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6 Americans Among 10 Missionaries Killed in Taliban Ambush
The Taliban has said it shot dead eight foreign aid workers in a remote northern region of Afghanistan, accusing them of being "Christian missionaries".
A man walks out of the office of the International Assistance Mission Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ten members of International Assistance Mission medical team, including six Americans, were shot and killed by militants as they were returning from a two-week trip providing eye and other health care in remote villages of northern Afghanistan.
(AP Photo/Ahmad Massoud) "Yesterday at around 8am, one of
our patrols confronted a group of foreigners. They were Christian
missionaries and we killed them all," Zabihulla Mujahed, a spokesman for
the Taliban movement, said on Saturday.
"They were carrying Persian language bibles, a satellite-tracking device and maps," he said.
The bullet-riddled bodies of five men, all Americans, and three women, an American, a German and a Briton, were found in the northeastern province of Badakhshan on Friday, the provincial police chief said.
Mujahed said the group was lost and the victims were killed as they tried to escape.
Health workers
Dirk Frans, the director of the the International Assistance Mission charity, told The Associated Press news that the group was returning to Kabul from an eye facility in Nuristan province when they were killed.
"This tragedy negatively impacts our ability to continue serving the Afghan people as IAM has been doing since 1966," a statement released by the nonprofit Christian organisation which provides healthcare services said.
"We hope it will not stop our work that benefits over a quarter of a million Afghans each year."
IAM says it provides the majority of eye care available to Afghans, running eye hospitals in Kabul, Herat, Mazar and Kandahar.
Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Kabul, said the area where the bodies were found was not considered one of the more dangerous places in Afghanistan, and that some of the workers had extensive experience with the country and its languages.
That means the killings are even likelier to make many of the non-govermental organisation working in the country reassess their operations, Bays said.
"I am sure it will limit some operations that have been benefitting the people of Afghanistan," he said.
Afghan survivor
General Agha Noor Kemtuz, the provincial police chief, said a third Afghan man, who had been travelling with the group, survived.
"He told me he was shouting and reciting the holy Quran and saying 'I am Muslim. Don't kill me'," Kemtuz said.
Kemtuz said the survivor told him that the group, which had been travelling in Panjshir, Nuristan and Badakhshan provinces, were surrounded by armed men and then attacked.
He speculated that robbery could have been a motive in the killings in the remote Kuran Wa Munjan district.
"We couldn't find any passports or anything," he said. "Nothing was left behind."
It was unclear what the group had been doing in the forested area away from main routes through the province.
"Before their travel we warned them not to tour near jungles in Nuristan but they said they were doctors and no one was going to hurt them," Kemtuz said.
81 Comments so far
Show All"Christian Missionaries"? Is that what we're calling CIA operatives now?
bligh4
God knows we can't denounce the killing of ten unarmed doctors at the hand of the Taliban. They "had" to be CIA, as the Taliban would never have shot them for simply being a medical team from a Christian charity. Oh, except that is exactly what the Taliban leadership has stated.
Maybe the Taliban leaders themselves are CIA operatives on a "false flag" mission to make there organisation look bad? Stay tuned...
Would your scenario be any stranger than the US paying the Taliban abstain from attacking US supply lines? Would it be any stranger than the US paying the ISI for supporting the Taliban? Nothing is as it seems. The point of this whole "war" is to keep the war going. The profits are too huge to stop now. So, yes, it would not surprise me one bit to find out that these "missionaries" were CIA operatives.
"It was unclear what the group had been doing in the forested area away from main routes through the province."
Hmmm... lost? Not with today's hand held GPS units AND a native guide... What WERE they doing...???
Unarmed doctors?
Missionaries have destroyed communities and societies for centuries without using guns. A doctor with a christian mission is not doing charity work, but advancing a genocidal agenda.
There is only one honestly charitable full spectrum medical organization i know of and that is Doctors Without Borders (MSF). No agenda other than providing medical care where needed, no questions asked, no demands, no proselytizing, no judgment of those in need.
When the Taliban chased MSF out of Afghanistan that was a tragedy. Too bad they have not been able to root out all the christians.
No tears here for either a CIA or a Christian agent lost while operating in a foreign land. They are equally destructive.
bligh4
Moral idioticy needs no reply. Your words speak for themselves.
They were probably humanitarian workers - and proselytizing Christians - thereby making things more dangerous for all other humanitarian NGO's.
Where did such hatred of foreigners and foreign religions (particularly USAns), in a culture and religion that once commanded hospitality and generosity, come from? Hatred naturally arises when one's generosity and hospitality gets answered the bullets and bombs of invaders.
The US needs to get the hell out of places where it isn't welcome.
Yes, the hatred comes from the US invasion and it's puppet government of drug war lords.
The truth you already know "The US needs to get the hell out of places where it isn't welcome."
Was one of them Pat Roberson by any chance? Or John Hagee possibly?
Unfortunately, no.
Nah, they're too cowardly to go there.
You are correct, but these christian-fascists that are cheerleaders for war; that wave their Bibles instead of pom poms, have no problem with sending other people to take their place!
This is the collateral damage we care about. If the dead were Afghanistanis, it more than likely would not be reported at all in the US media, let alone with any kind of detail.
I do not believe anything I read until I check the facts for myself. But I wonder if some of the Missionaries were well meaning eye doctors that got infilitrated by the CIA and the Taliban found out. Just a theory.
We were told the US forces are there partly to protect NGOs. Clearly this group routinely operated without US protection.
If the Taliban can't win a firefight with armed NATO troops, clearly they will attack unarmed people from NATO countries and use whatever justification they can muster. I was surprised the US was involved in the creation of a religiously intolerant "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan".
The only US mission accomplished is to secure the oil pipeline and tap the Trillions of $$$ worth of mineral resources.
See http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/sherman-debrosse-pipeline-politics-and.html
and
http://www.afghanistanpetroleum.com/
I do not think EVERYTHING a conspiracy of the CIA. From what I read this group has been in That Country for over 30 years including during the war against the Soviets and have been providing free eye care to the Afghans.
Now I well know the CIA tends to infiltrate these groups but it does not mean this MUST be the case.
Allahu Akbar !
These missionaries weren't up to the challenge, so it's clear that Franklin Graham must be sent to Afghanistan. He's a man's bible man - spreads Gawd around like butter on toast. When he's captured, he can tell the Taliban that he won't apologize for who he is.
LOL!
I seriously doubt that any of our American evangelical super-pastors are going to give up their maids and their masseuses and their gardeners and swimming pools and their jewelry and Rolexes and Mercedes Benzes, just to go get killed in Afghanistan.
But it’s a lovely thought.
JGTKO which mean Just Get The F*ck Out
Wolves in sheep's clothing. Missionaries, I'm sure. LEAVE!
Wow delia, taking a break from the Hiroshima war crime thread? You sure rejoice in the killing of Americans. How about Rachel Corrie? Oh, i forgot. She was killed by the wrong people.
Huh? Was Rachel Corrie in Israel or was she in Occupied Palestine lands? Big difference, but doubt you see the subtlety.
Well, she was in an occupied territory. Just like these ten guys. The only "subtlety" is that she was killed by isrealis. Now if this team would have been mistakenly killed by a NATO bomb I bet the comments woud be totally different. It's just human nature. People just don't like it it's pointed out to them.
I rejoice in no human killing, I'm a leftist and leftists love peace and life.
These "missionaries" should've just known better. They were in a war zone illegally created by their own country.
"These "missionaries" should've just known better. They were in a war zone illegally created by their own country."
They had it coming, huh? Now how did i know you were gonna say exactly that?
Yes, you guessed it right, America was responsible for this one too. Did you know, by the way, that America financed and trained the Taliban in the 80s and 90s? Now the chickens are coming home to roost aren't they? :)
" Now the chickens are coming home to roost aren't they?"
hey, i guess they are. On that i tend to agree with you. The US has been fighting wars half-assed since WWII. No wonder all the loose ends are now a mess.
You're not really a leftist, right? Seems to me you're just someone who really hates the US.
Well we can see which history lessons you missed when you write: "The US has been fighting wars half-assed since WWII."!
Why not study the justice of battles and treaties of the American wars against Native Americans, often quoted these days by Zionists as a justification for their ethnic cleansing or how about reading a little Mark Twain about the mess America made murdering its way through the Philippines?
Can one truely be a leftest without rejecting the USA?
Exactly!
The US has certainly earned any hatred directed toward it.
You mean, the US should've been more brutal?
Now I know where you're coming from. You're a right-winger, which means cruel, inhuman, cold and greedy.
I don't hate the US, I hate cruelty, mass-murder, genocide, land theft. But if you're equating the US with mass-murder, genocide, land theft, etc then yes, I guess I hate the US.
"I hate cruelty, mass-murder"
I serioulsly doubt that. From the selected posts of delia_darrow:
"As for the world being a better place without Hitler, how much better, would you say?"
"These "missionaries" should've just known better."
You're the person with the most skewed view of history i have seen in a long time.
I stand by my remarks, unapologetically.
1-Hitler was a monster, America helped the world get rid of him, fine and dandy, but then proceeded to invade and mass-murder more countries and more people than Hitler ever did. Do you think that's better?
2-These American missionaries SHOULD have known better, they were in a country illegally invaded and occupied by their country, locals want Americans OUT, they were Americans, what's so difficult for you to understand?
Again you brainless, toxic little tumor:
Not American all of them: six Americans, a Briton, a German and four Afghans.
Tom, the leader, had been in the country for 40 yrs, raised 3 children in the country and spoke fluent Dari. He and many of the rest were greatly loved by the people he helped. If local wanted the people out , Tom and this group would not ahve lasted this long. WHATS SO DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND?
I am very left wing and have been for 15 years at least - so I find it strange to side with a person in conflict with the left wing posts. There is so much flawed logic and bitter, ignorant pontificating that I have to put my 2 cents in...
Many are sagely referencing the bibles as proof of proselytizing. This is flawed for many reasons. If they were spys for the CIA then toting bibles around is hardly a prescription for success.
Were they preaching then? Highly, highly unlikely as they had several senior members in the group. Tom had 30yrs of service in the country and spoke local dialects well. You could not prevail this long and NOT be unaware of the prohibition of sharia against proselytizing (especially at this time). This group has been around for decades (since 1966) and has benefited the community immensely. They have obviously been noted and accepted by the Taliban. Are we to assume that after all this time and the great, positive appreciation of the communities involved that they SUDDENLY break with protocol during one of the most dangerous (for westerners) times in Afghanistan history. I believe Tom Little was expelled in Aug. 2001 for preaching with 6 others so he would have to be deranged to allow it again at a time like this. It doesn't add up!
The CIA did it to discredit the Taliban and garner support for the war? Why would they leave one man - a Muslim? Surely they would kill everyone. The cloak and dagger stuff is always speculative and a bit fatuous anyway.
There is overwhelming evidence that supports the fact that the Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid, was lying or was lied to and there never were any bibles.
What isnt fiction and speculation is that the group - specifically this group - had been bravely providing medical assistance at great risk to themselves and ultimately sacrificed their life. I am sickened and angered by the disgusting cynical and glib banter from many on this board. I knew most of these good people. You can believe that or not. Many will take Zabiullah Mujahid word over mine -many who have not personally met either Mujahid or the IAM members. Lets just not spew out partisan dribble so thoughtlessly - the pompous, "more clever than thou" attitude really makes my bile rise!
They were from many countries:
six Americans, a Briton, a German and four Afghans.
I guess it would be more convenient to your argument if they were all from the USA.
Thats the sort of comment I expect from a gibbering imbecile who is mentally challenged by an acronym of their own design.
You probably want to change your user name to JGTFO which really do *mean:
Just Get The Fuck Out...
grinder knows not the meat
bligh4
I guess the Taliban-being the "good guys"-can kill whoever they like and the members of this board will cheer or make excuses for them. figures.
What these guys on CD don't really realize is that the 10 killed, despite their christian brand were probably liberal progressives in their views trying to help Afghans opressed by the US military occupation. I bet most of them would have fit right in on this board.
But hey, some americans got killed by the Taliban. Time to celebrate. The evil empire (oh wait that was another one, never mind) got a taste of it's own medicine..
Why are Christian missionaries in a Muslim country? Are they there just to help or to steal souls? Should the Afgan people not have freedom of religion? The freedom to worship their God of Abraham in their own way?
Some history: Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570 AD. His mother Aminah died when he was a child. Muhammad was raised by his grandfather and then by his uncle Abu Talib. After the death of Muhammad there was a schism in Islam. One of the groups that came to be was the Taliban - the followers of Abu Talib's form of Islam.
The Taliban are just some of the local people of Afghanistan. They are not Al-Qaeda. Their brand of Islam is zealous by our standards but, we have religious zealots galore in this country.
Don't you get PO'd when people in American try and lay their moral values on you? As far as I'm concerned, Pat Robertson and James Dobson are American Taliban.
Remember the prime directive in Star Trek? Why can't we let the peoples of the world evolve on their own? Has not the cross on the hilt of the sword brought only misery to the world?
Thank-you for your comments.
And way, after all these years, did I have to learn what "Taliban" means from an anonymous person on a web-comment board in an obscure corner of the internet.
SaboCat, unfortunately what the above poster said is only part of the story. It would be a big mistake to think of the Taliban without also including Pakistan's role in their creation and ongoing support:I have repost something I've pointed a few times before - simply to save time:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/11-2
"I have tried to point out a few times that the Taliban are different from the Mujahideen, and entirely a creation of the Pakistani military/intelligence establishment. ("Talib" means student, and these were originally "students" of religious schools called Madrassas inside Pakistan. Pakistan needed a "friendly" government on their western front to provide them the "strategic depth" so they could concentrate on their eastern border and Kashmir).
I was watching and reading the news as the Taliban drove victoriously into Kabul, dragged the previous Afghan President Najibullah and his brother from the UN building where they had taken sanctuary for almost 4 years, tortured and hanged them in public - their bodies left hanging for all to see. That was in 1996.
I used to read the occasional report by someone from the RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) about the atrocities and public executions faced by the Afghan women. The outside world could do little. Even the founder of RAWA, a brave woman called Meena Kishwar Kamal, was murdered for her un-Islamic activities of standing up for the Afghan women's rights - such as going to school. She was murdered in a border town in Pakistan - in the middle of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Then I was watching the news on New Year's eve of 1999-2000 when the whole world was caught up in the "millennium" frenzy. That was because a week before, an Indian Airlines aircraft was hijacked when it was flying from Kathmandu, Nepal to India - and taken first to Pakistan, and then to Kandahar. One passenger was killed - as a warning. He was a newly-wed man, returning from Nepal after honeymoon. His wife was still on the aircraft. The hijackers were Pakistan-based militants, and were demanding the release of other militants in Indian jail. India caved in, the exchange took place at the Kandahar airport, and the militants quietly returned to Pakistan to set up yet another group. So the Taliban government of that time was an extremely convenient set up for Pakistan, and they had to reluctantly cut off their "official" ties only after 9/11.
I say all this because there really is no easy solution to this from the Afghan people's point of view. They seem to be doomed - for now. They are caught between the devil and the deep sea, and for some reason, outsiders have always been meddling in their affairs. It's the USA and other countries today, it was the Soviets before, and Pakistan in between. The only solution is for them to forge some kind of national unity that transcends tribal loyalty. They need a genuine leader that all people can identify with."
good
I wonder if they were there legally? If so, that makes Afghanistan a better country than the USA that refused help from Venezuela and Cuba after hurricane Katrina.
I don't agree with the Taliban killing the 10 - all you of you who expressed glee at their demise are no better than the White Wing Christian movement that preaches killing the raghead non-believers - just as hypocritical. I do not agree with the US killing thousands of Afghans.
That said - some of the group had been providing care for many years. Some were newbies. A real tragedy - with unanswered questions, the biggest of which is why were they carrying Dari Bibles if they were not involved in proselytizing? Possibly a mistake by the newbies - who knows.
I am not, however, surprised by the abject hypocrisy of the MSM. What if the MSM screamed as loud and long about every 6 non-combatant Afghans killed by our forces? We are lucky to hear about some of the collateral dead. The Wiki-leak exposed how many we have not heard about.
The lead on all the news as I write this is about the 6 Americans being slaughtered (which they were) and how they have been providing help for many years. Early stories mentioned the electronics gear and the Dari Bibles - but not the later ones.
The killing of 25+ Afghans by mistake and the suffering that these deaths caused to untold others earlier this week is totally forgotten.
Just look inside yourselves - amidst all the commentary, there runs a thread of belief that the deaths of these Americans is much, much more important than the thousands of non-combatant Afghan deaths. This is a racist attitude about how much more important we are than them. I am also appalled at the intensity and ferocity shown by some who think these deaths were justified.
Many of the comments reflect the same underlyimg racist attitudes of the MSM press - whether or no the commenter was for or against the deaths.
Great post, overall, curmudgeon99. Agree with all the points.
RELIGION...... such as originates in the HOLY BIBLE..... (Jews, Christians, Muslims.)
HORRORS OF :
""And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts." (Exodus 11:4-5)"
..............................................................
Comment
After reading such verses, it would become apparent, even to a child, that this does not describe the actions of a loving Being. Anyone who reconciles the killing of innocent children with an intelligent and loving Creator can only come from great ignorance under the addiction of blind faith.
"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind."
--Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine.. as we all know, or should know.. was one of :
*****THE FOUNDING FATHERS.*****
A rational man. Like many of the others ( e.g.Deists)
(we made the biblucal idea of 'god' - in our own image?)
~
@dkshaw-they were missionaries..i knew one of them.
What a weird occurrence...
I detest the slaughter of unarmed people by the Taliban.
But then, imagine a bunch of foreigners come to your country, bomb everything to hell, install their own dictator, and use mercenaries to randomly kill your brethren. And then one of these foreigners comes and tells you to adopt his faith, for your own good. Don't know about you, but I'd be pissed off.
The murders were wrong, but they could have been avoided. The idiot missionaries should not have been there in the first place. The so-called 'West' should get the hell out of Afghanistan, AND pay reparations to the Afghans (instead of repeating that embargo bullshit they pulled on Iraq in the 1990s).
And missionaries everywhere (including the Muslim countries) should sit down and think about the idiocy and evil of spreading organized religion.
One thing at a time, though. First things first. Get out of Afghanistan, or don't whine if you get killed there.
A dear friend was killed in this attack. For everyone who assumes a) that he was some rabid fundamentalist Christian or b) a member of the CIA, let me assure you he was neither. I worked with this group for a month in 1997, traveled with them and spent time with a veterinarian and medical doctor in the wretched conditions of Northern Afghanistan. They were the real deal--trying to bring healing where others brought death. They were from many countries and held allegiance to none. Forget your cynicism for a moment. There are some genuinely good people in this world. You can call them misguided, you can call them naive, you can call them dreamers. Don't you dare call them spies or fanatics.