US Airstrike Kills 41 People in Afghanistan

[chauvunist]

Over 40 people have been killed in a US-led airstrike in Afghanistan’s western province of Nimruz

Afghan officials said the deadly attack was carried out in Chahar Burjak District on Wednesday.


US-led airstrike kills 41 in Afghanistan

 

[Awesome]

All Taliban, especially the babies

 

[Argus Panoptes]

All Taliban, especially the babies

This is all that PressTV has said so far:

PressTV - US-led airstrike kills 41 in Afghanistan

Where did the babies come from? Is there any other news source?

 

[Amaa'n]

Any independent source or reputed one?

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Any independent source or reputed one?

Or any updates? Any confirmation of the dead babies mentioned by @Awesome ?

 

[Awesome]

This is all that PressTV has said so far:

PressTV - US-led airstrike kills 41 in Afghanistan

Where did the babies come from? Is there any other news source?

Kabul has been alleging that Washington is striking more and more on population centres these days. If they know there is a Taliban commander there, they'll just rain hellfires on the entire village/neighborhood.

80 people were killed in one day through airstrikes, you think the missiles only found Taliban?

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Kabul has been alleging that Washington is striking more and more on population centres these days. If they know there is a Taliban commander there, they'll just rain hellfires on the entire village/neighborhood.

80 people were killed in one day through airstrikes, you think the missiles only found Taliban?

Chances are that you are correct and that there could be civilian casualties (even babies like you said) depending on the targets. However, I was hoping that there would be some confirmation from the Afghans themselves that that was indeed the case before jumping to certain conclusions prematurely. That is all Saeenjee.

 

[Awesome]

US air strike kills five Afghan cops - Khaleej Times

From wherever the US has pulled out, Taliban activity has increased in those regions and the US relying heavily on airstrikes of that region. You're increasingly hearing of 20-50 dead in each strike and then after several weeks the reports come in "Oh at least these many were confirmed civies".

The others were "males of military age" aka terrorists as per US definition of one.

Chances are that you are correct and that there could be civilian casualties (even babies like you said) depending on the targets. However, I was hoping that there would be some confirmation from the Afghans themselves that that was indeed the case before jumping to certain conclusions prematurely. That is all Saeenjee.

Shouldn't the premise be that there be confirmation of terrorists before any attack? Shouldn't the attack be with guns and bullets rather than raining missiles on population centres?

 

[Argus Panoptes]

...............

Shouldn't the premise be that there be confirmation of terrorists before any attack? Shouldn't the attack be with guns and bullets rather than raining missiles on population centres?

Yes, that should be the premise.

But also we should apply that to our own citizens in FATA too. Or may be our forces killing people by the scores in FATA are 100% accurate in killing only terrorists because we have such great human intelligence directing the attacks?

For us, Pakistanis are before anybody else, right?

 

[Solomon2]

Shouldn't the premise be that there be confirmation of terrorists before any attack?

Maybe that's exactly what happens and you just don't hear about it: link

 

[Awesome]

Yes, that should be the premise.

But also we should apply that to our own citizens in FATA too. Or may be our forces killing people by the scores in FATA are 100% accurate in killing only terrorists because we have such great human intelligence directing the attacks?

For us, Pakistanis are before anybody else, right?

The operations are carried out quite differently in Pakistan. Areas are cleared off, forces are sent in and airstrikes only work as backup. Still mistakes happen but at the end of the day it has Pakistani government's sanction. As Pakistani people we have decided to allow our military to do it in such a way. We own the process. Here Kabul has protested to each and every strike and the strike is by a foreign force. There is no buy in from the Afghan people. They have no means to raise the issue with their own government when mistakes happen.

 

[Awesome]

Maybe that's exactly what happens and you just don't hear about it: link

3 AQ killed?

How many people in total were killed in that drone strike?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/world/asia/us-drone-strike-kills-at-least-6-in-pakistan.html?_r=0

That's a success ratio of 50%

See when the attack happened NY times acknowledged they were all militants, but then its revised oh three were definitely some militants. There was no intel, they just fired on a large group crossing the border. The group itself may have been oblivious to who all the travelers are.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

The operations are carried out quite differently in Pakistan. Areas are cleared off, forces are sent in and airstrikes only work as backup. Still mistakes happen but at the end of the day it has Pakistani government's sanction. As Pakistani people we have decided to allow our military to do it in such a way. We own the process. Here Kabul has protested to each and every strike and the strike is by a foreign force. There is no buy in from the Afghan people. They have no means to raise the issue with their own government when mistakes happen.

With all respects due Saeenjee, let the Afghans worry about their country and citizens. I am more concerned about my country and about my fellow citizens. And I hope and pray that we are able to limit the fallout post 2014 from Afghanistan into our country.

 

[Solomon2]

3 AQ killed? How many people in total were killed in that drone strike?

3 AQ + 4 Talibs, according to the LWJ article. News reports say seven killed total (Express Tribune reported six.)

 

[Jungibaaz]

Shouldn't the premise be that there be confirmation of terrorists before any attack?

Well, every time you see the term 'suspected militant' to do describe those killed in an airstrike or drone attack, you know that they don;t know who they may be killing, nor do they care to get a positive ID afterwards.

Shouldn't the attack be with guns and bullets rather than raining missiles on population centres?

Better a group of civilians than one of your soldiers, that is the thought process behind the use of allied air power.