Anger as NATO airstrike kills 4 Afghan soldiers

[The abyss]

Source: yahoo/AP

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer Robert H. Reid, Associated Press Writer – 50 mins ago

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.
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. 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.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100130/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[Flaneur]

1. Oops. How "unfortunate."

[Robb]

2. Ugh. Only in Afghanistan.

Fault lies with not who shot first, but who shot last.

[boppers]

3. Fog of War and Friendly Fire...

It just plain sucks.

[dipsydoodle]

4. SNAFU

.

[Flaneur]

5. Four Afghan soldiers last night, the dead imam last week, the dead students...

...if we're not careful, the Afghans might begin to think we don't really care much about them.

[The abyss]

6. Nope

They don’t understand the freedom that we, their saviors, have provided for them.

<>

Sad they don’t see themselves as the saved ones.

[Robb]

7. Just so we're clear, you're comparing Afghanistan to German-occupied Poland in 1939.

With apologies to George Santayana, those who do not learn history are doomed to make absurd comparisons. :eyes:

[The abyss]

8. Just so we’re clear here…

How very astute!

I consider our invasions of Afghanistan & Iraq no different than the German annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and the invasion of Poland during the fall of 1939 following the Gleiwitz “attacks” in August in 39.

The little eye rolling thingie is cute!

Ask the Danes how they felt about being occupied, ask the Norwegians how they felt about Quisling, and ask the French how they felt about Vichy.

The Afghan people don’t feel much different.


That is the way I see it.

[Robb]

10. Your comparison would make sense with this news story

...if, for example, the Germans in your photograph were accidentally executing Polish citizens who were collaborating with the Nazis.

That this notion makes no sense speaks to the inadequacy of the comparison.

[The abyss]

11. Oh darn!

I thought it actually worked pretty well

Goes to show ya what I know.

Thanks for keeping me straight!

[shadowknows69]

9. Fuckin brilliant. And we'll be surprised next time one of these guys turn on us.