US Gunships Kill 9 Afghan Children

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**Ma55ter_fett**

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/03/gen-david-petraeus-apologizes-after-gunships-kill-9-afghan-chil/

Wish I new how to put a box round this...
(EDIT I did you for-Frazzled. Just put it in quotes)

"We are deeply sorry for this tragedy and apologize to the members of the Afghan government, the people of Afghanistan and, most importantly, the surviving family members of those killed by our actions," Petraeus said in a statement. "These deaths should have never happened."

Petraeus' swift apology Wednesday came hours after Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the deaths were the result of a "ruthless attack." He warned that the fight against "terrorism in Afghan villages" would never succeed if civilians continue "to suffer in the unjustifiable operations and bombings carried out by NATO and ISAF [the International Security Assistance Force]."

Western military officials told The Washington Post that Tuesday's attack began when insurgents launched rockets at Forward Operating Base Blessing, an isolated U.S. camp in the eastern province of Kunar. One local contractor was slightly injured in that attack, and U.S. forces called in aerial support and artillery strikes to take out the insurgents.

But the apology suggests that the helicopter gunship pilots mistakenly identified the children -- ages 7 to 12 -- as the militants who had attacked the base. "Regrettably, there appears to have been an error in the handoff between identifying the location of the insurgents and the attack helicopters that carried out subsequent operations," the ISAF said in the statement.

Another coalition official in Afghanistan also told The Wall Street Journal that a miscommunication between troops and aircrew was to blame. "What seemed to have happened was that there was an error between what the people on the ground were passing up and what the helicopters got," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

The children's deaths are the latest in a decade-long series of botched attacks that have killed civilians rather than militants and undermined efforts to win over the support of ordinary Afghans. While about three-quarters of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by militants rather than coalition forces, deaths such as these can fuel hatred toward U.S.-led forces and produce new recruits for the Taliban.

Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Petraeus has ordered that all attack helicopter crews and NATO commanders "be re-briefed on the tactical directive, reinforcing the need to be sure we protect the lives of innocent Afghans as we pursue a ruthless enemy."

"Every Afghan civilian death diminishes our cause," Petraeus said in a directive in August. "If we use excessive force or operate contrary to our counterinsurgency principles, tactical victories may prove to be strategic setbacks."

I simply don't understand how things like this can continue to happen; you'd think that after nearly a decade our military would have a better handle on the situation.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

Scattered the full 12, I see.

**frgsinwntr**

biased news person wrote:
The children's deaths are the latest in a decade-long series of botched attacks that have killed civilians rather than militants and undermined efforts to win over the support of ordinary Afghans. While about three-quarters of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by militants rather than coalition forces, deaths such as these can fuel hatred toward U.S.-led forces and produce new recruits for the Taliban.

this strikes me as a bit biased.

Decades of Botches? BS. there are plenty of operations that happen that aren't botched

**Fafnir**

Well, think of it like this: maybe one of those children was going to grow up to be the next Hitler.

**CT GAMER**

Fafnir wrote:Well, think of it like this: maybe one of those children was going to grow up to be the next Hitler.

I am assuming this is simply a tasteless joke.

Sort of like saying "think of it like this: maybe one of those people killed in 9/11 was going to give birth to the next hitler".

Really? Children dying are funny to you?

**halonachos**

Fafnir wrote:Well, think of it like this: maybe one of those children was going to grow up to be the next Hitler.

Killing civilians only ticks off the remaining civilians. We should probably flatten the entire village to be safe.

**WARBOSS TZOO**

halonachos wrote:
Fafnir wrote:Well, think of it like this: maybe one of those children was going to grow up to be the next Hitler.

Killing civilians only ticks off the remaining civilians. We should probably flatten the entire village to be safe.

It's the only way to be sure.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

That's 9 fewer tax breaks, so now their government is that much closer to being on budget. There are hidden blessings all around.

**Ma55ter_fett**

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:That's 9 fewer tax breaks, so now their government is that much closer to being on budget. There are hidden blessings all around.

How very droll you are today.

**Albatross**

Personally, I think Karzai has a bloody cheek. If his arsehole of a country could get it's gak together, then there wouldn't be a need for foreign military involvement. To use the language he's using is ridiculous considering that he owes his position to the US - he's 'biting the hand that feeds' somewhat.

**Karon**

Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

**Amaya**

Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

**CT GAMER**

Amaya wrote:
Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

Of course they didn't.

But even if they did would it matter? Half the people here seem to think it hilarious anyways, so what would it matter?

**Amaya**

CT GAMER wrote:
Amaya wrote:
Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

Of course they didn't.

But even if they did would it matter? Half the people here seem to think it hilarious anyways, so what would it matter?

You're not very good with sarcasm, are you?

**halonachos**

CT GAMER wrote:
Amaya wrote:
Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

Of course they didn't.

But even if they did would it matter? Half the people here seem to think it hilarious anyways, so what would it matter?

Some kids accidentally died in a warzone, emphasis on warzone. Chances are the guys in the chopper are beating themselves up over it although I would want to see what they were shooting at because I doubt the pilots saw nine kids on the ground and said "Hey Derp, lets kill those kids.".

**CT GAMER**

halonachos wrote:
CT GAMER wrote:
Amaya wrote:
Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

Of course they didn't.

But even if they did would it matter? Half the people here seem to think it hilarious anyways, so what would it matter?

Some kids accidentally died in a warzone, emphasis on warzone. Chances are the guys in the chopper are beating themselves up over it although I would want to see what they were shooting at because I doubt the pilots saw nine kids on the ground and said "Hey Derp, lets kill those kids.".

I already stated that they obviously Did NOT do it on purpose. I was referring to the rather flippant nature of some of the comments in this thread regarding the death of children...

**Albatross**

I think it's just that most people are sick to the back teeth of Afghanistan, the Afghan people and their 'plight', and that presumptuous ingrate (and tinpot dictator in the making) Hamid Karzai. But mostly I think they're sick of their countrymen being sent off to the armpit of the world with the best intentions of doing their country proud, only to have know-nothing internet snipers decrying every single mistake they make.

I'm sure no-one feels worse about this incident than the servicemen involved, so the crocodile tears for a bunch of people from the third world that you will never meet, and probably wouldn't want to sit next to on the bus, is unbecoming.

**Ma55ter_fett**

CT GAMER wrote:
halonachos wrote:
CT GAMER wrote:
Amaya wrote:
Karon wrote:Some damn bloodthirsty troops.

A shame.

Yeah, cause they killed nine kids on purpose.

Of course they didn't.

But even if they did would it matter? Half the people here seem to think it hilarious anyways, so what would it matter?

Some kids accidentally died in a warzone, emphasis on warzone. Chances are the guys in the chopper are beating themselves up over it although I would want to see what they were shooting at because I doubt the pilots saw nine kids on the ground and said "Hey Derp, lets kill those kids.".

I already stated that they obviously Did NOT do it on purpose. I was referring to the rather flip nature of some of the comments in this thread regarding the death of children...

Oh they meant to kill them, they just didn't know they were children.

Which is the crux of the problem, why where they so bad at identifying their targets?

**jp400**

**halonachos**

*flippant.

**ArtfcllyFlvrd**

Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

**Kilkrazy**

frgsinwntr wrote:
biased news person wrote:
The children's deaths are the latest in a decade-long series of botched attacks that have killed civilians rather than militants and undermined efforts to win over the support of ordinary Afghans. While about three-quarters of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by militants rather than coalition forces, deaths such as these can fuel hatred toward U.S.-led forces and produce new recruits for the Taliban.

this strikes me as a bit biased.

Decades of Botches? BS. there are plenty of operations that happen that aren't botched

The ordinary Afghani civvo doesn#t care how many operations go right. It's the ones that go wrong and kill children and wedding parties that get noticed.

Obviously this sort of thing is going to happen in battles like Iraq and Afghanistan. That doesn't mean we can shrug it off.

**jp400**

ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

**halonachos**

ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

You could always put a pre-emptive bullet in his hateful heart.

**ArtfcllyFlvrd**

halonachos wrote:
ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

You could always put a pre-emptive bullet in his hateful heart.

Tounge and cheek aside I don't disagree. You can't let people like that fly planes into your buildings or bomb your commuter trains. But still very sad.

**Fafnir**

halonachos wrote:
ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

You could always put a pre-emptive bullet in his hateful heart.

A bullet of love! (is it just me, or does that sound like the title of a bad pop song in the making?)

**CT GAMER**

Kilkrazy wrote:

The ordinary Afghani civvo doesn#t care how many operations go right. It's the ones that go wrong and kill children and wedding parties that get noticed.

If shoe was on other foot and foreign soldiers stationed in my country killed my kids or my neighbor's kids i think i would "take notice" as well...

The bigger question is what is really being accomplished there other then slowly bleeding out our soldiers, helping the extremists recruit, and perpetuating bad press for the US? Oh and spending millions in the process...

**Ma55ter_fett**

CT GAMER wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:

The ordinary Afghani civvo doesn#t care how many operations go right. It's the ones that go wrong and kill children and wedding parties that get noticed.

If shoe was on other foot and foreign soldiers stationed in my country killed my kids or my neighbor's kids i think i would "take notice" as well...

The bigger question is what is really being accomplished there other then slowly bleeding out our soldiers, helping the extremists recruit, and perpetuating bad press for the US? Oh and spending millions in the process...

"Billions" I think you mean.

**Albatross**

Fafnir wrote:
halonachos wrote:
ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Mohammed Bismil, the 20-year-old brother of two boys killed in the strike, told the Journal he didn't care about Petraeus' apology. "The only option I have is to pick up a Kalashnikov, RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or a suicide vest to fight," he said.

Man, I think this is the saddest part of the article. A young man with no future and a heart full of hate. I don't know what can be done for someone like that.

You could always put a pre-emptive bullet in his hateful heart.

A bullet of love! (is it just me, or does that sound like the title of a bad pop song in the making?)

I'm all over it.

**ArtfcllyFlvrd**

CT GAMER wrote:The bigger question is what is really being accomplished there other then slowly bleeding out our soldiers, helping the extremists recruit, and perpetuating bad press for the US? Oh and spending millions in the process...

Before we showed up they brutally oppressed their women, killed minorities, activitely funded groups that killed thousands of our civilians and service men at home and abroad. The crazies still try all of those things but their ability to actually execute has been squashed. Worth every penny in my opinion. Keep it up boys!