Related: Afghan Forces Turning On AmeriKa
How sad for you, Boston Globe; how many other things are you minimizing, concealing, or censoring -- and who cares anymore?
"Anger as NATO airstrike kills 4 Afghan soldiers
KABUL – A joint U.S.-Afghan force called in an airstrike on what turned out to be an Afghan army post after taking fire from there before dawn Saturday, killing four Afghan soldiers and prompting an angry demand for punishment from the country's defense ministry.
Both NATO and Afghan authorities described the clash around a snow-covered outpost in Wardak province southwest of Kabul as a case of mistaken identity. NATO called the attack "unfortunate" and promised a full investigation.
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? -- Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948), "Non-Violence in Peace and War
Nevertheless, the deadly strike threatens to strain relations between NATO and the Afghan government at a time when both sides are calling for closer partnership in the fight against the Taliban. The fighting came on the heels of several cases of bloodshed between Afghans and Americans in recent weeks.
NATO and Afghan officials said an Afghan interpreter angry over "job issues" shot and killed two U.S. soldiers Friday before he was gunned down by an American service member in the same district as the airstrike.
What, because he had one? Pfffffft!
NATO officials said the two attacks appeared unrelated.
Saturday's fighting erupted about 3 a.m. when a group of U.S. Special Forces and Afghan commandos approached a remote Afghan army outpost that was set up about 18 months ago to guard the main highway between Kabul and Kandahar. NATO said the Afghan soldiers believed the unit was the Taliban and started shooting. The joint force returned fire and called in the airstrike, which killed the four Afghan soldiers, NATO and the Afghan Defense Ministry said. Seven Afghan soldiers at the checkpoint were wounded, provincial spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said.
"Besides expressing heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs, the Afghan Defense Ministry is condemning this incident," an Afghan statement said. "After the investigation is completed, the Defense Ministry wants to bring those responsible to justice."
Another "investigation" that will just FADE AWAY!
Associated Press Television News video of the aftermath showed snow around the fortified compound blackened by the airstrike. American armored vehicles stood guard on the highway, about a half mile (a kilometer) from the hilltop outpost, while a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter roamed the skies overhead. "I am from this area, and I witnessed the entire incident myself," said local resident Khan Mohammed. "Planes arrived and bombed the Afghan National Army checkpoint. They hit some of the houses around the area with mortars."
NATO said the joint force called in the airstrike only after failing to halt the fighting with return fire. The alliance said a joint Afghan-NATO investigation would "determine the facts and circumstances of this unfortunate incident." "We work extremely hard to coordinate and synchronize our operations," NATO spokesman Brig Gen. Eric Tremblay said.
It was believed to be the first fatal friendly fire incident since November, when eight Afghans — four soldiers, three policemen and an interpreter — were killed in northwestern Afghanistan during close combat as troops searched for a missing U.S. paratrooper who was later found dead. Afghanistan's Defense Ministry said at the time that the deaths had been caused by "an air attack by NATO forces" during the fighting.
Yeah, that's ONE REASON AMONG MANY why I NEVER BELIEVE MSM or MILITARY anymore!!!
******************
Saturday's clash and the string of recent deadly encounters between Americans and Afghans are likely to stoke public anger against foreign forces — even though the United Nations reported this month that most civilian casualties were caused by the Taliban.
Related: The Only War in Town
"Al-CIA-Duh" Validates United Nations Report on Afghanistan
U.N. Says Taliban Not Terrorists
Also: "In a related development, five former Taliban officials were removed from a UN sanctions list earlier this week.... --more--"
And: Why Can't AmeriKa Leave Afghans Alone?
How the AmeriKan MSM Reports a Losing War
And NONE of what the GLOBE is CENSORING is HELPING!
NATO said its troops opened fire Friday on a taxi as it sped toward a patrol in Ghazni province, killing two civilians and wounding another. U.S. soldiers shot and killed an Afghan imam Thursday when his car approached a convoy on the eastern outskirts of Kabul.
Yeah, take a look at the Glob reporting on that: Covering Up the Killing of a Cleric
Last week, protesters in Ghazni blocked a major highway for three days, claiming that a NATO and Afghan force killed four civilians in during raid there targeting a Taliban official. NATO insisted the four dead were insurgents....
REALLY? And Glob said NOTHING?
FLASHBACK:
"In other violence, militants fired on police yesterday, sparking a gunbattle in the middle of a protest over the deaths of four men in a NATO-Afghan raid, officials said. At least two people were wounded in the fighting in the Qara Bagh district of Ghazni province.
--more--"
That is HOW they reported it? UGH!
