Just over a week after publicly bragging about a “precision air strike” against a “known militant leader” NATO is now admitting that it is “possible” civilians were killed in the strike, though incredibly enough they maintain confidence that the militant leader was probably there too.
The strike in question, in Takhar Province, hit election campaigners in a convoy for a parliamentary candidate. Provincial officials have already confirmed the identities of everyone slain, 10 campaign workers, and added that the candidate was also wounded in the strike.
But Brig. Gen Luigi Scollo says they are very confident they hit what they were aiming for, though he admits that “questions remain why an election official or candidate was traveling with a known terrorist.”
District officials have already answered that question: he wasn’t. District governor Malim Hussain already ridiculed NATO for this claim shortly after the initial attack, saying NATO ought to know better. But until the “militant leader” in question reemerges publicly to deny his death, as they so often do, NATO does not appear willing to admit to anything more than a possibility that they killed a bunch of civilian election workers.
' “questions remain why an election official or candidate was traveling with a known terrorist.” '
Kind of like: "why's a defense attorney making our 'terrorist' prosecution look stupid?" except the wounded and dead wouldn't have to take billing info first.
JD's 2nd link: "…Gates and the …ISAF said the target had been a senior member of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)." This may be the kind of 'Al Qaeda' link that the UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan,Craig Murray, said was falsified/inflated by large scale rendition and torture. They'll 'link' your dog to 'Al Qaeda' tommorrow