by Deb Cupples | Friday, a coalition air strike on a village in western Afghanistan reportedly killed 95 people, including 50 children. Apparently our nation is not on the path to winning the hearts and minds of the Afghani people. The New York Times reports:
"Government officials who traveled to the village of Azizabad in Herat Province on Saturday said the death toll had risen to 95 from 76, making it one of the deadliest airstrikes on civilians in nearly seven years of war.
"The American military said Saturday it was investigating the attack.
"The Karzai government has expressed outrage over recent airstrikes that have led to civilian deaths, as popular support for the coalition presence in Afghanistan dwindles. The tension comes at a delicate time for the American-led coalition, which is facing a resurgent Taliban with a perceived shortage of troops, leading it to rely more on air power to battle militants." (NY Times)
The U.S. military is investigating the attack? If it was carried out by coalition forces, shouldn't the U.S. military know who -- specifically -- executed the air strike and what the plans were?
The Washington Post reports:
"Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, a spokeswoman for the U.S. military, said 30 Taliban insurgents were killed in the operation, which targeted a compound occupied by a local Taliban commander.
"'We're confident that we struck the right compound,' she said.
"But Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement that about 70 civilians were killed in the raid. He vowed to take measures to prevent further civilian casualties....
"According to the officials in Herat, the bombing began late Thursday as dozens of villagers in the district of Azizabad gathered for a memorial ceremony for a villager who was killed last year."
They planned the attack during a memorial service? Oh, dear. Could we find other ways to anger the Afghani people and increase the chances that they will side with the "insurgents"?
Memeorandum has commentary.
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