Adding to the already embarrassingly long list of recent civilian killings in the Kunar Province, Afghan officials confirmed that a NATO air strike on Monday night killed two children who were working on irrigation channels for their family’s farm.
NATO initially confirmed the strike, saying it killed two “suspected insurgents,” but the insurgents were later revealed to be a 9-year-old and a 15-year-old. NATO has yet to reverse its claim that the two were “placing an IED,” despite the Afghan reports to the contrary.
The incident comes just two weeks after a NATO strike in Kunar that killed nine children who were collecting firewood, and who also were initially described as suspects. This was itself just weeks after an offensive by NATO killed 65 civilians in the province, including large numbers of women and children.
The killings sparked an angry rebuke by President Hamid Karzai, who insisted that US “apologies” for the killings were no longer sufficient, and demanded that the attacks stop taking place.
A couple of thoughts: IF the afghanies are lying and these kids were actually setting IEDs then the US (NATO) have really lost this war. They've created an Army of kids willing to fight against the invaders – an army that has the potential to fight for another 40, 50 years? There won't be any "winnning the hearts and minds" here. Nice.
IF, on the other hand, the afghanies are not lying and these really were kids working on an irrigation ditch for their farm, then the US (NATO) has created an atmosphere where kids have decided to fight the invaders – possibly for another 40, 50 years… If NATO plans to win this scenario, they'll have to kill every kid in the country – and neighboring countries – might as well. IF they kill the next generation then in 25 years they won't have any more insurgents to fight and they can then declare victory – and then safely bring in the mining equipment and contractors to strip mine the country.
Time to get out!!
Only 2 kids this time- tsk, tsk… our NATO allies are getting sloppy in their work. They couldn't find a juicier target this time?
I have to agree with #1; regardless of what the kids were really doing, we're screwed. We either drive further down the road of alienating the population and turning them against us, or we've already jumped the shark and are seeing the next generation of Afghan patriots in action.
Either way, it's a lose-lose for the US/NATO forces. Remember, in order to bring this to a close, the West has to win, and win big, and totally remake the region. in order for the Afghans/Taliban to win, all they need to do is outlast us and continue to bleed us. So far, I'd say we're about halfway through dying from the Death of a Thousand Cuts- we can't take it for too much longer.