16 Civilians Die as U.S. Troops Open Fire in Afghanistan

[Alex+R 0]

By CARLOTTA GALL

Published: March 5, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 4 — American troops opened fire on a highway filled with civilian cars and bystanders on Sunday, American and Afghan officials said, in an incident that the Americans said left 16 civilians dead and 24 wounded after a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan. One American was also wounded.

The shooting sparked demonstrations, with local people blocking the highway, the main road east from the town of Jalalabad to the border with Pakistan. And there were differences in some of the accounts of the incident, with the Americans saying that the civilians were caught in cross-fire between the troops and militants, and Afghan witnesses and some authorities blaming the Americans for indiscriminately shooting at civilian vehicles in anger after the explosion.

The United States military said the unit came under fire after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car near their convoy “as part of a complex ambush involving enemy small-arms fire from several directions.”

Members of the unit, on patrol near Jalalabad airfield, returned fire, and the civilians were killed and wounded in the cross-fire during the battle, according to a statement from the military press office at Bagram Air Base, 40 miles north of Kabul.

“We regret the death of innocent Afghan citizens as a result of the Taliban extremists’ cowardly act,” Lt. Col. David Accetta, a military spokesman, said in the statement. “Once again the terrorists demonstrated their blatant disregard for human life by attacking coalition forces in a populated area, knowing full well that innocent Afghans would be killed and wounded in the attack.”

Yet some of the wounded interviewed in the hospital by news agencies said the only shooting came from the American troops. A hospital official, who asked not to be identified, said all the wounded were suffering from bullet wounds and not shrapnel from the bomb explosion.

[...]

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[~Chad~ 0]

I guess it will never end .......

[JimandSarha 0]

A hospital official, who asked not to be identified, said all the wounded were suffering from bullet wounds and not shrapnel from the bomb explosion.

This might tend to reinforce the American version. If US troops were shooting at random just to kill people in revenge, they would likely have found lots of easy targets in the blast area, some of which would have blast wounds. This tends to point to shooting people away from the blast, where you would expect to find the insurgents.

On the other hand, its hard to kill that many people by accident.

Now we have to wait to see if there are any 7.62 rounds imbedded in vehicles or if its all 5.56. Lots of bad things happen when only one side wears uniforms and almost all civilians have AK's in their houses, their cars and probably in their hands after a bomb blast.

Jim

[ken and mintra 0]

By CARLOTTA GALL

Published: March 5, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 4 — American troops opened fire on a highway filled with civilian cars and bystanders on Sunday, American and Afghan officials said, in an incident that the Americans said left 16 civilians dead and 24 wounded after a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan. One American was also wounded.

The shooting sparked demonstrations, with local people blocking the highway, the main road east from the town of Jalalabad to the border with Pakistan. And there were differences in some of the accounts of the incident, with the Americans saying that the civilians were caught in cross-fire between the troops and militants, and Afghan witnesses and some authorities blaming the Americans for indiscriminately shooting at civilian vehicles in anger after the explosion.

The United States military said the unit came under fire after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car near their convoy “as part of a complex ambush involving enemy small-arms fire from several directions.”

Members of the unit, on patrol near Jalalabad airfield, returned fire, and the civilians were killed and wounded in the cross-fire during the battle, according to a statement from the military press office at Bagram Air Base, 40 miles north of Kabul.

“We regret the death of innocent Afghan citizens as a result of the Taliban extremists’ cowardly act,” Lt. Col. David Accetta, a military spokesman, said in the statement. “Once again the terrorists demonstrated their blatant disregard for human life by attacking coalition forces in a populated area, knowing full well that innocent Afghans would be killed and wounded in the attack.”

Yet some of the wounded interviewed in the hospital by news agencies said the only shooting came from the American troops. A hospital official, who asked not to be identified, said all the wounded were suffering from bullet wounds and not shrapnel from the bomb explosion.

[...]

source

With all due respect, what does this have to do with getting a visa or bringing a loved one to America? You can go to any country in the world and find things the government/military is doing wrong. Your editorial is better off being sent to CNBC, MSNBC, or Fox. We could always talk about the prostitution in 3rd world countries or the rampant sex business in Brazil. Let's try and keep this a place where we can go to without politics being forced down our throat. To much of that in daily life as it is. Thanks, Ken

[Alex+R 0]

Ken,

First off, welcome to VJ! Let me help you get oriented. We talk about politics here in Off Topic, a forum for talking about non-immigration-related things.

Second, I was just posting a recent news story. Where are the politics? I know I was not making a statement with it. Just sounds like a horrible accident.

Third, attacking less-than-positive aspects of the OPs husband's country is really not a good way to make friends around here.

[GaryC 7]

Ken,

First off, welcome to VJ! Let me help you get oriented. We talk about politics here in Off Topic, a forum for talking about non-immigration-related things.

Second, I was just posting a recent news story. Where are the politics? I know I was not making a statement with it. Just sounds like a horrible accident.

Third, attacking less-than-positive aspects of the OPs husband's country is really not a good way to make friends around here.

You took that well!

ken and mintra, This forum is named off topic. I would think you noticed that when you came in. Please leave the posters SO's country out of any comment you have about a post. It's very rude and has nothing to do with what was posted. She didn't make a comment, just posted a story. Happens all the time here. Get used to it.

[Alex+R 0]

Thanks, Gary!

[Reynaldo 0]

By CARLOTTA GALL

Published: March 5, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 4 — American troops opened fire on a highway filled with civilian cars and bystanders on Sunday, American and Afghan officials said, in an incident that the Americans said left 16 civilians dead and 24 wounded after a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan. One American was also wounded.

The shooting sparked demonstrations, with local people blocking the highway, the main road east from the town of Jalalabad to the border with Pakistan. And there were differences in some of the accounts of the incident, with the Americans saying that the civilians were caught in cross-fire between the troops and militants, and Afghan witnesses and some authorities blaming the Americans for indiscriminately shooting at civilian vehicles in anger after the explosion.

The United States military said the unit came under fire after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car near their convoy "as part of a complex ambush involving enemy small-arms fire from several directions."

Members of the unit, on patrol near Jalalabad airfield, returned fire, and the civilians were killed and wounded in the cross-fire during the battle, according to a statement from the military press office at Bagram Air Base, 40 miles north of Kabul.

"We regret the death of innocent Afghan citizens as a result of the Taliban extremists' cowardly act," Lt. Col. David Accetta, a military spokesman, said in the statement. "Once again the terrorists demonstrated their blatant disregard for human life by attacking coalition forces in a populated area, knowing full well that innocent Afghans would be killed and wounded in the attack."

Yet some of the wounded interviewed in the hospital by news agencies said the only shooting came from the American troops. A hospital official, who asked not to be identified, said all the wounded were suffering from bullet wounds and not shrapnel from the bomb explosion.

[...]

source

With all due respect, what does this have to do with getting a visa or bringing a loved one to America? You can go to any country in the world and find things the government/military is doing wrong. Your editorial is better off being sent to CNBC, MSNBC, or Fox. We could always talk about the prostitution in 3rd world countries or the rampant sex business in Brazil. Let's try and keep this a place where we can go to without politics being forced down our throat. To much of that in daily life as it is. Thanks, Ken

New to VJ, eh?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Ken,

First off, welcome to VJ! Let me help you get oriented. We talk about politics here in Off Topic, a forum for talking about non-immigration-related things.

Second, I was just posting a recent news story. Where are the politics? I know I was not making a statement with it. Just sounds like a horrible accident.

Third, attacking less-than-positive aspects of the OPs husband's country is really not a good way to make friends around here.

I'm with Alex. This is off-topic. Reading posts is not mandatory.