Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 8:14:09 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

US Opens Probe in Deadly Afghan Strike

Posted Sep 8, 08 7:34 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – Two weeks after it launched a major airstrike in Azizabad, the American military is still insisting that only 5 to 7 civilians died in the raid. But the villagers, the Afghan government, the UN and human rights groups all say that the civilian death toll was much higher—that more than 90 Afghans were killed, mostly women and children. Yesterday, the senior American commander in Afghanistan launched an investigation into the massacre.

Until recently, the American military has accused the villagers who bewailed the deaths of spreading Taliban propaganda. But a New York Times reporter in Azizabad saw dozens of freshly dug graves, along with cell phone photographs of at least 11 dead children. The raid has stoked deepening anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan; one villager said, "They bombard us, they hate us, they kill us. God will punish them."

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Pentagon Plans Afghan Surge of 20,000

    Nov 22, 08 2:24 AM CST
    Pentagon Plans Afghan Surge of 20,000 US commanders are drawing up plans to send an extra 20,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 12 to 18 months, Reuters reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the surge will help reverse the rising violence in the country and safeguard elections planned for next fall. Commanders say the current NATO force in southern Afghanistan is overwhelmed by the growing Taliban insurgency.
    More »

  • US Troops in Afghanistan Battle Beard Ban

    Nov 19, 08 3:34 AM CST
    US Troops in Afghanistan Battle Beard Ban American troops in Afghanistan want to take a razor to the military's long-standing rule banning beards, US News & World Report writes. Beards are a sign of manhood in traditional areas of Afghanistan, and clean-shaven troops grumble that the rule—which the military maintains is essential for hygiene and discipline—makes it harder to gain respect and trust from the locals. 
    More »

  • US Soldier Among 9 Killed in Afghan Market

    Nov 13, 08 8:09 AM CST
    US Soldier Among 9 Killed in Afghan Market A suicide car bomber struck a US military convoy passing through a crowded livestock market in eastern Afghanistan today, killing an American soldier and at least eight civilians and wounding an additional 74 civilians. Yesterday, two British troops were also killed when their vehicle was struck by an explosive while they were on a patrol with Afghan security forces in southern Afghanistan. More »

  • Secret Directive Lets US Attack Up to 20 Nations

    Nov 10, 08 6:26 AM CST
    Secret Directive Lets US Attack Up to 20 Nations The American military has conducted almost a dozen secret attacks against al-Qaeda and other militant groups in Syria, Pakistan, and other nations since 2004, the New York Times reveals. The strikes were carried out under a classified order signed by Donald Rumsfeld that gave sweeping powers to let the military conduct operations in 15 to 20 countries with which the US is not at war.
    More »

  • US Strike Kills 40 at Wedding: Afghans

    Nov 5, 08 3:10 PM CST
    US Strike Kills 40 at Wedding: Afghans A US air strike killed 40 civilians at a wedding party Monday, the Afghan government said today. The US said it was investigating the incident, but would not verify any attack or death toll, the New York Times reports. A Kandahar province official said US forces were fighting with the Taliban in the area, and called in air support, which mistakenly targeted the wedding. More »

An Afghan woman shouts anti-US slogans in front of her destroyed home in Azizabad, the village in Shindand district of Herat province, Afghanistan.   (AP Photo/Fraidoon Pooyaa, File)
A boy carries his belongings next to the rubble of his home which was destroyed in an airstrike in the village of Azizabad, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug 23, 2008.   (AP Photo/Fraidoon Pooyaa)
An Afghan boy look at police vehicle set on fire by protesters during a demonstration against the killing of civilian in an airstrike in Azizabad, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug 23, 2008.   (AP Photo/Fraidoon Pooya)
An Afghan woman and her daughter wail after their relative was killed in an airstrike in Azizabad.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

People are sick of hearing there is another case of civilian casualties. - Aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Afghanistan • US military • civilian casualties • airstrike • massacre


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »