fool for believing in Obama's hope/change.
Even if these men did participate in making LED's which is what they have been accused of doing their execution without trial is a war crime. Ghazi Khan village is Obama's My Lai.
Remember, Wernher von Braun whose V2 weapon killed more people than the LED's in Afghanistan have was arrested and then shipped to us to design and build our ICBM's. He was not executed because he was a useful white person.
We are talking about boys here, not men. I know even boys can make weapons. If I were an Afghani boy that's what I'd be doing.
The report says "U.S.-led troops". Does that mean Afghan troops with U.S. "advisers", NATO troops, or American troops?
They were special forces assassins on their own.
As reported previously many times.
What went wrong? The US always prefers to kill kids by bombs from overhead. But this time they decided to handcuff them on the ground and then execute them with shots to the head? Most patriotic Americans are appalled! They want the government to go back to the old ways of killing kids, through sanctions that starve them to death, through depleted uranium that kills by giving kids birth defects and cancer, and via overhead drone attacks. Then they don't have to think about it so much. What's wrong with the Pentagon these days?
ya betcha you can not play nice in world domination..
Support the EMPIRE send your kids
An old Russian proverb says: "the rot of a fish begins at its head". You ask: "What is wrong with the Pentagon". That is the wrong question. We must ask: "What is wrong with the White House which ought to be in charge of the Pentagon".
Gee, and here I thought they just liked to sodomize children in front of their mothers. I guess we have "Move(d) On."
The horror is immeasurably worse. When the air strikes obliterate and the contractors privatised 'war' strikes 'terrorist' targets who in their right mind believes fo ra second that this was the case? It began with Al-Quieda and now its their affiliates or the Taliban or Hamas or Hizubllah or Panamanians, Somalians, Yemeni's, East Timorese, Nicaraguan commies or just plain Palestinians. The USA and Israel go hand in hand. Columbian allies, Egyptian, Uzbecks, Georgians, Saudis, Kosovars and the military occupation of a complicit European project to expand NATO crimes. All those great wars were full of spin and propaganda.
The military is one thing. The privatisation of war is quite another. The USA military is now allied to Corporate power and is only too willing to use its weaponry wherever instructed to do so. The spurious reasoning of this behaviour is typical of spin. All the world cannot hide its disgust at this criminal project. And all the world will respond with resistance. USA citizens would be well advised to do the same now. Look at the brothers and sisters in Gaza! How dare America to be so cruel and so rogue. Terrorism is alive and well in the USA and all are contaminated by its outrageous assumption it is doing such things to others in our name. Never! Some Republic! Colonial thieves and racist bigots with perverted religious indoctrination allied to Zionism and destruction. May it all soon be over and USA recover its lost spirit and its impoverished soul. Compensation would last a lifetime or two too for that forlorn dream of a poet like Whitman. These incidents are all too common and not reported. You can lay your life on that with confidence.
Lbanus 1:07 -------- Bravo ___________ well said !!!!!!!1
Yes Bravo! Well said indeed!!!
"... And all the world will respond with resistance. USA citizens would be well advised to do the same now...."
Believe it or not, there are many trying, but as the corporate state has purchased media/the public's airwaves, the task has become all the harder. The traditional means of recent generations of getting information simultaneously to the larger citizenry - television - is now a nightmare of fluff. Isn't it Orwell who acknowledged that omission is the worst form of lying?
I guess they couldn't find any nuns.
The US funded and supported the slaughter of hundreds of women and children in Gaza.
The US is responsible for a million deaths, and several million seriously wounded, and muillions displaced in Iraq. (not to mention destroying the place).
The USA was responsible for the deaths of a couple million people in Viet-nam, Cambodia and Laos.
The USA continues to bomb civilians, falsely imprions and tortures folks.
At the end of the day, anyone killed by US forces or US-led forces are "collateral damage". They are not human beings in the eyes of the USA. We still don't do body counts.
Vietnam reports and there is no dispute that 5.4 Million Vietnamese were killed.
The last year or two of the French Occupation was 100% funded by the USA government.
The USA is responsible for all deaths because the USA prevented the UN mandated elections in which it was obvious the Vietnamese wanted a socialist government.
Plus the 600,000 Cambodians, some attribute 3.0 Million Cambodians since the USA bombings created enough disruption to allow Kymer Rouge to take hold.
Plus the Country Bombed more per sqaure mile than any other cointry in the world , all in secret from the world. Where one Laosan citizen is lost each two days to unexploded munitions.
350,000 Laosans
Actually, according to Alan Nairn on today's Democracy Now, the more current and popular military term for collateral damage is "bug splats".
I heard that interview just a few hours ago.
"Bug Splats" = slaughter of innocent civilians. Very sickening indeed
They almost sound like Israelis describing Palestinians.
The Soviet sharp shooters at Stalingrad called it "breaking matches" or "breaking pencils".
After all that's come to light, how can ANYONE still be "proud to be an American"?
still?
The Few, The Proud, The Baby Killers...who can solute that flag?
I always knew they are baby killers. Heck of a job!
http://tinyurl.com/yh9h5ub
thank you for this website, I have bookmarked it and will read what it has to say.
War is NOT the answer.
Thanks again.
Geo.
Peace.
The pitiful thing is how eager most of you are to believe this.
Many reports and accusations were made in Viet Nam much like this, most of them were false.
Many of them were true, Civis. I tend to believe people who live in a place when they say their children are being murdered. It's remarkable how eager you are to dismiss this as a false accusation. You remind me of those southerners who once said "oh, no, reports of nigras being hung are greatly exaggerated". You don't hail from the south, by any chance?
A large number of Vietnam vets were getting their degrees when I was an undergraduate in the early '80s. 'My Lai?' one said to me, 'In Vietnam, there were My Lai's every week.'
I expected yours to be the first comment on the thread!
(Then I thought, maybe he's delayed because there's an article I haven't seen yet trash-talking Texas.)
And here I'd hoped you'd grown More thoughtful.
Surely you see that one may just as readily observe that the pitiful thing is how eager you are to disbelieve this.
· Yr Obd't Servant
yeah...US Soldiers would never gang rape an Iraqi girl, then murder her and her family to keep it quiet...