Karzai holds up picture of 8-year-old girl who he said was only one left after NATO rocket strike...

[bigtree]

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Saturday (in a speech at the opening session of the Afghan parliament) that NATO's efforts to prevent civilian deaths during its operations are not enough because innocent people keep dying, as the military alliance continued its offensive in a key Taliban stronghold.

Karzai held up a picture of an 8-year-old girl who he said was the only one left to recover the bodies of her 12 relatives, all killed when two NATO rockets struck their home during the offensive in the southern town of Marjah. He called the incident a tragedy for all Afghanistan.

Karzai said that NATO has made progress in reducing civilian casualties and air bombardments - which have been responsible for some of the largest incidents of civilian deaths. And he thanked NATO commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who attended the speech, for "standing with us honestly in this effort."

"We need to reach the point where there are no civilian casualties," Karzai said. "Our effort and our criticism will continue until we reach that goal."

His comments came as NATO reported that its troops killed another civilian in Marjah, bringing the civilian death toll from the operation to at least 16.


read more: http://www.lillooetnews.net/article/GB/20100220/CP01/302209994/-1/lillooet/afghan-president-says-natos-effort-to-prevent-civilian-deaths-still&template=cpArt

related:

Afghan president renews peace calls to Taliban
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61J1BO20100220

[timeforpeace]

1. More civilian casualties than Taliban casualties?

[bigtree]

4. no

more 'Taliban' reported killed in Marjah, although I can't see how the military can credibly determine what the allegiance is of those resisting the U.S.-led NATO forces' military advance on their homeland.

[ohiodemocratic]

5. True. There's no way to determine who is a "Taliban" and who isn't

Just because the government labels someone a Taliban doesn't mean he/she is necessarily one.

[Mari333]

2. the MSM would rather talk about Tiger fucking Woods than put this on the news

and every civilian murdered there, every soldier who dies, the blood is on the hands of the oil corporations and the white house.

[Horse with no Name]

3. Winning hearts and minds all over the world

wrapped in the trappings of democracy. Don't you just love it!

[bigtree]

7. I rarely hear that word in reference to Afghanistan

What our troops are fighting and dying (and killing) for there is anyone's interpretation. Democracy certainly isn't one of those things. Elections, government, maybe; democracy, no.

[timeforpeace]

6. If it wasn't for the foreign press we would never know.

[upi402]

8. Oil man from BushCo

Mr. conscience?
Our media is silent...

wow

[timeforpeace]

9. He seems close to telling Obama to get the hell out.

[Robb]

10. Ever since Obama was elected, Karzai's days have been numbered.

I've been saying this for months, and predicted it perfectly, I'd add.

Obama's administration has been going around Karzai instead of through him from day one. Karzai's predictable response has been to ratchet up anti-Western sentiment by drawing attention to every possible civilian casualty -- real, of which there are plenty, and imagined. Something he never did, I'd point out, before Obama.

Karzai is desperate to increase his visibility and relevance to the Afghan people, who see him for what he is: just another corrupt warlord.

[timeforpeace]

16. Or he could be upset about the killing of civilians.

[Political Heretic]

11. Ah posted this before I saw you were already on it. K&R for this news

[JCMach1]

12. Someone remind me why we haven't GTFO yet

[Forkboy]

13. ...

[gulfcoastliberal]

14. Change she can believe in. / Your tax dollars at work... so sad... nt

[G_j]

15. Group: NATO Forces Blocking Movement of Wounded Afghan Civilians

watch/read/listen:

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/17/group_nato_forces_blocking_wounded_afghan

Group: NATO Forces Blocking Movement of Wounded Afghan Civilians

The US is coming under increasing criticism over the rise in civilian casualties during the assault on the Afghan city of Marjah, one of the largest military offensives of the eight-year war. At least nineteen civilians have been killed so far, including six children who died when a missile struck their house on the outskirts of the city. We speak with Matteo dell’Aira, medical coordinator of the Emergency Lashkar Gah hospital.
…
The US and NATO assault on the Afghan city of Marjah has entered its fifth day. US Marines have called in helicopter gunships for support as they face heavy gunfire and sustained resistance as they try to gain control of the city.

The assault is one of the largest military offensives of the eight-year war with some 15,000 Afghan, Nato and US troops taking part.

The US is coming under increasing criticism over the rise in civilian casualties during the operation. At least nineteen civilians have been killed so far, including six children who died when a missile struck their house on the outskirts of the city. The military initially claimed the rocket went off course but on Tuesday, the commander of British forces in southern Afghanistan, Major-General Nick Carter, said the missile had hit its intended target.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand province said that more 1,200 families had been displaced and evacuated from Marjah and claimed all had received aid in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.

But the Italian NGO Emergency released a statement saying dozens of seriously injured civilians are being prevented from reaching its hospital in Lashkar Gah due to NATO military blockades.

Yesterday we spoke with the medical coordinator of the Emergency Lashkar Gah hospital. Matteo dell’Aira is a nurse who was been working in Afghanistan for the past ten years.

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