2.25.2010

nato: murdering children may be ill-advised

Another redsock guest post, with thanks from me as I alternate between buried and exhausted. - L.

Just after New Year's, Laura posted a news article about troops in Afghanistan dragging innocent children from their beds, handcuffing some of them, and then murdering them at close range.

Eight of the 10 victims were between the ages of 11 and 17. Surviving members of the family talk about the night of the assault here.

At the time, "a senior NATO insider" claimed the night raid "was conducted against an IED cell that Afghan and US officials had been developing information against for some time". As soon as the story was reported, it was clear that the statement was horseshit -- and now NATO is admitting it was horseshit.

Does NATO actually say it was a mistake? They are not sure. It was probably a mistake.
Knowing what we know now, it would probably not have been a justifiable attack.

No words could lessen the rage and hate and fantasies of revenge that I imagine that family must have towards the invaders and destroyers of their country. But to actually bother making a statement, then say, in effect, "I suppose murdering those children was not the best idea we've ever had"... If that's the best you can do, then shut the fuck up.

NATO is keeping quiet about which country's (or countries) troops committed these murders. There has been no indication that Canadian soldiers were involved. But that really doesn't matter. The entire military occupation of Afghanistan is a crime against humanity -- and Canada is, at the very least, an accessory to ongoing war crimes.

Increasing numbers of Canadians know that. And Stephen Harper knows that the more Canadians learn the truth, the greater those numbers will be. That's why he shut down Parliament rather than let the truth come out.

It's time for every single soldier to get out of that country now.

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