Karzai To NATO: “Afghan Life Not Cheap”

After 90 Civilian Deaths In 10 Days, Afghan President Karzai Demands That NATO “Do Better”

(AP) 
“Every single ISAF commander knows and says that we can do our job here if we have the consent of the people. But unlike the Taliban, we do not set out to cause civilian casualties, and that is a critical difference,” Lunt said.

Earlier Saturday, Pakistan said a rocket hit a house in its territory, killing nine civilians during a battle in which NATO and U.S.-led forces killed some 60 suspected Taliban near Afghanistan's eastern border.

NATO said militants attacked Afghan and alliance troops late Friday in Paktika province. The alliance said it was the largest insurgent formation seen in the area since January, when U.S. forces said they had killed around 130 of 180 militants crossing from Pakistan. Pakistan denied any insurgents had cross the frontier.

Extra troops have been deployed on both sides of the mountainous frontier in an attempt to prevent militants who find sanctuary in Pakistan's wild tribal regions from mounting crossborder raids and sustaining the five-year-old war.

Although Karzai also denounced the Taliban for killing civilians, he directed most of his anger at foreign forces.

Police said Friday that a NATO air strike in the southern province of Helmand had killed 25 civilians, along with 20 militants who were firing on NATO and Afghan troops from a walled compound. NATO blamed the insurgents for hiding among civilians and defended the right of its troops to defend themselves.

Last week, 52 civilians died when artillery was fired into Chora, a town in Uruzgan province where NATO troops fought the Taliban for three days.

“You do not fight terrorists by firing a field gun 20 miles into a target,” Karzai said. “That is definitely surely bound to cause civilian casualties.

“We want to cooperate with the international community. We are thankful for their help to Afghanistan,” Karzai said. “But that does not mean that Afghan lives have no value.”

Other fighting reported Saturday left some 20 militants and one coalition soldier dead. The soldier, who died in a firefight in the southern province of Helmand, was not identified.

Separately, the Estonian military said two of its soldiers clearing mines in Helmand were killed in a missile attack there — the first Estonian troops killed in Afghanistan since it joined the NATO force in 2003.

Police said militants killed six Afghan truckers hauling goods to a NATO base in Helmand and burned their vehicles.

[j-whitman]

singinrick,,, You still on your Christofascist trip ??? Listen to your own republicans tell Bush to change his course in Iraq --- He's lost.

[doublestand]

So Afghan lives are not cheap. How about the millions that have died from opium/heroin. Does the Afghan consious feel guilty when the are growing poppy, when they are harvesting opium, when they are smuggling drugs that they know will kill foreigners? When they are giving the drug money to the radicals? I wonder if Afghans have any idea of the suffering a family goes through when a family member dies of their drugs? When will Afghans start becoming part of the solution instead of the problem.

[prinzowhales]

singinrick--Why don't you share some of the references from the Quran that teach hatred of Jews and Christians?

[hungry1968]

Posted by singinrick at 03:53 AM : Jun 24, 2007

Did you also happen to notice that you're suffering from "Bush syndrome"? Whenever anything bad happened in our country for 4 years, it was related to terrorism.
High unemployment numbers? - Terrorism.
Weakening economy? - Terrorism.

Now in Iraq, anyone our troops fight is Al Qaeda.
"Casualties Mount In Push Against Al Qaeda"
"U.S. and Iraqi troops captured two senior al Qaeda militants in northern Iraq."

And now you. Anyone that posts anything on these boards that criticizes Bush or the war is a "internet jihadist" or a "far-leftist liberal".

By the way, if I have the choice between being a far-left liberal that cares about people and social justice, or being a war loving neo-con that likes to see American troops die without a reason, I'll be a far left liberal every time. And if you truly were a Christian, you would too. Hypocrite.

[hungry1968]

The Quran teaches hatred of Jews and Christians, and far-left liberals share these same beliefs, albeit blindly! Or is it really blindly?
Posted by singinrick at 03:53 AM : Jun 24, 2007

I consider myself a far-left liberal, and I don't hate Jews and Christians. I hate religion period. You think that your religion is the "right" one because you hold the moral high ground? That's fine - if you believe in those morals, then live by them. While living by them, keep them to yourself. Quit trying to force your religious beliefs on everyone else, the way that Bush does. In other words, when you think that you're morally superior and feel the need to comment on someone else when it doesn't concern you, maybe you should mind your own business.

[johnshaft4]

The Afghans will have "freedom and democracy" even if it kills them.

[brianbwb-2009]

Karzai has to at least appear to his people that he isn't a complete Bushit puppet, so he states the obvious, though nothing real will come of it, no one will be held responsible for the murders.

If he were really anything other than a tool, he would call for the US and NATO to get out of there, and call for a power sharing arrangement with the Taliban. If the Taliban don't accept, that is Afghanistan's problem to sort, not the US, or NATO, and Karzai's mistake thinking Bushit could prop him up forever.

But then again, Bush wouldn't get to play with his new oil pipeline...

[cdfoxtrot]

Karzai: U.S., NATO Caused Civilian Deaths

I think I'll file this under "No Sh*t, Sherlock".

[j-whitman]

Free,,,, They had to be terrorists, This administration has called everyone terrorists, especially if they opposed his decisions.

Everyone's a terrorist, they will nuc you & eat your children, scared enough to elect another republican yet ???

[feelfree1]

RE: "On Saturday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused NATO and U.S.-led forces of mounting 'careless operations' that killed more than 90 civilians in the last 10 days."

"Pakistan's army said a rocket fired during the battle hit a house on its side of the border, killing nine civilians."


Killing civilians in Afghanistan. Killing civilians in Pakistan. Now we see the true nature of the 'successes' against 'al Qaeda' that CBS and other Corporate media sources have been touting recently.

What a shameful and futile goose-chase.

[j-whitman]

prowest210,,,, Let's see now, During the trips & photo ops Karzai made to the White House & how much Bush boasted what a great leader of Afaganistan he was --- You where praising Bush & Karzai

We said he was nothing but an ineffective mayor of Kabul & an Opium dealer & you called us Un-American & Un-Patriotic. ---- So who are you praising this week ?????

[j-whitman]

prowest210,,, I'm back now so talk to my face brave one.... No I'm not Muslem, I'm not the least bit religious...... You people always use religion & God to cause catastrophe's.

[feelfree1]

The only question that remains about the Bush regime's 'Operation Enduring Freedom' is: How much more Bush-style freedom can the people of Afghanistan endure?

[feelfree1]

The Bush regime is responsible for the pointless slaughter of more than 400 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistn.

Who knows how many Afghans that the regime has managed to slaughter and torture by now?

Poppy/opium production has been returned from negligable, under Taliban rule, back to a bumper crop, constituting the majortiy of the world's supply.

Warlords and druglords have been placed into power, along with former Unocal executive Hamis Karzai, ensuring pipeline construction and profitable resource extraction for the multinational oil pirates.

Mission Accomplished!!!

Time for our troops to come home!

[prowest210]

And good points singrick

[prowest210]

j-whitman is a muslim, what's the tell?

The part of the brain that normal, healthy humans have which make them critical of crazy cults has been lobotimized in muslim brains.

Muslims are absolutely incapable of self-criticism or seeing the horrendous fault in their own belief system. If you look through the entire thread here, j-whitman not once criticized Islam but couldn't shut up about Jews and Americans.

CharlesDJohn, you're quite right-I've read the history on the spread of Islam-the only times countries were able to defeat them was when they wiped them out completely, such as in Spain, France in the past-same with places in India.

I'd be nice if 'we could all just get along', but as you very well described, Islam cannot tolerate any other religion, culture or ideology and this makes it grave danger to all non-muslims.

[middleman8]

samrensho "that patch of dirt is not worth even one US life"

The other side of the "patch of dirt" is all the invadeing US troops are not worth one Iraqie child.

[j-whitman]

Charles, you have a good day also.

[charlesdjohn]

Passionate is a better word!

Good day!

[j-whitman]

Charles,,, Muslim anger towards the west isn't because of your Christianity or even Judism -- It's against the totally unequal & unchecked support for Isreal from 1947 on.... It's over the politics & not religions so much.