CAIRO — US Marines in Afghanistan has used disproportionate force against innocent Afghan civilians, killing and injuring in one incident as many as 47 people, including children and elderly villagers, a preliminary US military investigation has found.
"My investigating officer believes those folks were innocent … We were unable to find evidence that those were fighters," Major General Frank H. Kearney, who ordered the investigation into the aftermath of the bombing of a US convoy in the eastern province of Nangarhar, was quoted as saying Sunday, April 15, by The Washington Post.
On March 4, 12 Afghan civilians were killed and 35 were injured, including children and elderly villagers, after US Marines opened fire indiscriminately following the bombing of one of their convoys on a busy highway between the eastern city of Jalalabad and the Pakistan border.
US Marines initially said they responded to small-arms fire from several directions to defend themselves.
But the preliminary US investigation refuted their claims, concluding that the unit did not come under fire after the bombing.
"We found . . . no brass that we can confirm that small-arms fire came at them," said Kearney, the head of Special Operations Command Central which oversees the US Operations in the region, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We have testimony from Marines that is in conflict with unanimous testimony from civilians at the sites," he added.
Kearney also said the excessive response by the Marines is not justified as the suicide bombing "had not much effect on our convoy."
"Everyone takes this very, very seriously," he underlined.
Senior military officials told The New York Times that the Army is now exploring possible criminal charges against Marines.
An American spokesman in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. David A. Accetta, said further said the military was in the final stages of approving condolence payments for families of the wounded and dead in the shootings.
Not Isolated
"This is not an isolated case," Nadery said.
The US findings are similar to another probe by the Afghan Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
"In failing to distinguish between civilians and legitimate military targets, the US Marine Corps Special Forces employed indiscriminate force," said the report, which was cited by The Ney York Times on Sunday.
"Their actions thus constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian standards."
Citing testimonies from families of victims, survivors, police and hospital officials, the seven-page report concluded that marines fired indiscriminately at pedestrians, people in cars and public buses along a 10-mile stretch of road.
The dead included a one-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, three women and elderly villagers.
AHRC Deputy Director Nader Nadery said the shootings are not unprecedented.
The civilian toll in the incident is one of the largest for which the US troops have been accused since the invasion of Afghanistan.
Last may, up to 76 people, many believed to be civilians, were killed in American strikes on a village in southern Afghanistan.
More than half the US forces fall under NATO command. The rest, including all Special Operations forces, remain under US command.
Outrage
Anger and frustration over the shooting was evident in the whole province of Nangarhar.
"What we identified throughout all our investigation is a high level of frustration among the public and among the civilians," Nadery said.
Recalling the bloody incident, survivors and families of the dead lashed out at what they termed "US cruelty."
"It was an illegal action," a 45-year-old car driver, who survived the bloodshed, told the Times.
He recalled how the US guns shredded his car with hundreds of bullets and claimed the lives of his 80-year-old father, 75-year old uncle and his teenage nephew.
"I know the army rules, and when I heard the blast I stopped my car, I was thinking in case they shoot me," he said. "They opened fire and were shooting for 10 minutes."
Some of the families said they could not recognize their relatives because they were shot beyond recognition.
Sixteen-year-old Yadwaro was carrying a bundle of grass to her family’s farmhouse when she was cut down by the rampant American fire.
"She was cutting grass in the field and she was carrying the bundle of grass on her head back into the house for the animals," Abdel Muhammad, her brother-in-law said.
Yadwaro's father-in-law said the girl was shot in the back and fell dead across the threshold.
"They committed a great cruelty; they should be punished," he said bitterly.
Good. If they committed crimes they should be brought in front of a court and punished.
That makes me wonder. Does the Taliban have a court in which it prosecutes those who commit crimes on its side? Clearly many civilians also die in the (suicide) attacks by the Taleban, so some definitely get botched up. Or for the abduction and killing of journalists and their drivers. Surely those are un-Islamic acts?
Not that I'm overlooking reckless behavior of Coalition forces, but I find it a bit dubious that some people are so quick to jump on these sorts of incidents when Americans or Brits are involved, but say nothing when the so-called "mujahideen" intentionally blow up civilians daily.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
If you have armed conflict it is unavoidable that both sides will kill innocent civilians unintentionally. If you have armed conflict the people fighting it on both sides will, on occasion, make mistakes, behave like idiots or occasionally act like criminals, for such is the nature of people, particularly those under the extreme stress created by participation in combat.
The only way to avoid those things is to avoid war.
Prince and MTAFFI, stop fighting. I don't care who started it. I know that sounds like I'm treating you like children, but that's sort of how you're acting in certain posts, so please just discuss the first post (as you have been doing) without insulting each other. Thanks.
I've deleted all the posts in which you were squabbling, and the ones connected to them. Which appears to be all the posts the two of you made in this thread. Let this be a lesson to ye.
Another thing - I don't really appreciate sarcasm in threads to do with civilian deaths. It's not nice to mock the deaths of Afghan civilians, just as it's not nice to mock the deaths of thousands of people on September 11th. Show some respect please.
Edit: It looks like I'm accusing certain members of mocking civilian deaths. This is not my intent. It's simply to prevent such mockery happening in the future, as it has happened in past threads.
Prince and MTAFFI, stop fighting. I don't care who started it. I know that sounds like I'm treating you like children, but that's sort of how you're acting in certain posts, so please just discuss the first post (as you have been doing) without insulting each other. Thanks.
I've deleted all the posts in which you were squabbling, and the ones connected to them. Which appears to be all the posts the two of you made in this thread. Let this be a lesson to ye.
Another thing - I don't really appreciate sarcasm in threads to do with civilian deaths. It's not nice to mock the deaths of Afghan civilians, just as it's not nice to mock the deaths of thousands of people on September 11th. Show some respect please.
^^ I agree much respect is due to those who innocently died in this act of war, however I dont believe the troops should be put on trial for murder either, they were attacked and responded to the attack, if I were in a situation where I didnt know who my enemy was and was being under the constant threat of attack I might be a little trigger happy too. Very sad for the families and the troops if you ask me. As far as mocking the deaths, I just would like to say I never mocked their deaths or any others, I mock those who are one sided and take no look at any other side other than what suits their own interests. See how many responses have been posted on this thread Afghanistan: Civilians Bear Cost of Escalating Insurgent Attacks
PEACE
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand Russell
"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the
enemy." - George Washington
Not that I'm overlooking reckless behavior of Coalition forces, but I find it a bit dubious that some people are so quick to jump on these sorts of incidents when Americans or Brits are involved, but say nothing when the so-called "mujahideen" intentionally blow up civilians daily.
Do you honestly think that over 70 percent of Afghanistan would support the current Taliban if they intentionally went and blew civilians daily?
Do you make any sense?
I Do not Support any Extremist or Fundamentalist Groups, We should all strive for a Democratic State in which Free Thought can be Expressed!
Do you honestly think that over 70 percent of Afghanistan would support the current Taliban if they intentionally went and blew civilians daily?
Do you make any sense?
As I mentioned in a post that appears to have been deleted, I was referring to the Iraqi insurgency, not particularly the Taliban, although their civilian targets are growing.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
As I mentioned in a post that appears to have been deleted, I was referring to the Iraqi insurgency, not particularly the Taliban, although their civilian targets are growing.
If they're civilian targets are growing, then why is the support of the afghan people growing for them?
Also, when you speak of insurgency, which insurgency are you speaking of? The sunni or the shia?
I Do not Support any Extremist or Fundamentalist Groups, We should all strive for a Democratic State in which Free Thought can be Expressed!
If they're civilian targets are growing, then why is the support of the afghan people growing for them?
Also, when you speak of insurgency, which insurgency are you speaking of? The sunni or the shia?
Both, including outside groups.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
I'm not entirely sure why we've started disussing the Taleban considering the first post has little to do with them. Please keep the discussion to the article in the first post.
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