Nato "sorry" for killing Afghan civilians

oops, sorry about killing an innocent family, we're just here protecting your freedom.


KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Oct. 24, 2009 (Reuters) — NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said on Saturday they would investigate the killing of four Afghans, reported by police to include a child and two women, by foreign troops in southern Kandahar city.

"We are deeply sorry for the loss of any life, especially civilians," spokesman Colonel Wayne Shanks was quoted as saying in a NATO statement.

A Kandahar police official said a U.S. military convoy opened fire on a civilian vehicle, killing a child, two women and a man. A spokesman for NATO was unable to confirm the age and gender of the casualties.

The convoy involved appeared to belong to U.S. Special Forces, police official Shah Agha told Reuters.

The NATO statement said one of its convoys had shot at a civilian vehicle after it failed to stop when signaled to do so, killing four aboard and possibly wounding two others. It would not disclose the nationality of the troops involved.

"ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) troops tried repeatedly to signal the fast-approaching vehicle with passive measures, but fearing for their safety fired on the vehicle," the statement from the alliance said.

The incident comes while preparations are under way for Afghanistan's presidential election run-off, which the Taliban vowed earlier to disrupt and urged Afghans to boycott.

U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, the new U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, issued a directive in July stressing the importance of avoiding civilian casualties, which have undermined support for the war against the Taliban.

Wow that is completely sad, that type of action is completely unacceptable.
I feel for the families involved in the deaths of that shooting. I especially am revolted at how they word the event as "killing" even that sugar coats it, this was plain murder... Anyone can identify a vehicle with a woman and even children in it.

I would like to say what should happen to those whom commited the acts but to judge them is not my place I can only sincerely pray that Justice is served.

Ironslave said:

It would not disclose the nationality of the troops involved.

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I have a feeling they were from Israel onyl reason Arab media would not disclose the identity of the nationality... since Americans and killing civilians has become common place.

i dont see whats the big deal
the vehicle acted suspiciously and failed to stop and they shot at it.
How do they know they are not going to try and blow them up?
Its all part of war so i dont see why your hassling about soldiers trying to keep themselves alive by shooting at something which is showing all signs of a suicide bombing

MrChewiebitums said:

i dont see whats the big deal
the vehicle acted suspiciously and failed to stop and they shot at it.
How do they know they are not going to try and blow them up?
Its all part of war so i dont see why your hassling about soldiers trying to keep themselves alive by shooting at something which is showing all signs of a suicide bombing

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have u ever killed a child before?i think u will hate yourself lifelong for that.

MrChewiebitums said:

i dont see whats the big deal
the vehicle acted suspiciously and failed to stop and they shot at it.
How do they know they are not going to try and blow them up?
Its all part of war so i dont see why your hassling about soldiers trying to keep themselves alive by shooting at something which is showing all signs of a suicide bombing

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Dude seriously, just stop posting.

atomic strenght said:

have u ever killed a child before?i think u will hate yourself lifelong for that.

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if the car doesnt obey orders they fill it with lead, at that point.. who is in it makes no difference.
since it is a child it most likely cannot be seen clearly(if at all) from the outside since the child is not big enough therefore no one thought "hey a kid... let me shoot him/her"

how do they know it was a child and no someone crouching down?
how do you know that they could have identified them easily
how do you know the child wasnt trained/told to push a button once he/she got near the soldiers?
how do you know that the woman wasnt going to push the button and the child is in there to make them look more innocent?
would your risk your life uselessly because the car thats driving at you and doesnt want to obey orders to stop might have a child in there?
Would you leave your loved ones because there might be someone young in that the car thats coming at you.........

sometimes you guys are the fucking idiots

i wonder how your family would respond when they are told you died because the car that disobeyed orders to stop LOOKED like it had a child inside and because you.. in your infinite humbleness and glory didnt shoot at it, as you where commanded to but what about the guys with you at the outpost/checkpt... that fucking idiot was supposed to follow procedure and shoot the car if it acted suspiciously.. now i dont have ANY FUCKING LEGS.. thx a lot

idiots
at times the way you reason war-related stuff is incredible and as usual you have responded to me with that garbage posting or img linking, at least give me your OPINION, after all this is opinion and the fact that you have said stop posting shows explains why you`d reason it the way you do

Well, I have to agree with MrChewiebitums. I don't think that the soldiers could have clearly seen who was in the vehicle. This all probably happened very quickly in short period of time. You're living in Afghanistan, a NATO soldier tells you to STOP you STOP. Just like a cop holding a gun to you, he shouts out STOP you STOP or you're as good as dead. There's probably been other incidents of negligence where they allowed a suspicious car to pass through and boom it was too late.

To make this worse, just look at this:

"The incident comes while preparations are under way for Afghanistan's presidential election run-off, which the Taliban vowed earlier to disrupt and urged Afghans to boycott."

Tell me this doesn't look suspicious!

Skeptic said:

Dude seriously, just stop posting.

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x2

MrChewiebitums said:

i dont see whats the big deal
the vehicle acted suspiciously and failed to stop and they shot at it.
How do they know they are not going to try and blow them up?
Its all part of war so i dont see why your hassling about soldiers trying to keep themselves alive by shooting at something which is showing all signs of a suicide bombing

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Another great post brought to you by......mrchewiebitums!!

MrChewiebitums said:

if the car doesnt obey orders they fill it with lead, at that point.. who is in it makes no difference.
since it is a child it most likely cannot be seen clearly(if at all) from the outside since the child is not big enough therefore no one thought "hey a kid... let me shoot him/her"

how do they know it was a child and no someone crouching down?
how do you know that they could have identified them easily
how do you know the child wasnt trained/told to push a button once he/she got near the soldiers?
how do you know that the woman wasnt going to push the button and the child is in there to make them look more innocent?
would your risk your life uselessly because the car thats driving at you and doesnt want to obey orders to stop might have a child in there?
Would you leave your loved ones because there might be someone young in that the car thats coming at you.........

sometimes you guys are the fucking idiots

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It was a convoy.. which means it too was a vehicle or collection of vehicles not a stop post or gate or wtf ever. And AS a moving convoy they had more option than just to shoot. The purpose of the solider is to protect the citizen these soldiers went WAY off the reservation by doing this action was actually repeated by another group of solider in a "convoy" Blackwater.

It wasn't excusable then and it isn't excusable now.

Now lets logically go through this you are in a vehicle driving... now. warnign shots are fired into your vehicle the human reaction is to speed up and get the hell out of dodge.

Secondly there are evasive manuvers for questionable vehicles, and preventable measure that result in minimal casualties. such as aiming for the radiator and engines, the tires, the driver ONLY.

But these guys had to have riddled the car with rounds to kill the whole family.