Fresh Anti-U.S. Protest Over Afghan Civilian Deaths

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

Fresh anti-U.S. protest over Afghan civilian deaths
By Noor Rahman
Tue May 1, 2:54 AM ET

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Burning an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush and chanting anti-U.S. slogans, hundreds of Afghans staged a third day of protests on Tuesday over the killing of civilians in a raid by U.S.-led forces.

The protesters were mostly university students in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where up to six civilians were killed. They briefly blocked a main road into the provincial capital, Jalalabad, to protest the second killing of civilians in the region by U.S.-led coalition troops in less than two months.

Neighbors of the dead and Nangarhar officials said those killed in the raid on Sunday were civilians, including three women. But the U.S. military said four were Taliban fighters and civilian casualties were a woman and a teenage girl killed in crossfire.

The students, protesting under tight police watch and a blazing sun, repeated calls made in previous protests for President Hamid Karzai to step down. "Karzai should go. He has no power and he can't serve us," said one student, referring to Karzai's repeated calls for Western troops to avoid civilian casualties when hunting militants. "We do not want American forces. They should go. Death to America," another chanted, before the protest ended peacefully.

MORE

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070501/ts_nm/afghan_protest_dc

[Eugene]

1. 30 Afghan civilians among 'Taliban' dead: police

Source: Agence France-Presse

30 Afghan civilians among 'Taliban' dead: police

by Fridoon Poya 44 minutes ago

HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) - At least 30 civilians, including
women and children, were among the dead after clashes in
western Afghanistan that the US-led coalition said killed
136 Taliban, police said Tuesday.

Hundreds of people had demonstrated in the Shindand district
of the western province of Herat on Monday, after coalition
and Afghan operations there on Friday and Sunday, insisting
civilians were among the victims.

Herat police chief Mohammad Shafiq Fazli told AFP an
investigation had found that "there were at least 30
civilians, including women and children, among those killed
in Shindand's fighting."

-snip-

But a spokesman for the US Central Command said it had
received no reports of civilian casualties in the fighting.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070501/wl_asia_afp/afghanistanunrestus

---

Also: 75 suspected Afghan insurgents killed - AP

[cal04]

2. Irate Afghans protest again over civilian deaths

Afghans protested for a fourth day on Wednesday over the killing of civilians by U.S.-led coalition forces hunting Taliban, adding to pressure on Western-backed President Hamid Karzai amid rising violence.

Some 2,000 university students chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Karzai slogans in the eastern province of Nangahar, where up to six civilians died on Sunday.

Protests have also been seen in Herat province, near the Iranian border in the west, where the police chief said 30 civilians had been killed in recent days by U.S.-led forces.

The students blocked the main highway between the capital, Kabul, to Pakistan, to protest the second killing of civilians by Western troops in Nangahar in less than two months.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL147361.htm

[Heidi]

3. Kick.

:kick:

[Joanne98]

4. Afghan students burn Bush effigy in protest

Source: The Times of India

JALALABAD (Afghanistan): Afghan students burned an effigy of US President George W Bush on Tuesday as they rallied in a third day of protests against civilians alleged to have been killed by coalition troops.

A crowd of about 500 blocked a highway in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where six people were killed on Sunday.

The incident came amid concern about claims of heavy civilian casualties in the western province of Herat.

Parliamentarians expressed anger on Monday at mounting civilian deaths in military operations against insurgents, including by the US-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban regime in 2001.



Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/Afghan_students_burn_Bush_effigy_in_protest/articleshow/1985870.cms

[MikeNearMcChord]

5. Winning the hearts and minds, eh?

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. Students = Taliban

At least that's what we were told 6 years ago.

[Erika]

7. W has bushwhacked our future with these regimes n/t

[TexasLawyer]

8. Picture up on VOA

[VegasWolf]

9. bush, bombing countries in order to help them. nt

[Bragi]

10. Here's the latest...

Probes find about 50 Afghan civilians killed in battles
05-02-2007, 13h47
HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP)

Afghan and UN investigations found that about 50 civilians, including many women and children, were killed in weekend fighting in western Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday.

The US-led coalition has said 136 Taliban fighters were killed in the clashes, that included bombing raids, with militants in the western province of Herat on Friday and Sunday.

A United Nations investigation had so far found that 49 civilians were killed in the fighting in Shindand district, spokesman Adrian Edwards said.

Police found 51 were dead, western Afghanistan spokesman Akramudin Yawar told AFP.

"The figures I have so far of the civilians killed in the three-day operation in Shindand is that 51 civilians were killed including 18 women and a number of children. I don't have the exact figures for children," he said.

A team appointed by provincial governor Sayed Hussain Anwari found 42 civilians were killed and 55 were wounded, said the governor's spokeswoman Farzana Ahmadi.

The investigation team appointed by Anwari and made up of councillors and other provincial authorities also found that 1,600 families had fled the area because of the fighting and 100 houses were damaged or destroyed, she said...

And just in case you think US military authorities aren't on the job...

A spokesman for the US Central Command told AFP Tuesday it had received no reports of civilian casualties in the fighting.

"Every precaution was taken to prevent injury to Afghan civilians during both battles, and no civilian casualties were reported," said Major David Small.

"If any reports are made through official channels, they will be investigated," he said, adding that to his knowledge no investigation into alleged civilian deaths was under way.

So about 50 civilians are dead, the same number were wounded, 1600 families fled the region, 100 houses were destroyed, and 136 (suspected) Taliban were killed.

And this is supposed to be the "good" war.

Fucking insane is what it is.

- B

[Eugene]

11. Karzai says Afghans lose patience over killings ("nearly 60 civilians")

Source: Reuters

Karzai says Afghans lose patience over killings
Wed May 2, 2007 10:41AM EDT

(Updates death count, U.S. reaction, Herat details, Kandahar)

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL, May 2 (Reuters) - President Hamid Karzai warned on
Wednesday that Afghan patience was wearing thin over the
killing of civilians by Western forces hunting Taliban guerrillas,
saying further deaths would lead to bad consequences.

Nearly 60 civilians have been killed in raids by U.S.-led troops
in the past week, Afghan officials say, sparking four days so
far of anti-American, anti-Karzai protests.

"We can no longer accept civilian casualties. It is becoming a
heavy burden," Karzai told reporters at his heavily fortified
palace in the capital, Kabul, when asked about the killings.

"It has become too hard for us."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSSP174602._CH_.2400