US reprimands six over deadly air strike in Afghanistan

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

The US military has reprimanded six operators of an un-manned drone, which mistakenly attacked a civilian convoy in Afghanistan killing at least 23.

Warnings that the convoy was not an attacking force were ignored or played down, while the ground-force commander was not sure who was in the vehicles, an investigation found.

The deadly assault took place in Uruzgan Province in February.

Civilian deaths in strikes have caused widespread resentment in Afghanistan.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/10189462.stm

[Robb]

1. Good. K&R.

I thought I had read it was a helicopter attack, though. Drone? Army-operated, a Gray Eagle? Rare sight.

[msongs]

2. we killl them by the hundreds, and all we got was this lousy reprimand nt

[clarence swinney]

4. MY LAI

400 Men-Women-Children
Lt Calley gets 10 years
Out in couple.Hero!

We have slaughtered many many hundreds in Iraq
You never know it in America.
Arabs see read it in Middle East=Hatred

5 young kids
go in home at night
kill mom dad 6 yr old sister
all 5 rape 15 year old beauty
kill her. pour kerosene on body and burn her in back yard.
one pled guilty and life in prison four "may" be tried.

Lt put Iraq General in large duffle bag as treatment.
suffocated.
Of course, tried before pals on Ft Carson tribunal NOT GUILTY

[clarence swinney]

3. VIDEO GAME KIDS PLAY WAR

How easy we overlook
Uss Vicennes
291 Iranians killed on Airliner
Kid on controls of missile

Those relatives never forgot

[laststeamtrain]

5. Human error blamed for civilian Afghan deaths

Source: AFP

Human error blamed for civilian Afghan deaths

(AFP) – 1 hour ago

KABUL — Human error was blamed Saturday for a missile and rocket attack by US forces on vehicles in war-torn Afghanistan that resulted in the death of 23 civilians, a military statement said.

The incident on February 21 sparked widespread anger at the presence of international troops in Afghanistan, and an apology from the commander of NATO forces in the country, US General Stanley McChrystal.

<snip>

The report found that a convoy of "three vehicles carrying more than 30 civilians were mistaken for an insurgent convoy and engaged by coalition aircraft".

The mistake was made in analysing images taken by unmanned drones, it said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h-g54F5km3urVZ3o7A9muFmVTacQ

[Enrique]

6. two words: predator drones

they didn't even see it coming! Get it?

[unhappycamper]

7. Guess who did it?

The United States Air Force.


AF drone crew blamed in fatal Afghan airstrike
By Rohan Sullivan - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 29, 2010 10:43:02 EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan — Inexperienced operators of a U.S. drone ignored or downplayed signs that Afghan civilians were in a convoy blasted in a deadly American missile attack earlier this year, a military report released Saturday said.

At least 23 people were killed in the Feb. 21 attack in Uruzgan province. It was the deadliest missile strike for Afghan civilians in six months and occurred as NATO forces were redoubling efforts to avoid killing innocents.

The attack prompted a strong rebuke from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a quick apology from the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who is struggling to gain the broad support among Afghans that is crucial to winning the almost 9-year-old war against the Taliban.

The insurgents claimed a victory Saturday when they captured a government outpost in a remote mountainous region near the Pakistan border.

Jamaludin Badar, governor of eastern Nuristan province, said government forces withdrew from the district headquarters in Bargi Matal early Saturday after a major assault by Taliban militants and a battle lasting several days.

[RC]

8. The mistake was made in us, U.S. even being in Afghanistan in the first place.

Wadamatter, not enough innocent people at wedding parties anymore?

[Prometheus Bound]

9. Killing women and children in Afghanistan from armchair in Nevada.

Just evil.