On Friday, US drones attacked a funeral in Afghanistan’s Khost Province, tearing through a crowd of mourners and leaving at least 34 of them dead. The funeral was reportedly for a Taliban fighter, and the Afghan government insisted that by extension, all the mourners must’ve been Taliban too.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the strike, but insisted a number of the victims were innocent civilians from the nomadic tribe the slain fighter was a member of . Afghan MPs from the region similarly claimed a number of civilians were slain.
Oddly, while everyone else was reporting the attack was on a funeral inside a cemetery, Khost provincial police claimed the US strike was against Taliban forces who were “running away” from the police along the Pakistan border.
Civilian tolls in US strikes have posed a huge problem for Afghan governments in the past, and former President Hamid Karzai’s feckless criticism both angered locals (since it never seemed to stop future attacks) and alienated him from the US. So far, President Ghani seems to be trying to avoid comment on such incidents.
And they call them terrorists, and label an entire population as such?
US arrogance! Whole sale murder, but hey, be kind to the animals!
"Civilian tolls in US strikes have posed a huge problem for Afghan governments in the past. . ."
Right, never mind the civilian toll, what about the poor Afghan government?
In a just world the same would happen at the Beau Bidenfest.
As stupid as the US govt and military are and have been, I believe events like these prove that we actually WANT to instigate war, probably for profit motives, not end or resolve it.
It's called Hubris. It's stupid to think that the family of the assassinated won't do anything possible to kill as many Americans as possible. They asked for it !
Another war crime. Will anyone ever be held accountable?
Ya gotta start looking forward, Johnny, forward…
Jan 31, 2012 The girl killed by Barack Obama – she never saw it coming
Barack Obama says the drone attacks he authorises are targetted only at named people on a list of active terrorists who are a direct threat to America. The facts tell a different story.
https://youtu.be/_9DE0ON_Uzo
Glad to see Uncle Sam pick a new target set. Up 'til now I thought he attacked only weddings.
Of course, when the Assad government in Syria kills civilians it is a terrible crime and an example of its heartless brutality. Double standard, anyone?
Not one word in my worthless corporate rag, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis St. Paul concerning this genocidal attack on a funeral. All world news at the "Strib.", is now relegated to the same status as the back page funnies.