Tensions are once again rising in Afghanistan in the wake of a Tuesday incident in which US helicopters killed nine children in the Kunar Province who were gathering firewood on the side of a mountain.
The killings were quickly admitted to by officials, and Gen David Petraeus officially apologized, as did President Obama. But President Karzai, in a teleconference with Obama today, insisted that an apology was simply not good enough.
“The people of Afghanistan are fed up from these brutal incidents and apologies and condemnation cannot cure their pain,” Karzai insisted, and indeed with a number of high profile killings all coming in the past few weeks, claims that they are isolated incidents are becoming harder and harder to sell.
And the protests against the killings are spreading too, as hundreds took to the streets of Kabul today, burning an effigy of President Obama and condemning the air strikes. Previous protests against the strike had been reported in Kunar Province.
Look people, you are dealing with a militarism regime (US and EU) what do you expect, no killings to take place when their job and their mission was and is based on killings people everywhere, like they did in Iraq.
But… but… but… the Taliban/al-Qaeda/Islamist/militant/insurgent/terrorists intentionally kill many, many, many, many more civilians than the US-NATO coalition accidentally does, according to official sources. -The Associated Press
And what exactly are these 'official sources'? Does it have anything to do with Public Affairs officers and journalists checking their Magic 8-Ball for the answers?
The flaw in this is that Taliban/Al-Quaeda/Islamist/militant/insurgent/terrorist forces- as a rule- need the local population to be favorable, or at the least neutral, to allow them the freedom to operate. You don't gain support by killing everything that moves, as our "NATO forces" seem eager to do. Granted, the opposition may have their faults as well, but for the present it looks like they're giving the Afghan population a better deal than we are prepared to.
Might want to think on that while everyone reads up on how the Viet Cong was able to operate in South Vietnam so effectively for so long until the North rolled down to claim victory.
For america is enough that american childrens are not killed rest in uninteresting. They have started a game in this area to kill civilians like Irak and the patience is running out. Even Pakistan these american CIA agents are engaged in illegal killings in big cities which has created enough outrage but the americans dam care.
For some strange reason- call me crazy- I get the impression that the US has overstayed its welcome in Afghanistan. I wonder how long it will be before the nation demands the withdrawal of US forces- and I wonder how long after that it will take for Afghanistan to be put on the list of 'terrorist states'. It seems to me that hosting US military forces in the Middle East has become rather like holding a hot coal- who can take the heat and pain the longest before passing it on to the next unlucky nation. I wonder how the US public would react if foreign forces landed here and started conducting anti-terrorist campaigns of their own (since we already know from our own Homeland Security folks that we're a hotbed of terrorist activity), killing innocent US civilians in the process- how long do you think we'd stand for it?
Mr. no more war but the troops are staying longer Gates is over there right now. Apparently, he is under the impression that the US is calling the shots on this one and he can decide that the mercenaries get to stay longer as in, until the pipe is completed and then forever. Let's wait and see what the insurgent have to say on the matter. Something tells me, they'll disagree.
I do often wonder why the pipeline doesn't get much mention in the press. Well, no I don't. Sadly, in this as with so many other cases, the American public can't handle the truth.
Actually, I don't think the little pipe dream is going all that well and that is the reason why you don't hear anything even in the alternative media. It's not happening.
Aaawe, ain't he cute? Now, all of a sudden, he's outraged and has principles. Give him another bag of cash and watch all the indignation disappear as he counts the money.
Wrong. He knows that money is no good when peasants come with pitchforks. I have my idea for solving our massive economic and financial woes. Pull all the forces and the virtual army of their private contractor entourage, and put them all back into US. Put them into semi-empty bases, or into those millions of vacant commercial space that now graces our cities. Pull them from Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Eritrea, Yemen, Oman, Saudija, Jordan, and the rest of the world. Take them from Germany, Japan, Korea, Pakistan. Until they are all back. Think of the boon to our economy! Just continue paying them whatever we pay now, but on our soil. Now, this may bring some peasants with the pitchforks to those tin-pot leaders. Excellent solution to corruption, as there will be no money to do corrupting with. And if oil does not flow that plentiful due to chaos, so much the better. It will force us to deal with the problem, finally. The only people who will cry will be the multinationals with their super duper long supply chains.
It's that Damn Bianca pullin the rug out from underneath posters here….. But she always seems 2B right… and she has a good knowledge of history and or a good memory…. She sees what is being obscured….is on to "their tricks, diversions and scams.. She is formidable……!!!
While you're at it, don't forget to pull Israel's feeding tube. And outlaw AIPAC! There, the economy should be back on track in a couple of years with that and a few lynchings on Wall Street.
I'm not so sure you are correct dissenter… Remember when the nice folks from MURDER INC, AKA the Shrub Company were tryin to get rid of Karzai…. They said he went in his bathroom…smoked skeesh and cried….. Later when there was another of those incidents of supposed accidental slaughter of innocent Afghans, Karzai said he would like to join the Taliban..?? He wept in public, appealing to Nato forces to stop killing Afghan civilians. He also cries a lot in private, sources told The Scotsman. http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1…
"Karzai Threatened to Join Taliban, Sources Say" – CBS News http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/05/world/m…
I judge actions not words. If I didn't, I'd believe that Iraq was about WMD…or toppling that sanguine tyrant Saddam Hussein…or spreading democracy to the Iraqi people. And I'd also believe that Afghanistan was about Osama bin Ladden hiding in a cave…and liberating the women from the Taliban. I'd also have to believe that Israel is a victim and the Arabs want to "drive it into the sea" and that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorists and they all hate us for "our freedoms" – See how the whole thing flows? Money talks and bullshit walks. Karsai just like Maliki and the other dick-tater in Yemen and the rest of them are just paid stooges. For as long as the cash keeps flowing in, they'll keep doing as they're told. The rhetoric is just that, rhetoric, just like Gates not wanting any more war or Hillary praising Al Jazeera. Yeah! Trojan horses, each and every single on of them.
I wonder if Karzai has American contractors (mercenaries) for his personal protection force?
Wow I guess we know what would have happened if the German guy with the funny moustache and his close pals had a slew of flying robots able to rain death from above with such impunity.
No ML3 I don't………. What do YOU think "would have happened"…???????