 | By Jon_i_Cohen
February 25, 2010 | Share |
Oh dear!
Nato admits that deaths of 8 boys were a mistake
A night-time raid in eastern Afghanistan in which eight schoolboys from one family were killed was carried out on the basis of faulty intelligence and should never have been authorised, a Times investigation has found.
Ten children and teenagers died when troops stormed a remote mountain compound near the border with Pakistan in December.
At the time, Nato claimed that the assault force was targeting a “known insurgent group responsible for a series of violent attacks”. Officials said that the victims were involved in making and smuggling improvised explosive devices. But Western sources close to the case now agree that the victims were all aged 12 to 18 and were not involved in insurgent activity.
Nato sources say that the raid should never have been authorised. “Knowing what we know now, it would probably not have been a justifiable attack,” an official in Kabul told The Times. “We don’t now believe that we busted a major ring.”
When reports of the raid first surfaced eight weeks ago, The Times contacted the police chief in Kunar province and then the boys’ head-master and uncle, Rahman Jan Ehsas.
Two men whose children and other relatives were killed agreed to come to Kabul to describe the incident. They provided pictures of their dead sons, a sketched map of the compound and copies of the compensation claim forms signed by local officials detailing their sons’ names, relatives and positions at school. Their story was supported by Western military sources.
Farooq Abdul Ajan, who lost two sons, two brothers, three nephews and a cousin in the raid, said that the soldiers had had no idea whom they were killing. Afghan investigators, local officials and MPs from the province all maintain that the boys were innocent.
Nato’s statement, issued four days after the event, said that troops were attacked “from several buildings” as they entered the village.
Yesterday it said that “ultimately, we did determine this to be a civilian casualty incident”.
So, when are we going to see an Arab and African led orchestrated campaign at the UN to bring sanctions against the UK government.
When are we going to see a “left wing”, Guardianesque, Galloway following, UK orchestrated campaign to have Gordon Brown arrested for war crimes?
Is it double standards or just simply antisemitism?
moshetzarfati2
25 February, 2010 - 20:02
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At least the Brits and the Yanks acknowledge their mistakes and apologise. Something the Israelis could learn from. So in answer to your question, it is neither double standards nor anti-Semitism.