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Afghanistan: US Troops Accidentally Kill Local Soldiers Outside Embassy.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by MacBeth, May 21, 2003.

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  1. ZRB

    ZRB Member

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    What's new? Most of the British casualties in the Iraq war were from American "friendly fire".
     
    #21 ZRB, May 24, 2003
  2. Woofer

    Woofer Member

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    http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/ap05-24-015208.asp?reg=ASIA
    Afghan demonstrators hurl stones at U.S. Embassy to protest shooting of three Afghans

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    KABUL, Afghanistan, May 24 — Angry Afghan demonstrators hurled stones at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Saturday to protest this week's shooting deaths of three Afghan soldiers by U.S. Marines outside the heavily guarded compound.


    Carrying banners saying, ''Death to America, Death to (President Hamid) Karzai,'' about 80 protesters marched through downtown for several hours. On a street near the embassy, they threw rocks at several passing vehicles belonging to the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force that patrols the city, shattering windows in at least two of them.
    One peacekeeper was treated at a hospital for slight wounds and then released, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, a Dutch spokesman for the multinational force. No other details were immediately available and there were no other immediate reports of casualties.
    ''Why are Americans killing us inside our home, inside Afghanistan?'' said Gul Ahmad, a 20-year-old taking part in the protest. ''What about human rights? We want the killers to be handed over to the courts.''
    As stones were lobbed at the U.S. Embassy's large main gate, U.S. Marines stood in a fenced guard tower, speaking into walkie-talkies. One American soldier filmed the demonstrators with a video camera.
    Afghan police stood by and soon dispersed the demonstrators.

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    There have been few signs of serious tension between the United States and its Afghan allies since American forces were deployed in the country after ousting the Taliban regime in 2001. America is the primary military backer of President Hamid Karzai's government.
    About 11,500 coalition soldiers, including 8,500 Americans, are in the country to hunt down Taliban remnants, their allies, and fugitives of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network. Kabul also is patrolled by some 5,000 international peacekeepers.
    Meanwhile, about 100 rebels attacked an Afghan military checkpoint at the border with Pakistan, injuring four Afghan soldiers, the U.S. military said Saturday.
    Battles took place Thursday and Friday at a checkpoint 15 miles east of Khost, according to the statement from U.S. military headquarters at Bagram Air Base.
    Eastern Afghanistan is a hotbed of anti-government rebels believed loyal to the former Taliban government. Afghan authorities say the rebels have bases in Pakistan, from where they are launching attacks.
     
    #22 Woofer, May 24, 2003
  3. MacBeth

    MacBeth Member

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    Woof: I guess that answers my first question.


    I saw an interview with an Afghani political expert a while back, long before this happened...actually even before the invasion of Iraq, and he said that the US had thus far handled the situation well. He said that keeping the numbers of troops low was key. He also said, however, that the longer we keep troops there the more local tensions will escalate. He predicted outright military uprising within 3-5 years if we maintain a military presence, and he said that any period of armed forces present in their country beyond a year or so would start the ball rolling.

    What we forget, he said, was that the USSR originally went into Afghanistan nominally for the good of the Afghanistani people, in a similar fashion to what we did. People there are already wary...If we keep troops there for the purposes of 'security', the same way and for the same declared reasons the Soviets did, they will understandably see our motives as suspect and familiar.

    This incident might be just a tragic mistake, or it could be the sort of thing people wanting US troops out use to turn up the thermostat.
     
    #23 MacBeth, May 24, 2003
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