[Vision2020] US Strike Kills 9 Children

[DonovArn@aol.com]

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Updated: 06:43 AM EST
U.S. Strike Mistakenly Kills 9 Children
By AIJAZ RAHI, AP
GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Dec. 7) - A U.S. warplane in pursuit of a "known 
terrorist'' attacked a village in eastern Afghanistan, mistakenly killing nine 
children, officials said Sunday.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was "deeply saddened'' by the 
"tragic loss of innocent life,'' and had spoken to Afghan President Hamid Karzai 
about the attack. He said it had targeted a former Taliban commander named Mullah 
Wazir.
Also Sunday, officials said two Turkish engineers and an Afghan had been 
kidnapped in Afghanistan, bringing to five the number of workers who have been 
abducted in Afghanistan in the last three days.
Army Maj. Christopher E. West told The Associated Press that the suspect was 
killed in the attack, which saw an American A-10 aircraft strike an area south 
of the city of Ghazni, 100 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul.
"At the time we initiated the attack, we did not know there were children 
nearby,'' West said from the U.S. military headquarters at Bagram, north of Kabul.

Khalilzad said Wazir "had bragged of his personal involvement in attacks on 
innocent Afghan citizens.''
But Jawaid Khan, the Ghazni governor's secretary, said Wazir was not among 
the dead. He also said eight children and two men were killed.
"The Americans wanted to bomb Mullah Wazir, but they bombed a different 
house,'' Khan told the AP. "The people there are very afraid. They have no idea why 
the Americans bombed their village.''
The 11,500 U.S.-led troops hunting Taliban and al-Qaida remnants in south and 
east Afghanistan often are supported by air power, and there have been a 
string of ``friendly fire'' incidents.
The worst occurred in July 2002, when Afghan officials said 48 civilians at a 
wedding party were killed and 117 wounded by a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship 
in Uruzgan province, which borders Ghazni province.
On April 9, a U.S. warplane mistakenly bombed a home, killing 11 civilians. 
Another air strike in Nuristan province in eastern Afghanistan on Oct. 31 
reportedly killed at least eight civilians in a house.
West called Saturday's target a "known terrorist.'' Khalilzad said he was 
involved in attacks on road workers and aid groups.
Coalition forces "will make every effort to assist the families of these 
innocent casualties and determine the cause of the civilian deaths,'' West said. 
"We regret the loss of any innocent life and we follow stringent rules of 
engagement to specifically avoid this type of incident while continuing to target 
terrorists who threaten the future of Afghanistan.''
West said U.S. troops collected "extensive intelligence over an extended 
period of time'' and located the suspect targeted in Saturday's strike at an 
"isolated, rural site.''
"Following the attack, ground coalition forces searching the area found the 
bodies of both the intended target and those of nine children nearby,'' he said.
During the Taliban regime, Wazir was a local district commander and was not 
known as a major player in the Taliban resistance.
Military investigators went to the scene to try to determine if U.S. forces 
were at fault, West said. Afghan officials said the site was sealed off by 
coalition forces on Sunday.
Local Afghan official Ahmad Zia Masood said that Wazir had fired at U.S. 
helicopters on Friday. Masood said it was unclear if the 10 victims were Wazir and 
his family or their neighbors.
Another official, deputy governor Khial Mohammed Husseini, said Wazir's 
immediate family lived in Pakistan.
The Afghan officials said the attack took place in the village of Atla, just 
north of where the two Indian road engineers were kidnapped.
The Turkish engineers and an Afghan colleague were abducted Friday when 
unidentified men burst into the office of a Turkish construction company southeast 
of the capital, said Nick Downie of the Afghanistan NGO Security Office, which 
protects aid workers.
The Ministry of the Interior and the Turkish Embassy were both investigating 
the abduction.
On Saturday, suspected Taliban kidnapped two Indian engineers working on the 
road. Taliban recently freed a Turkish engineer from the project after a month 
in captivity.
The engineers were working for an Indian contractor helping resurface part of 
the Kabul-Kandahar road, a reconstruction project mainly funded by the United 
States. The road was to be officially opened later this month.
Taliban attacks have plagued the flagship project. Four construction workers 
were killed in August, and de-mining operations along the road were suspended 
last month after a carjacking. The Turkish engineer was abducted along the 
road Oct. 30, and released after one month.
In other violence Saturday, a bomb in Kandahar, the main southern stronghold 
of the Taliban, ripped through a bustling bazaar, wounding 20 Afghans. Taliban 
fighters claimed responsibility, saying the blast was aimed at American 
soldiers but went off late.
The bomb, apparently attached to a parked motorcycle or bicycle, exploded in 
front of a hotel at about 12:30 p.m. in the city's main commercial district. 
The wounded included three children, state TV reported.
The Taliban, ousted from power in a U.S.-led offensive in late 2001, have 
stepped up attacks in recent months, targeting foreign aid workers and perceived 
allies of the coalition.
International aid agencies have reduced operations in Afghanistan's south and 
east due to escalating violence, including the Nov. 16 drive-by shooting 
death of a French U.S. aid worker.

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<DIV class=3DtinyText id=3DgrayText style=3D"MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3px">Updated: 06=
:43 AM EST</DIV>
<DIV class=3DarticleHeadline>U.S. Strike Mistakenly Kills 9 Children</DIV>
<DIV class=3DsmallText id=3DgrayText style=3D"MARGIN-TOP: 5px">By AIJAZ RAHI=
, AP</DIV>
<P></P>
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<DIV class=3Dwidgetleft style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: left">GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Dec.=
 7) - A U.S. warplane in pursuit of a "known terrorist'' attacked a village=20=
in eastern Afghanistan, mistakenly killing nine children, officials said Sun=
day.</DIV>
<P class=3DarticleText>U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he was "deeply=20=
saddened'' by the "tragic loss of innocent life,'' and had spoken to Afghan=20=
President Hamid Karzai about the attack. He said it had targeted a former Ta=
liban commander named Mullah Wazir.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Also Sunday, officials said two Turkish engineers and=
 an Afghan had been kidnapped in Afghanistan, bringing to five the number of=
 workers who have been abducted in Afghanistan in the last three days.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Army Maj. Christopher E. West told The Associated Pre=
ss that the suspect was killed in the attack, which saw an American A-10 air=
craft strike an area south of the city of Ghazni, 100 miles southwest of the=
 capital, Kabul.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>"At the time we initiated the attack, we did not know=
 there were children nearby,'' West said from the U.S. military headquarters=
 at Bagram, north of Kabul.</P><!-- PARAGRAPH OBJECT --><!-- Type: htmlField=
 --><!-- Id:    --><!-- Alignment/Wrap: right/1 -->
<DIV class=3Dwidgetright style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: right">&nbsp;</DIV><!-- /PARAG=
RAPH OBJECT -->
<P class=3DarticleText>Khalilzad said Wazir "had bragged of his personal inv=
olvement in attacks on innocent Afghan citizens.''</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>But Jawaid Khan, the Ghazni governor's secretary, sai=
d Wazir was not among the dead. He also said eight children and two men were=
 killed.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>"The Americans wanted to bomb Mullah Wazir, but they=20=
bombed a different house,'' Khan told the AP. "The people there are very afr=
aid. They have no idea why the Americans bombed their village.''</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The 11,500 U.S.-led troops hunting Taliban and al-Qai=
da remnants in south and east Afghanistan often are supported by air power,=20=
and there have been a string of ``friendly fire'' incidents.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The worst occurred in July 2002, when Afghan official=
s said 48 civilians at a wedding party were killed and 117 wounded by a U.S.=
 Air Force AC-130 gunship in Uruzgan province, which borders Ghazni province=
.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>On April 9, a U.S. warplane mistakenly bombed a home,=
 killing 11 civilians. Another air strike in Nuristan province in eastern Af=
ghanistan on Oct. 31 reportedly killed at least eight civilians in a house.<=
/P>
<P class=3DarticleText>West called Saturday's target a "known terrorist.'' K=
halilzad said he was involved in attacks on road workers and aid groups.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Coalition forces "will make every effort to assist th=
e families of these innocent casualties and determine the cause of the civil=
ian deaths,'' West said. "We regret the loss of any innocent life and we fol=
low stringent rules of engagement to specifically avoid this type of inciden=
t while continuing to target terrorists who threaten the future of Afghanist=
an.''</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>West said U.S. troops collected "extensive intelligen=
ce over an extended period of time'' and located the suspect targeted in Sat=
urday's strike at an "isolated, rural site.''</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>"Following the attack, ground coalition forces search=
ing the area found the bodies of both the intended target and those of nine=20=
children nearby,'' he said.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>During the Taliban regime, Wazir was a local district=
 commander and was not known as a major player in the Taliban resistance.</P=
>
<P class=3DarticleText>Military investigators went to the scene to try to de=
termine if U.S. forces were at fault, West said. Afghan officials said the s=
ite was sealed off by coalition forces on Sunday.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Local Afghan official Ahmad Zia Masood said that Wazi=
r had fired at U.S. helicopters on Friday. Masood said it was unclear if the=
 10 victims were Wazir and his family or their neighbors.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Another official, deputy governor Khial Mohammed Huss=
eini, said Wazir's immediate family lived in Pakistan.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The Afghan officials said the attack took place in th=
e village of Atla, just north of where the two Indian road engineers were ki=
dnapped.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The Turkish engineers and an Afghan colleague were ab=
ducted Friday when unidentified men burst into the office of a Turkish const=
ruction company southeast of the capital, said Nick Downie of the Afghanista=
n NGO Security Office, which protects aid workers.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The Ministry of the Interior and the Turkish Embassy=20=
were both investigating the abduction.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>On Saturday, suspected Taliban kidnapped two Indian e=
ngineers working on the road. Taliban recently freed a Turkish engineer from=
 the project after a month in captivity.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The engineers were working for an Indian contractor h=
elping resurface part of the Kabul-Kandahar road, a reconstruction project m=
ainly funded by the United States. The road was to be officially opened late=
r this month.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>Taliban attacks have plagued the flagship project. Fo=
ur construction workers were killed in August, and de-mining operations alon=
g the road were suspended last month after a carjacking. The Turkish enginee=
r was abducted along the road Oct. 30, and released after one month.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>In other violence Saturday, a bomb in Kandahar, the m=
ain southern stronghold of the Taliban, ripped through a bustling bazaar, wo=
unding 20 Afghans. Taliban fighters claimed responsibility, saying the blast=
 was aimed at American soldiers but went off late.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The bomb, apparently attached to a parked motorcycle=20=
or bicycle, exploded in front of a hotel at about 12:30 p.m. in the city's m=
ain commercial district. The wounded included three children, state TV repor=
ted.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>The Taliban, ousted from power in a U.S.-led offensiv=
e in late 2001, have stepped up attacks in recent months, targeting foreign=20=
aid workers and perceived allies of the coalition.</P>
<P class=3DarticleText>International aid agencies have reduced operations in=
 Afghanistan's south and east due to escalating violence, including the Nov.=
 16 drive-by shooting death of a French U.S. aid worker.</P></BODY></HTML>

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