Who is the real terrorist, USA or the ME!**!?

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By CARLOTTA GALL
Published: March 4, 2007
KABUL, Afghanistan, March 4 — American troops opened fire on a highway filled with civilian cars and bystanders today, American and Afghan officials said, in an incident that the Americans said left 16 civilians dead and 24 wounded as they fled the scene of a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan. One American was also wounded.

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Rahmat Gul/Associated Press
Afghans shouted anti-American slogans Sunday to protest the deaths of civilians.

The Reach of War
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Noorullah/European Pressphoto Agency
A suicide car bombing was part of the violence, the United States military said.
The shooting set off demonstrations, with local people blocking the highway, the main road east from the town of Jalalabad to the border with Pakistan.

And there were differences in some of the accounts of the incident, with the Americans saying that the civilians were caught in crossfire between the troops and militants, and Afghan witnesses and some authorities blaming the Americans for indiscriminately shooting at civilian vehicles in anger after the explosion.

The United States military said the unit came under fire after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car near their convoy “as part of a complex ambush involving enemy small-arms fire from several directions.”

The marines, who were on patrol near Jalalabad airfield, returned fire, and the civilians were killed and wounded in the crossfire during the battle, according to a statement from the military press office at Bagram airbase near Kabul.

“We regret the death of innocent Afghan citizens as a result of the Taliban extremists’ cowardly act,” Lt. Col. David Accetta, a military spokesman, said in the statement. “Once again, the terrorists demonstrated their blatant disregard for human life by attacking coalition forces in a populated area, knowing full well that innocent Afghans would be killed and wounded in the attack.”

Yet some of the wounded interviewed in the hospital by news agencies said the only shooting came from the American troops. A hospital official, who asked not to be named, said all the wounded were suffering from bullet wounds and not shrapnel from the bomb explosion.

Hundreds of Afghans blocked the road and threw rocks at police officers in protest afterward, with some demonstrators shouting “Death to America! Death to Karzai,” a reference to President Hamid Karzai, The Associated Press reported.

The shooting is a setback for American forces in Afghanistan, who have been working to contain the continuing insurgent attacks, in particular roadside bombs and suicide attacks, and win the support of the people with reconstruction and development projects. Deadly riots shook Kabul last May after American troops were involved in a fatal car crash and then opened fire on the crowd.

Among the dead this morning were a woman and two children in their early teens, said Dr. Ajmal Pardez, the provincial director of health, speaking by telephone from the Jalalabad city hospital. He said the hospital received 10 dead and 25 wounded people from the incident, with four people in critical condition, he said.

After the suicide attack, the American soldiers treated every car and person along the highway as a potential attacker, though none of the people showed hostile intent, Muhammad Khan Katawazi, the district chief of Shinwar, told The Associated Press.

“They were firing everywhere, and they even opened fire on 14 to 15 vehicles passing on the highway,” said Tur Gul, 38, who was standing on the roadside by a gas station and was shot twice in his right hand. “They opened fire on everybody, the ones inside the vehicles and the ones on foot.”

Some of the wounded interviewed by The Associated Press said the soldiers opened fire indiscriminately on passing cars and pedestrians on the busy main road.

“When we parked our vehicle, when they passed us, they opened fire on our vehicle,” said 15-year-old Mohammad Ishaq, who was hit by two bullets, in his left arm and his right ear. “It was a convoy of three American Humvees. All three Humvees were firing around.”

In other fighting, two British soldiers were killed on Saturday in southern Afghanistan, the British Defense Ministry said today. The men were involved in heavy fighting that has raged for three days in the town of Sangin, said Col. Tom Collins, a NATO spokesman in Kabul. Townspeople have fled the town and abandoned their shops as Taliban insurgents and British troops stationed there have been trading artillery and rockets, according to a resident of the area.

Answer 1

My friend, I'm glad to see that before you go condeming anyone you are asking the question.

I have been fighting terrorist acts throughout the world for well over 35 yrs now. I can tell you some things for certain and some things you'll just have to use your own judgement as an American.

The things I would tell you are this. American Forces have been deployed around the world for many more years than I am old and that would be 60. I can tell you this for a fact. The US military is a direct reflection of our society. It's simple, the men and women that are in Iraq and Afghanistan are none other than your brothers and sisters, your neighbors and maybe even your best friend. What I'm saying is that there are good and bad even in our military just as there is in our town or city. Now the fact is that our military are tought tactics that will allow them to successfully perform the mission that we have a military for. The sole mission of the military is to locate, engage and destroy our enemies. Now I will grant you that there have been some military members that have probably comitted what some would call war crimes and in all cases when caught they are prosecuted in a miltary court under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. Trust me when I say you don't want to be tried in a military court because you don't get all the same advantages of a civilian court. That aside, know that not a single US soldier, sailor, Marine or airmen has ever committed a "TERRORIST" act. Neither do we conduct warfare hiding behind innocent civilians or get involved in military actions without concern for innocent civilian lives that might be affected in the area of operation of that operation. That's not to say that innocent civilians don't get caught up in such operations. But that our military plans involve reducing the numbers as much as possible. But I have to tell you that the old saying "War is Hell" is not just a saying. It is messing, ugly and destructive, by it's nature and it will cause good men to commit acts that they would never have even considered before. There is no way that combact can truly be described to someone that has never been involved in it. It is virtually undescribable. To see your fellow soldiers being riped aprart by the bullets, mortars, IED's of people that have absolutely no care or value of human life and know that you could be next at any moment is just not something that you can't adequately describe in words. But with all of this said what our military does anywhere we are at in the world is not and should never be considered "TERRORISM".

What our military does for you is allow you to ask such questions and for people to provide you answers based on their beliefs and philosophies and for those discussion in fact to take place without fear of reprisal or condemnation. So considering the reason our military is in Iraq and Afghanistan if you recall what that is, our Congress sent them there by approving the military actions that are ongoing, then I have a hard time understanding how any American could possibly even hypothisize such a question as you have here unless you consider yourself a TERRORIST...

Considering your quesiton I would have to make the assumption that you have no idea what the motivation is for the ongoing death in the ME. That motivation is simply stated in our enemies religious writtings, the Koran. As interpreted by the "Radical Islamist" if you are a none believer, which I'm sure you are if you are other than Islamic, you are not to be converted, not to be conquered, but destroyed, by any means possible. That's right killed, murdered, men, women and children, period. . . Now in answer to your question....

The real terrorist is not the ME and certainly not the USA, but the Radical Islamists. The sooner this country comes to grips with that the better we will be. They all we need to do is allow our military to fight using all of the training and assests available to us and stop worrying about whether we used unnecessary force or brutality. Because if we don't, if we are to pull out of Iraq as so many of the Democrats and yes some Republicans want to, then my friend I can tell you this. We will be looking at the same type of day-to-day life as Israelis have. Suicide bombings in the towns and cities of our country on a routine basis and eventually a terrorist act that will make 9-11 pale in comparison.

Answer 2

Why, when the US accidentally kills 7 or 8 civilians in a strike against the enemy, the world (and US Democrats) unite in protest and holds the incident up as a reason for the US to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. However, when islamic terrorists blow up 200 civilians in a market place, or kidnap 50 iraqi police recruits and drill holes in thier heads with a power drill, you don't hear anyone complain? Is this one of those times when it is a historical /cultural thing that we shouldn't interfere with or judge?

Answer 3

“We regret the death of innocent Afghan citizens as a result of the Taliban extremists’ cowardly act,” Lt. Col. David Accetta, a military spokesman, said in the statement. “Once again, the terrorists demonstrated their blatant disregard for human life by attacking coalition forces in a populated area, knowing full well that innocent Afghans would be killed and wounded in the attack.”

That says it all, and is standard practice for terrorists.

I agree that we should leave. The next time we are attacked, give them two weeks to abandon three cities we name, then bury one of them in saturation bombing. Level it.

Then do it again every time they attack or shelter terrorists.

NO NATION BUILDING! PERIOD!

Your question, this article, etc. are all good reasons to do exactly what I am saying rather than what we are presently doing (that or just let them attack us with impunity, which I don't think is very sane).

Answer 4

Israel was invaded by hezbollah and 8 soldiers were killed 2 were kidnapped. It doesn't matter what the reasons, are the act was committed. Israel hasn't kidnapped anyone...you have no substantiation to that claim. Lebanon needs to enforce Resolution 1559. It needs to demilitarize its militia groups. So no Israeli soldiers have to die or be kidnapped. Israel is gave back territory to the Palestinians. It gave back territory to the Egyptians (Sinai). Its gave most of the Golan Heights back to Syria-Lebanon. So what's your point?????

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

See the book 'TripleCross' there is growing corruption like the plague. If no one contacts officials(who have good recs) we are loosing our liberty.

Answer 7

If you support this travesty, yes, you are a terrorist supporter, like many of your fellow citizens.

Answer 8

If ME stands for Muslim Empire then that is the biggest terrorist just like muhammad wanted.

Answer 9

USA.