Karzai: President Obama, Stop this Bombing
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on president-elect Barack Obama to reverse the increasing US and NATO dependence on air strikes to combat anti-government guerrillas. The call came in the wake of reports that a US bombing raid intended to disrupt Taliban supply lines to the southern city of Qandahar had accidentally killed 40 civilians and wounded 28 in a wedding party procession near the village of Shah Wali Kot.
Wedding parties in Taliban-controlled areas would be difficult to distinguish from supply convoys from the air, and wedding celebrations often involve tribesmen firing their weapons into the air in celebration, so that they might appear to be hostile to low-flying US helicopters or surveillance aircraft. The US says it will investigate the incident, which would be the third major such bombardment of civilians since July. Some unnamed US officials admitted to the BBC that there were civilian casualties in the air raid.
US air strikes in Afghanistan are up 31% this year. The tactic had been avoided by US commanders in 2004 and 2005 as too risky, since mistaken bombardment of civilian villagers would alienate the Pushtun population in the south and might create sympathy for the Taliban.
Karzai clearly has pleaded with George W. Bush to reduce the incidence of air strikes, and been rebuffed. It is remarkable that he is already appealing directly to Obama, going above Bush's head so to speak.
Obama has pledged increased ground troops for the Afghanistan War, in addition to earmarking $1 billion for civilian aid to combat the poverty that sometimes creates dissatisfactions that benefit the Taliban.
posted by Juan Cole @ 11/06/2008 01:02:00 AM
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7 Comments:
Wedding parties in Taliban-controlled areas would be difficult to distinguish from supply convoys from the air, and wedding celebrations often involve tribesmen firing their weapons into the air in celebration, so that they might appear to be hostile to low-flying US helicopters or surveillance aircraft.
Blame the victim. No! The hostility is all in the "low-flying US helicopters or surveillance aircraft". What the hell are they doing there? They are aggressors! War Criminals! Occupiers! The Afghan people are not responsible for their own slaughter at the hands of the Criminal Occupation!
The US says it will investigate the incident, which would be the third major such bombardment of civilians since July.
US blames Taliban for Afghan deaths. That's the kind of investigation you're going to get from The US under the Militarist OBama.
Roozben Khan, the father of the bride at the wedding ceremony in Shah Wali Kot district, which US fighters allegedly bombed, said that he had lost six relatives in the attack.
"I lost two sons, two grandsons, a nephew, my mother and a cousin," Khan said.
His daughter was among seven of his relatives who were wounded. The groom survived but his father, mother and sister were killed, he said.
US officials also confirmed that a number of civilians had been killed in the attack and said that an investigation was under way.
But the US military statement alleged that Taliban fighters were responsible for any civilian deaths because they had prevented civilians from fleeing.
Obama wants more war in Afghanistan... everywhere. And he wants the Germans to re-arm and help him! And they, horribile dictu, cheer the new Anshluss!
And Obama wins by a landslide with the gung-ho support of people you know know better.
A good and constructive idea, Professor.
why doesnt Karzai kick the americans out??? Isnt he the countrys leader?>??
Or does he need them to maintain his rule?
Brian
"Wedding parties in Taliban-controlled areas would be difficult to distinguish from supply convoys from the air, and wedding celebrations often involve tribesmen firing their weapons into the air in celebration, so that they might appear to be hostile to low-flying US helicopters or surveillance aircraft."
Possibly the most insensitive, inane comment ever. I could add a few adjectives....
Did you see the PBS show 'The War Briefing"?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warbriefing/
Unfortunately, such 'air support' is deemed necessary by the troops on the ground.
I'm NOT arguing for such and I certainly don't have any answers to the problem of Pakistan/Afghanistan/India but mention the show as it gives an idea of the intractibility of the situation that exists.
Do people understand that the PILOTS of these predator drone aircraft are located in California, 8,000 miles away from the bombing site ????
These pilots pilot the preador drone aircraft from a computer screen in Southern California using highly sophisticated cameras that can easily distinguish men from women. With a single keystroke they launch these deadly bombs. They then go home to the wife and kids and watch American Idol on TV. Just another day at the office. It is like the children's computer video games.
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I wish everything was as easy to fix as this problem with missile strikes on Afghan civilians.
The Afghan military needs to assign about 20 Military Intelligence officers, plus one General, to Nellis AFB. They could live in Las Vegas, Nevada, 20 miles away.
They could operate in shifts, so that there were at least 4 or 5 on duty at any one time.
While the Air Force can have up to 50 UAV missions underway worldwide at any given time, 4 or 5 Afghan officers could adequately monitor this number of missions over their territory.
Assuming some of the missions are over Iraq or Iran or Somalia or Syria, or Pakistan, or North Korea, or Venezuela, or even over countries we are not technically at war with,
there are probably 30 or fewer missions over Afghanistan at any one time.
Though they are launched from and recovered at Bagram AB, the aircraft are all flown/ piloted from Nellis,
and the missiles are all launched from Nellis,
and all of the control rooms ("cockpits") are within about 100 yards of each other.
There usually are at most no more than 2 of those sorties underway at the same time, in which a target has been identified and under consideration for service by Hellfire missile or 500 lb bomb.
We just add one additional step to the protocol for approving an attack: the Afghan officer has to approve.
They are a sovereign country, after all. And we are there not to conduct independent operations, but to help the Afghan government and military in the exercise of their obligations and duties to defend their nation. Who could object, and on what basis ?
an avid student of the professor
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