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| Afghanistan |
| Protests Erupt Over Afghan Civilian Casualties |
| 2009-12-31 |
| [Quqnoos] There have been protests over the reported deaths of 10 civilians in a foreign military operation in eastern Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai says 10 people, including eight children, were killed by US-led forces in Kunar province on Saturday. The US military and NATO have not confirmed whether the incident took place. Hundreds of people, including university students, blocked the main roads in Jalalabad, shouting "death to Obama" and calling for an investigation into the deaths. "The government must prevent such unilateral operations otherwise we will take guns instead of pens and fight against them [foreign forces]," students from the University of Nangahar's education faculty said in a statement. "Our demonstration is against those foreigners who have come to our country," student organiser Safiullah Aminzai said. "They have not brought democracy to Afghanistan but they are killing our religious scholars and children." Yesterday, the United Nations announced that the number of civilians killed in the war in Afghanistan is up by 10 per cent compared to last year. Figures released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) put civilian deaths in the Afghan war at 2,038 for the first 10 months of 2009, up from 1,838 for the same period of 2008 -- an increase of 10.8 percent. Civilian deaths at the hands of foreign forces fuel distrust between the Afghan population, the government and US and NATO troops, even though most of the deaths are caused by insurgent tactics such as homemade bombs. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 So once again I ask the question: What is the point of trying to build a democratic nation in Afghanistan? If there is something covert going on across the border in either Pakistan or Iran so that we need a base in Afghanistan I can accept our presence there. Something, that is, that has a chance of success. Otherwise, I would say we lost that war when bin Laden eluded us at Tora Bora. We should have crossed the Pak border and kept on chasing him then but now that's water under the bridge. Now we should leave Karzai to the tender mercies of the Taliban. But if, for some reason, it is in the vital interest of the United States to stay in Afghanistan we should shoot Karzai and all of his brothers and install a U.S. general as governor. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-12-31 16:18 |
| #1 President Hamid Karzai says 10 people, including eight children, He indignantly sprayed saliva and snorted "Why every one of those children were under the age of 21". |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-12-31 12:57 |