Hundreds of Afghans took to the streets in protest again today, blocking the main highway connecting Eastern Afghanistan to Kabul following a NATO night raid that police say left at least two civilians dead and three others wounded.
NATO insists that they were pursuing a “bomb-making expert” at the time and that they believe the two people they killed were “insurgents.” They also claim somebody in the area fired on them before the killings, though they do not make it clear if the victims were armed.
NATO did however admit to killing a civilian in Kandahar Province, saying that he was a farmer killed in his field during a firefight with insurgents. They promised to discuss that killing with local elders.
The killing of civilians by the US-led NATO occupation force is an increasingly controversial issue, which is fueling opposition to the war among Afghans. The use of night raids had been virtually banned by Gen. McChrystal in his last days in office, but Gen. Petraeus is said to have pared away restrictions on targeting civilians because they “hurt morale.”
Three more US soldiers died in combat on Tuesday August 17 and were reported today Wednesday August 18 by the DOD. Why is this important news not reported anywhere on your site? Once again antiwar is ignoring the important announcements of US combat deaths in Afghanistan. In fact there has been a virtual blackout of US combat deaths at this site for several days even as the bodies continue to pile up. The main stream media of course rarely reports on current casualties. Why does this site also regularly ignore US combat deaths? The very reason for an alternative sites existence should be to give the public vital war news that the main stream press refuses to print.
Tom,
You must be a newcomer to AntiWar.com; otherwise, you'd know that US-NATO casualty news is posted nearly every day.
As for your claim that the MSM "rarely reports" US-NATO casualties: do a simple search on Google News — or, better yet, the AntiWar news wire.
EXAMPLES: http://wire.antiwar.com/?s=US+soldier+killed+afgh… http://wire.antiwar.com/?s=NATO+troop+killed+afgh… http://wire.antiwar.com/?s=coalition+troop+killed…
Whether the MSM refuse to report everything they should is one thing; whether they are in cahoots with the Pentagon is another. I tend to believe that both are the case.
But thank God for sites like AntiWar.com, which are the REAL rarities when it comes to putting factual context to the stories of all casualties of war.
I have followed AntiWar for years. And there is nothing on the site about the three US
soldiers killed Tuesday and reported Wednesday. I am not talking about an occasional listing of a half dozen soldiers killed in a helicopter crash . Those big headlines make the establishment press anyway. I am talking about the daily grind of fighting that reports when and where these soldiers were killed. That is the type of reporting essential to getting an understanding of the fighting on a daily basis. How is it possible for an anti war movement to develop when the public has no idea of the intensity of the fighting? Or the fact that we are loosing this war, particularly in Helmand province where nearly one half of the total combat deaths have been reported by the DOD in recent weeks.
There are several places on AW.com to look: News Wire, Daily News, HIGHLIGHTS, BREAKING NEWS, ANTIWAR RADIO, "Frontline," "Afghanistan," "Pakistan," "Iraq," "Viewpoints." And don't forget the header links, "US Casualties" and "Latest News," and the sidebar link, "Sources" (which even lists US military and neocon "news" sites). If you don't find what you're looking for in all that, then it probably was not reported. Or, maybe there are reporters covering the daily grind, whom you'd like AW.com to take a look at. Offer your specific suggestion to the editors. By all means, email them your links or tips. I do it, as do countless others. And it's easy as clicking on the header link, "Contact."
American reprisals are very similar to Mr.Adolf's and Israeli army reprisals. Guerrilla resistance thrive on reprisals, for each death brings them at least 10 fresh recruits.Resist Evil.
It simply is not true that Nato and US casualties are printed everyday at AnyiWar. In fact no US deaths were reported Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, August 16, 17, 18. When at least one soldier was reported killed each day and as I noted above three soldiers were reported killed Wednesday.
Oh my, what a shame to miss the targets.
Charles
Jason,
More dead civilians due to NATO shortsightedness and lust for violence. Nothing new here. Since the people themselves do not wish to see an end to these senseless imperial idiocies called wars, why should the elites in the Democratic and Republican parties stop the carnage…….????
winning the hearts and minds……..speeding them along to heaven, allah will be grateful.