SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
October 12, 2014: The Solidarity Party of Afghanistan (SPA) held a demonstration in Kabul denouncing the US occupation of Afghanistan on its thirteenth year, and in support of the people of Kobani fighting against ISIS. More than 500 people joined the party in the demonstration. (Photo: Hambastagi.org)
Hundreds Protest NATO Bombing that Allegedly Killed Afghan Civilians
Air strike follows weekend march in Kabul against ongoing U.S.-led occupation
Oct 14, 2014
Hundreds of villagers in the Afghan province of Paktia staged protests on Monday following a NATO bombing on Sunday, which witnesses say struck civilians--killing seven of them, including a child, and wounding one.
The protesters brought seven dead bodies from the Udkey area of Gardez city to the capital of the province, according to Abdul Wali Sahi, deputy governor of the province.
"The local villagers claim that they were collecting firewood on a mountainside when they were hit by the airstrike. As you can see, there are children among the dead bodies," Sahi told media outlets. "The Afghan nation is tired of such killings. We are going to seriously investigate this incident, and we strongly condemn such a killing, and whoever committed this crime must be held accountable for their action."
Lt. Col. David Olson, a spokesperson for NATO, promptly confirmed a "precision strike" but claimed that only "enemy" combatants were killed. Officials presented no evidence to back this claim.
A report published in July by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan found that civilian deaths and injuries as a result of fighting have steadily increased since 2012. Between January 1 to June 30, 2014, approximately 4,853 civilians were killed, marking a 24 percent increase over the same months in 2013.
NATO's bombings on Sunday followed a Saturday march in Kabul protesting the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan, which was locked in for another decade by the recent signing of the bilateral security agreement. The protesters also expressed support for the people of Kobane resisting siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Hundreds of villagers in the Afghan province of Paktia staged protests on Monday following a NATO bombing on Sunday, which witnesses say struck civilians--killing seven of them, including a child, and wounding one.
The protesters brought seven dead bodies from the Udkey area of Gardez city to the capital of the province, according to Abdul Wali Sahi, deputy governor of the province.
"The local villagers claim that they were collecting firewood on a mountainside when they were hit by the airstrike. As you can see, there are children among the dead bodies," Sahi told media outlets. "The Afghan nation is tired of such killings. We are going to seriously investigate this incident, and we strongly condemn such a killing, and whoever committed this crime must be held accountable for their action."
Lt. Col. David Olson, a spokesperson for NATO, promptly confirmed a "precision strike" but claimed that only "enemy" combatants were killed. Officials presented no evidence to back this claim.
A report published in July by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan found that civilian deaths and injuries as a result of fighting have steadily increased since 2012. Between January 1 to June 30, 2014, approximately 4,853 civilians were killed, marking a 24 percent increase over the same months in 2013.
NATO's bombings on Sunday followed a Saturday march in Kabul protesting the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan, which was locked in for another decade by the recent signing of the bilateral security agreement. The protesters also expressed support for the people of Kobane resisting siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Hundreds of villagers in the Afghan province of Paktia staged protests on Monday following a NATO bombing on Sunday, which witnesses say struck civilians--killing seven of them, including a child, and wounding one.
The protesters brought seven dead bodies from the Udkey area of Gardez city to the capital of the province, according to Abdul Wali Sahi, deputy governor of the province.
"The local villagers claim that they were collecting firewood on a mountainside when they were hit by the airstrike. As you can see, there are children among the dead bodies," Sahi told media outlets. "The Afghan nation is tired of such killings. We are going to seriously investigate this incident, and we strongly condemn such a killing, and whoever committed this crime must be held accountable for their action."
Lt. Col. David Olson, a spokesperson for NATO, promptly confirmed a "precision strike" but claimed that only "enemy" combatants were killed. Officials presented no evidence to back this claim.
A report published in July by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan found that civilian deaths and injuries as a result of fighting have steadily increased since 2012. Between January 1 to June 30, 2014, approximately 4,853 civilians were killed, marking a 24 percent increase over the same months in 2013.
NATO's bombings on Sunday followed a Saturday march in Kabul protesting the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan, which was locked in for another decade by the recent signing of the bilateral security agreement. The protesters also expressed support for the people of Kobane resisting siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.