donderdag 12 april 2007

Nederland en Afghanistan 126

'Reaction to Ambush In Afghanistan Probed
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer

The U.S. military announced yesterday that it has opened a criminal investigation into whether an elite Marine Special Operations platoon used excessive force in reacting to a suicide bombing in Afghanistan last month, an incident that left at least eight Afghan civilians dead.
Army Maj. Gen. Francis H. Kearney III, who commands U.S. Special Operations Forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, determined after an initial review of the March 4 incident that "the escalation of force might have been too high" and warranted an inquiry by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, said Lt. Col. Lou Leto, a spokesman for Kearney's command.
"We deeply regret the loss of life and casualties that resulted from the [suicide vehicle] attack and the actions that followed," Leto said. "General Kearney wanted to really stress that our goal is the safety and security of the Afghan people."
A platoon of about 20 to 30 highly trained reconnaissance troops was traveling in a convoy of six vehicles in Afghanistan's eastern Nangahar province on March 4 when it was ambushed by fighters using a bomb-rigged vehicle and small-arms fire, according to U.S. military accounts. The troops fired back in self-defense.
Afghan witnesses said the Special Operations troops fired recklessly at passing vehicles and pedestrians along the crowded highway, which was flanked by markets. The U.S. military initially said 16 civilians were killed but changed the estimate to eight, with 35 others wounded. Local hospital officials said 14 people died.'
De Nederlandse regering en gesteund door een meerderheid in het Nederlandse parlement steunt de Amerikanen politiek en militair.

1 opmerking:

Sonja zei

Het verbaast me keer op keer, hoe het er bij ons ingebakken zit, om te denken dat wij, westerlingen, altijd doen aan 'beschaafde' oorlogsvoering, met zogenaamde 'precisie' bommen en andere technologische wapens, en de vijand gebruik maakt van 'barbaarse' methoden, zoals onthoofden. Alsof westerse bommen niet onthoofden. Alsof wij niet 'afslachten'. Alsof wij geen burgers doden omdat ze zich op het verkeerde moment op de verkeerde plek bevinden. En zo ken ik er nog wel honderd.

Peter Flik en Chuck Berry-Promised Land

mijn unieke collega Peter Flik, die de vrijzinnig protestantse radio omroep de VPRO maakte is niet meer. ik koester duizenden herinneringen ...