Democracy Now! Interview: US-Led Forces Accused of Executing Schoolchildren

[crockspot]

Oh my, quite an unbelievable story.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7406352#7406647

G_j  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Wed Jan-06-10 01:06 PM
Original message
Democracy Now! Interview: US-Led Forces Accused of Executing Schoolchildren
   
Edited on Wed Jan-06-10 01:09 PM by G_j
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/6/us_led_forces_accu...

US-Led Forces Accused of Executing Schoolchildren in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, hundreds have taken to the streets of Kabul and elsewhere to protest the US killing of civilians. The incident that has sparked the most outrage took place in eastern Kunar on December 27th, when ten Afghans, eight of them schoolchildren, were killed. According to the Times of London, US-led troops dragged innocent children from their beds and shot them during a nighttime raid. Afghan government investigators said the eight students were aged from eleven to seventeen, all but one of them from the same family.

Jerome, welcome to Democracy Now! Lay out the story for us. What is exactly being alleged happened?

JEROME STARKEY: Well, the Afghan investigators believe that an Americans unit—they’re not sure which one, possibly a company with —flew from Kabul to Narang district in Kunar province. They say—Assadullah Wafa, the former governor who led the investigation—they probably landed about two kilometers outside the village where these killings are alleged to have taken place and then walked on foot into the village.

They then say that when they got there—this is where the version of events vary. Some people say that the victims were killed in three separate buildings. Some say they were three separate rooms, all part of the same compound. What most of the people on the scene agree on, though, is that at least eight of them were schoolchildren enrolled in a local—in two schools, one—some in a local high school and some in a local primary school. One of the victims was apparently a local shepherd boy who was staying as a guest in the compound overnight. And the tenth victim was a farmer, a day laborer who was working on the nearby fields, who came out when he heard the shooting and was shot where he stood.

<snip>

AMY GOODMAN: You also spoke with the headmaster of the school, explaining his version of what happened?

JEROME STARKEY: That’s right. He was very keen to give the names of all of the students. He even gave what he said were their enrollment numbers, their registration numbers at the school, as sort of corroborating evidence that they were indeed students. I think even the United Nations’ investigations have confirmed that they believe at least some of the victims were enrolled in local schools. Now that doesn’t necessarily prove that they weren’t involved in any other nefarious sort of activities, but it does corroborate the fact that they were indeed children. And much of the outrage that this attack has caused comes from the fact that the victims were children, ranging from just eleven to seventeen years old. But the headmaster, as I said, he was also an uncle to about eight of the boys. These village communities often—families are very sort of interlinked. But he was very adamant to stress that the victims were innocent schoolchildren.

AMY GOODMAN: Were the kids handcuffed?

JEROME STARKEY: Well, this is one of the facts which is in dispute. But certainly, we spoke to the headmaster. We also spoke to another local called Jan Mohammed from the area. And both of them gave versions of events which suggested that some of the victims, at least some of the victims, had been handcuffed before they were shot. But this is where the exact details of what happened appear to break down, and not all the stories completely corroborate one another. Given the nature of the environment, we haven’t been able to travel there ourselves, and we’ve been relying on telephone interviews with people who are there and people who’ve visited the scene.
<snip>



*Jerome Starkey, the Times of London correspondent in Afghanistan.
Website: JeromeStarkey.com

One DUmmy points out that this story appears nowhere but in this one souce, not even in regional publications in and around Afghanistan/Pakistan. But Doug's stupid ex wife and the moron teacher from Kansas are on their backs propping this one up with both hands and feet. Still no calls for frogmarching of Obama though.

[thundley4]

The guys a loon.

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US303&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=JEROME+STARKEY

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

10 ppl is a rather slow start for genocide, so what exactly would be the motive for such an act you liberal dipshits?

[Wineslob]

It's Democracy Now!, the whole place is run by loons. Amy Goodman is head honcho.

[DumbAss Tanker]

"Given the nature of the environment, we haven’t been able to travel there ourselves, and we’ve been relying on telephone interviews with people who are there and people who’ve visited the scene."

So, basically, he has no real idea at all about what really happened, if anything actually happened at all.

I'm not advocating war crimes or anything of the sort, but if Nicolo Machiavelli was looking down (Or more likely, up) at what's going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan, I expect the first recommendation he would make to bring about any permanent change would be to exterminate the entire faculties and student bodies of all the madrassas.

[crockspot]

I find it impossible to believe that US soldiers would execute school children. But since the Taliban are known for executing school children and their teachers on a regular basis, I would not be surprised that Taliban would don American uniforms and carry on as usual.

[dutch508]

I find it impossible to believe that US soldiers would execute school children. But since the Taliban are known for executing school children and their teachers on a regular basis, I would not be surprised that Taliban would don American uniforms and carry on as usual.

Shadow Government troops....

[TheSarge]

So, basically, he has no real idea at all about what really happened, if anything actually happened at all.

Will Pitt has more credibility in my mind than these assclowns.

[Thor]

Weren't there a couple of incidents in Iraq where the insurgents dressed up as US Military and wreaked havoc?? I'd like to think that I know our military folks pretty well and I don't think that an entire squad would be inclined to do such a terrible thing. This smacks of propaganda.

[TheSarge]

Weren't there a couple of incidents in Iraq where the insurgents dressed up as US Military and wreaked havoc?? I'd like to think that I know our military folks pretty well and I don't think that an entire squad would be inclined to do such a terrible thing. This smacks of propaganda.

Every chance they get they strip our soldiers they kill of their uniforms and ID's.  They do the same with the Iraqi and Afghan soldiers as well...all in an attempt to infiltrate our bases.

[Chris_]

Someone better have a talk to Obamas "death to children" Czar

[GOBUCKS]

American soldiers intentionally kill children only in moonbat publications, and the movies.

Door Gunner: 'Cuz I'm so ****in' good! I done got me 157 dead gooks killed. Plus 50 water buffalo too! Them's all confirmed!
Private Joker: Any women or children?
Door Gunner: Sometimes!
Private Joker: How can you shoot women or children?
Door Gunner: Easy! Ya just don't lead 'em so much!

[Freeper]

Weren't there a couple of incidents in Iraq where the insurgents dressed up as US Military and wreaked havoc?? I'd like to think that I know our military folks pretty well and I don't think that an entire squad would be inclined to do such a terrible thing. This smacks of propaganda.

I find it hard to believe too. If it was one or 2 possibly but unlikely but, a whole squad just does not compute.

[The Village Idiot]

I find it hard to believe too. If it was one or 2 possibly but unlikely but, a whole squad just does not compute.

That and the fact that this "writer" is a conduit for Taliban/Al Qeada propaganda should give people a hint