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Karzai Gives US 'Last Warning' Over Civilian Deaths
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on the US military on Sunday to avoid operations that kill civilians, saying it was his "last warning" to Washington after 14 people allegedly died in an air strike.
Afghans carry the bodies of people killed overnight after a raid by NATO and Afghan forces, during a protest in Taloqan May 18, 2011. (REUTERS/Stringer)
Reacting to the alleged deaths of 10 children, two women and two men in an air strike on Saturday in the southern province of Helmand, Karzai said such incidents were "murdering of Afghanistan's children and women."
"The president called this incident a great mistake and the murdering of Afghanistan's children and women, and on behalf of the Afghan people gives his last warning to the US troops and US officials in this regard," his office said, adding that he "strongly condemned" the killings.
Citing initial "reports and heartrending pictures published on media" Karzai's office said 10 children, two women and two men were killed in the raid.
Adopting an unusually angry tone, Karzai said the US-led operations were "arbitrary" and unnecessary".
"The president said that US and NATO troops have been repeatedly told that their arbitrary and unnecessary operations cause the deaths of innocent Afghans and such operations violate human and moral values but it appears that (we) are not listened to," the statement said.
Local authorities in Helmand said that US Marines called in air support after their base in Nawzad district came under attack from small arms fire.
"During the air strike, two civilian houses were targeted which killed 14 civilians and six others were wounded," the provincial administration said in a statement.
The statement said the dead included five girls, seven boys and two women.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said it was investigating the allegations.
"ISAF are aware of the reports that civilians were allegedly killed in an ISAF air strike," spokesman Major Tim James told AFP.
"(The) Regional Command South West has sent a joint assessment team to the area to look into the allegation and they will issue their findings to the press."
Footage and pictures from the troubled region showed turbaned men carrying the bodies of children and showing them to unseen journalists.
Aslam, a local elder of Nawzad district, told AFP he "lost 12 relatives while 10 others including children were injured" in the air strike.
He said some shots were fired at ISAF helicopters which flew into the area, adding that the choppers returned after 10 to 20 minutes and fired rockets, killing the "innocent civilians".
Separately the governor of Nuristan on Sunday told AFP that 18 civilians and 20 police were killed by "friendly fire" during US-led air strikes against insurgents in his troubled northeastern province.
Nuristan was the scene of heavy battles last week between the Taliban and Afghan security forces. The police and civilians were targeted Wednesday after they were mistaken for militants, Jamaluddin Badr said.
"The policemen were killed due to friendly fire," Badr said, adding the air strike in the troubled district of Do Ab targeted a location that the officers "had just" taken from the insurgents during fighting.
"Civilians were killed because the Taliban... (who) ran out of ammunition fled into the civilians' houses and then the civilians were mistaken with the Taliban and fired upon," the governor said.
Major James said those allegations were also being investigated.
"ISAF has sent a fact-finding team to investigate the allegations about civilian and police casualties in Nuristan," he said.
"Our initial reporting does not indicate civilian casualties in that air strike," he added.
The issue of civilian casualties is highly sensitive in Afghanistan as Karzai struggles to win the hearts and minds of his people against the Taliban.
The United Nations says Afghan civilian deaths in the war increased 15 percent to a record high of 2,777 last year. More than three-quarters of the dead were killed in violence blamed on insurgents.Afghans carry the bodies of people killed overnight after a raid by NATO and Afghan forces, during a protest in Taloqan May 18, 2011. Ten people have been killed and fifty wounded in violent protests against the killing of two men and two women in a night-time raid in north Afghanistan, a top local health official said.« Read less REUTERS/Stringer (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)
35 Comments so far
Show AllOf what use is a "final warning" if there are no understood consequences to the
'warned" party if the warning is not heeded? I see no description in this AFP article of any such consequences. And, indeed, what could these be, as Karzai is the wholly-owned puppet of the U.S.? Maybe "we won't love you any more if you don't stop this stuff?" And what does the U.S. care for Karzai's love or, really, for the hearts if not the minds of the Afghan people?
"Hearts and Minds?" Back in counter-insurgency school (circa 1969) before deployment to Southeast Asia, we learned the practical translation of that sorry slogan: "Grab 'em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow." Apparently, not much has changed in America's professional and mercenary foreign legion.
Obomber is a war criminal like Bush who should be brought before an international tribunal to face charges. But of course he won't be. The international "justice" system is so broken it's pathetic. It is very politicized. A handful of powerful nations can demonize someone--like Gaddafi--and charge him, but meanwhile US (mis)leaders can commit serial mass murder with impunity.
Karzai should stop bitching and just tell the U.S. to get the f*ck out of the country. I hate to be cynical but he is a US stooge, and he may be posturing.
I agree that Afghan President Hamid Karzai should order the blundering U.S./NATO forces out of Afghanistan, but since he wouldn't last a week in office without U.S./NATO backing, he would have to leave first in order to safely join his relatives and his money in Dubai. After that, he could resume his old job as a consultant for multinational oil companies.
Since the Afghan people don't want us there -- especially those who have lost family members and friends to US and NATO bombs -- Karzai could probably do himself and us a huge favor by kicking them out of Afghanistan. Petraeus said not long ago that we'd probably have to be there another ten years in order to "win." Wonder how many innocents would be dead by then.
A move like this from Karzai might also be helpful to those members of Congress who are seeking to end the war through legislative action.
YES!!
Except that Karzai is in no position to kick us out. We probably wouldn't do a Najibullah on him, but we could certainly see to it that an unfortunate accident befell him. We could, perhaps, Wellstone him.
Karzai, very willing to make peace with the Taliban, may be just fine without the invaders.
Like I said before, Obama ought to be impeached. There's no excuse for these crimes. Some can call it a mistake, but when the same mistake happens over and over and over again it is not a mistake, it is criminal negligence and in this case war crimes. And some say that Bush and Obama will never pay a price for their crimes. But that remains to be seen. There is no statute of limitations on these crimes.
Some day they will be brought to trial by a legitimate tribunal or else this isn't America anymore. America is only America if the Constitution still exists and if the Constitution still exists, we will catch up with these criminals. www.gpln.com
I agree that President Obama deserves impeachment for trampling on the Constitution, but since the Republicans control the House of Representatives -- where impeachments must originate -- the president would have to first get an extra-marital blow job in the White House. After all, those Republicans take their oaths to defend the Constitution seriously.
Best comment I have read in a while! BRAVO!!!!
Look at HP today and see the pictures of the wounded. They pay the price for joining in a criminal war. But it is all the little guys that take the heat.
Obama, his generals, congress and all the shitty amurikcans that yell support the troops never have the opportunity to pay that price.
These photos should be shown at all recruiting stations. If I ever thought of joining a just war, these photos would turn my head.
I wonder now if those soldiers think it was worth the fun? I think I would rather be dead then so dismembered and going thru that pain.
Afghanistan. Where have O heard about this before? Ah, I remember! It was Ronald Reagan that was so in love with the 'Afghan Freedom Fighters'. that he invited them to the White House for tea n' scones. What he said and who was actually behind 9/11 (the new Pearl Harbor), the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan can be extracted from this 3-part documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5lByw7kvS0 - "The Power Of Nightmares".
Watching this documentary instills the idea of having more than one 'mission accomplished'.
Without jail time for the neo-fascists in the US, there is zero hope that the ship of state will reach the shore before it inevitably sinks. But then, that would be just another 'Mission Accomplished'.
"Last warning." ROFL!! Without our troops guarding his corrupt a$$, Karzai would be Najibullahed by his own people within hours.
Really, "Karzai, gives US last warning..." He must keep a recording of that speech by his desk, and hits play at the appropriate time. Alas
"Friendly fire"?
How effing brainwashed can people be?
It's very clear among the world's people who have detached themselves from the imperial juggernaut, or who were already detached, that the USA's involvement in the affairs of any other nation is completely unnecessary and involves an unjustifiable amount of destruction. The karmic boomerang will visit the USA again. It's only a matter of time.
Wholeheartedly agreed. For some very strange reason it appears that the American vocabulary was stripped of the most important proverb it could deliver:
'What Goes Around Comes Around'. Whoever is aware of this Universal principle knows what we are in for.
One cat 9 tornado per batch of dead Pastun civilians?
One major flood per destroyed Afghan town?
I think we should atone for our killing of Afghan women and children by turning over an equal number of our women and children to the Afghans, and we should start that process with the women and children of our political leaders.
They would undoubtedly be treated better. Hospitality is inseparable from the minds of the people in this region. Sparsely populated areas require hospitality to ensure the well being of all, the more hostile the environment, the greater the hospitality. Unfortunately the hospitality of the Afghan people has not only been abused to the hilt, it becomes ever more clear that they had it with foreign interventions.
My recommendation would be to send them to North Korea or Somalia instead.
This blood is on Obama's hands. Not much daylight between him and Bush-Cheney. He was elected to bring this country out of the Bush era darkness, and all he's done is sink us deeper into the mud. Mr. Nobel Prize winner--those of us who can't stand the sight of more dead children spit in your face!
"This blood is on Obama's hands. Not much daylight between him and Bush-Cheney".
That's an unfair comment. Bad as Bush/Cheney were and are, and deserving as they are of following the Serbian and Rwandan gentlemen to the Hague, I think that there is actually a significant amount of moral "daylight between . . . [Obama]" and the two of them, and it's not a gap in Obama's moral favor.
Only because of U.S. exceptionalism does 'crimes against humanity' or 'murder' translate into 'collateral damage'.
Yawn.
Yet *another* 'last warning' from Karzai.
Honestly, this puppet has about as much credibility as bin Laden Mark II & Mark III had over the years.
No doubt that there'll be yet another announcement that through Karzai there's more 'peace talks' with the Taliban which is actually an 'alliance' behind the scenes between the USA and the Taliban to bring Pipeghanistan into being.
The USA would be doing as China has done for many years now in letting despots (local and wider) do as they wish in their countries with large payments just so the natural resources can be shipped out without any hindrance whatsoever to them.
Anyone remember back in November 2010 the fake Taliban leader that made all the news after being honoured greatly (and paid a lot!) who supposedly turned out to be a lowly shopkeeper from the Pakistani city of Quetta? - LOL!
He was well into forwarding the peace process too......except he read it as 'piece of the action' process.
Why are we still in Afghanistan? As we murder Afghan civilians hearts and minds get stone cold.
Obama is responsible for these murders.
What do all the people who voted for Mr. Nobel Peace Prize thing, now?
yeah ok. but these murders of civilians have been going on for ten years now. the stories are always the same. the villagers say u.s. bombs killed their families. the u.s.. military says they called in an
airstrike because they came under fire. Then denies the victims were civilians and so on but TEN YEARS of this? the first bomb dropped on Afghanistan was an inexcusable atrocity, and all the bombs since then an intolerably repetitious war crime.
NBC had a program on this evening featuring the father of a soldier killed in Afghanistan. The father was working to find out why he was killed. Reports and witness accounts proved it was from the higher up leadership. Neglect, lack of building supplies, lack of water in 100 degree heat, plane needed to help them was diverted elsewhere and in spite of all this proof that it was due to incompetent military generals guess who the military blamed? The dead son of the man who was investigating the deaths of about 9 troops . Then the military gave up on claiming that Afghan site that the soldiers died defending. It is not only the Afghan civilians who are victims of careless military leadership including the Commander in Chief but the troops also. I wonder how many soldiers are on drugs for depression or trauma from being deployed over and over again? This leads to PTSD, which leads to suicides. which outpace the combat-related deaths. All for a war that cannot be won, was never necessary, and is bankrupting America.
Yup. Joining the Imperial Army just ain't worth it anymore.
not ONLY, but OVERWHELMINGLY.
Mayhem is profitable, no matter who dies. Our leaders obviously don't give a tinker's fart for The Other; but nor do they give one for Our Boys except as either cannon fodder or window dressing in their re-election ads.
A single honorable soldier's shitcorn is worth more than all the politicians in Washington. (And yes, there is such a thing as an honorable soldier, eg: Scott Ritter, Bradley Manning, Telford Taylor, etc...)
Before the son was killed, I wonder if the father was proud of his son killing innocent people? Support the troops and all that bullshit. HP has photos and a story of the horrific injuries these kids have from bombs. Since Betrayous told them to get out and walk, the injuries have increased. Why the hell doesn't he say, get back in your vehicles since you are all getting maimed.
In answer to your question of how many are on drugs due to PTSD, many. Then redeployed with all the side affects from the drugs, or being on them at home.
I am in agreement that those that start wars should have to send their kids to them.
All who profit from it should have skin in the game.
All who fund it and order it should be impeached, and sent of for war crimes.
But that is just a fantasy, isn't it?
The father was a retired Army colonel and he was indeed very proud of his murdering son, until it came back to bite him in the ass. It's baffling how these people send their kids off to fight and kill, but are enraged when they come home in a box. They care nothing about the innocents who are caught in the crossfire.
You know?????.....I feel his pain....
Two corrupt governments working to screw the people of Afghanistan and I would like to see some of these US journalists that are pushing pentagon propaganda interview the family members of the innocent civilians the Americans routinely kill in their campaign to win the hearts and minds of the Afghans.