If there’s going to be discussion about this, let’s please try to have a CIVIL discussion. Doesn’t matter which ‘side’ you are on, if you refuse to discuss this without resisting the urge to hurl insults at others, then please don’t participate in this thread.
Not really related, but there was a piece in the Guardian few days back that discussed the growth of opium fields under the Northern Alliance. (i can dig the article if anyone wants). When you go in to attack a country, ostensibly for ‘self-defence’ purposes, and you pledge (as both Blair and Bush did) that you will not abandon the country this time around, naive people really expect that you will fulfil those pledges. We’ve all sort of closed our eyes at what’s occurring in Afghanistan. How much genuine authority and influence does Karzai possess beyond his office desk? Especially when you have an incident like the one below, is this going to increase or decrease the level of hatred towards the US and towards the ‘west’ in general ? Are we going to hear an official apology from a senior member of the US admin for this bombing? Or is it just another case of collateral damage? Imagine when a Palestinian suicide bomber blows up eight people, including three children. We call them terrorists, we call them deranged, we call them barbarians, shaking our heads at how inhuman one must be in order to commit such an act. In the eyes of some individuals, there is no difference between that act and the one below except the latter has official endorsement. With the level of intelligence information as it is today, there is no excuse for such an act. Get your facts straight before you blow up someone’s home and family.
US forces bomb Afghan family home, BBC, 6 December 2003
US forces in Afghanistan have admitted bombing a house near the city of Ghazni, in which at least eight people, including three children, were killed.
Afghan sources say that the Americans had intelligence that Taleban fighters were preparing an attack from a house. But when the house was bombed, it was an Afghan family which was killed.
American embassy officials in Kabul confirmed the bombing, but told the BBC the incident was still being investigated.
Afghan Government sources said they believed the incident was a mistake and a statement is expected.
The BBC’s Lyse Doucet said the attack on what seems to have been innocent Afghans is certain to anger the local population.
It was in Ghazni three weeks ago that a UN worker was shot dead in broad daylight in the market. Bystanders attacked the assailants and there was widespread condemnation of the incident, responsibility for which was later claimed by the Taleban.
Although in many areas Afghans welcome the presence of American troops and other foreigners, this is not the case in some southern and eastern parts, our correspondent says.
Here, US troops are still pursuing remaining al-Qaeda and Taleban elements, with accusations flying of heavy-handedness among the Americans.