Bombing Afghanistan

Afghan President Tells 60 Minutes That Too Many Civilians Are Being Killed

(CBS)  But why were bombs dropped on Mujib's house? As we said, the Army wouldn’t speak to us about it. An Air Force source says that Mujib’s house was a Taliban hideout. But through an interpreter, the villagers disputed that, and they said the U.S. should have known better.

"The Americans came here the day before they bombed, they searched the whole house and saw women and children in the house," says Mujib's uncle, Gulam Nabi.

"This is such an important point. Let me be sure I've got this. Who came the day before?" Pelley asks.

"The Americans," a translator explains.

We took their accusation to the military, and an Air Force source confirmed that U.S. troops searched the house the day before. We don’t know what those troops may have seen or reported.

Marc Garlasco left the Pentagon in 2003 to become senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. He has examined this case and he told 60 Minutes that even if Mujib’s father was a local Taliban leader, the air strike backfired.

"You have to ask yourself, is a mid-level thug worth nine dead civilians? But it goes beyond that. You're not talking about just losing nine dead civilians. You're also talking about violent protests throughout the country, requesting a democratically elected government be taken down, you then take people who maybe were in a pro-government area, and all of a sudden you're turning them against you, and turning them towards the Taliban," Garlasco says.

"To return just for a moment to the bombing at Kapisa,” Pelley addresses President Karzai. “A rocket was fired at a U.S. base there. It missed. No one was hurt. And yet, the response was to drop 4,000 pounds of explosives on that neighborhood.”

"That is wrong," the president says.

"They hit what they were aiming at," Pelley points out.

"That is a mistake," Karzai says. “I know that. It may be at times careless. A careless mistake, but not deliberate.”

"There is one young boy who is the sole survivor from that house,” Pelley tells Karzai. “A seven-year-old boy named Mujib. We asked him what he thought of the Americans and as you might expect, he said, 'I hate them.’”

"Naturally," Karzai agrees.

"That doesn't bode well for the future," Pelley says.

"Yeah, it doesn't,” Karzai responds. “That's why I'm so strongly asking for rethink of the use of air force. And this little boy I will call to my office. I will share his pain with him, as do the rest of the Afghan people. And try to get him a future.”

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Earlier this year, Mujib did travel to meet with President Karzai. In light of last week's air strike, with claims of 90 civilians killed, Karzai now says his government is re-examining its relationship with U.S. and NATO forces.

[rtdccpalmer]

My previous post seems to have been lost. Let me restate my case. This is the second hachet job Pelley has done on our military in two weeks.

He obviously knows nothing about combat, he now nothing about how the military works, he only knows how to impose his own bias onto every story he reports, or better into every story he acts as he is not reporter.

Scott.. a rocket is fired at an american base, it does not matter if it does not hit the base, you don''t wait for them to get better at aiming their rocket you take them out. You see two men with AK-47''s leaving a building you take them out.

The military is not their on a humanitarian mission they are there to find and kill the enemy.

As I stated in my previous post. I am sure that the Military would allow Mr. Pelley to personally go over and knock on the door of each buliding from which fire is received to see if it was an accident.

I would love to see that happen. He wouldn''t make it past the first door he knocked upon.

[formerwny]

Re the bombing Afghanistan segment! Scott Pelley asked whether the life of one terrorist was worth the life of all the civilians killed after jets dropped two bombs on an Afghan village. My answer would be "*** right". If any type of action prevents the loss of any of our troops, it''s done its job. I watch 60 Minutes faithfully and most of the time you''re right on the button, but sometimes I wonder about other stories you report. This is a war and nothing less. Civilians will be killed along with the bad guys. Soemtimes we have to stoop to their level to accomplish the mission.

[morganmf]

If NATO stops the air support to the ground troops the deaths of those troops on the ground will expand and they will not be able to protect the Afghan people and help this country as it works towards freedom. This CBS propaganda is clearly one sided and misguided...why don''t you call for the Taliban to stop utilizing civilians as shields and fighting within their villages.

[paulstike]

Your reporting needs to be more objective. As a veteran of an unpopular war, alot of the time civilians are the local enemy force, men, women and children. If you can''t report on both sides, stay home and enjoy the freedom our armed forces are providing you.

[mksuttonenfj]

I have ceased to be surprised, but I continue to be appalled by the continued hatchet jobs you continue to produce condemning the U.S. military. Starting with Vietnam through today, you constantly promote any situation that puts the U.S in a bad light. None of you have ever walked in the shoes of those who face death every day defending this country. "CBS" really does stand for the "Communist Broadcasting Network."

[mksuttonenfj]

I have ceased to be surprised, but I continue to be appalled by the continued hatchet jobs you continue to produce condemning the U.S. military. Starting with Vietnam through today, you constantly promote any situation that puts the U.S in a bad light. None of you have ever walked in the shoes of those who face death every day defending this country. "CBS" really does stand for the "Communist Broadcasting Network."

[mksuttonenfj]

I have ceased to be surprised, but I continue to be appalled by the continued hatchet jobs you continue to produce condemning the U.S. military. Starting with Vietnam through today, you constantly promote any situation that puts the U.S in a bad light. None of you have ever walked in the shoes of those who face death every day defending this country. "CBS" really does stand for the "Communist Broadcasting Network."

[middleman8]

These are the results when stupid people follow a silly flag and let the propaganda behind said flag govern their actions.

[mitch5511]

This is how "blowback" begins. Very cavalier by the US military.

[nacalor]

Provocative, though I missed the reason that this is being reiterated almost a year later. I suppose it''s due to that recent incident involving civilian casualties in Afghanistan. All-in-all, the time between major incidents would seem to indicate that the U.S. has done a fair job of controlling this sort of error. Marc Garlasco provides fascinating background on the whole process of targeting and what the Coalition has done to limit civilian casualties in this interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=89460867&m=89460864 . Listen to the last 12 minutes, especially, to hear how serious this issue is being taken by the U.S. military.

[mrosenthal5]

I dont understand the comment that Pelley makes that the missle shot at the US base missed and still we bombed the village. What does it matter if the missle hit or not?

[hassankazi]

wow,after reading this the truth stands out completely?here the u.s military is itself tellin the reprter that the day before they bombed n killed the women n childeren of the house in afghanistan,the u.s evil doers had visited the house and searched it?and had not found any weopens or ammo or any talibans?so the next day after gathering the intelligence that there were only civilians in the house n in the compound they go and bomb it with a two thousand pound bomb?knowing fully well women n childeren resided in the house?what does it tells the right thinkin people?that the u.s intentionally kills civilians and then to cover their shame up they leave weopans and ammo at the site so as to prove to the world that all those killed were terrorists?i say what a freakin shame?even a eunach or hijda if he ever would get in to a fight would not act like this but would either curse n abuse or lift up his saree n show his *** n walk away?but i guess the americans and israelis fall in to a total different catogary all to gether ?but just like they like gathering info first?gustav n hanna will do the same?and saddam n yassin who are near the coast of africa will follow shortly later?inshallah(ameen)

[catarina008]

You are unbelievable Scott Pelley! Go live in Afghanistan or Russia for the rest of your life. What a pathetic representation of disloyalty to the wonderful country of the United States of America. Thank God we have military soldiers that are much more loyal & brighter than you. Can you seriously think the public would believe that you can ask an Afghan civilian how they feel about the Americans vs. the Russians? They should be more afraid/dislike the Americans. Not because we are the terriorst. We are there to defend & protect America. We were attacked FIRST. Only an uneducated, incompetent person would believe that we can peacefully shake hands & stop this war. The taliban''s philosophy of life & the value they place on their civillian''s lives are the exact opposite of the true American values. Please, go live in Afghan or Russia & stop this disloyalty to America. Hopefully some day you will come to appreciate why American soldiers fight for the values & principals that protect America.

[joe_transit]

It''s not hard to realize that there are better ways to help people then to blow them up. Repeatedly killing innocent people is more then just a careless mistake, incompetence is a more accurate word. It''s just another half ***-ed war. All the while we get the impression that Bush just does not care or does he take it serious enough. The only life Bush seems to value are those making over $5 million a year. McSame is no different. But wait, we''ll have a moose meat eating beauty queen / soccer mom to the rescue, NOT.
Do it right the first time and save some money for home.

[nick_rehm]

Move over Jane Fonda. Scott Pelley is in town. My family and I were appaled at your story. We were sorry to hear about the young boy losing his family, but we are also deeply troubled about the Taliban sending waves of suicide bombers to attack US bases, ambushing and killing Allied troops and unarmed humanitarians. The Taliban are known to use women and children as a shield in the war effort. If they will use women and children, will they not also use a CBS correspndent from 60 minutes?

while the tillybangs chant death to Amrika Amrika chants death to cbs. Winner to be announced soon on focs

CBS the stinking taliboob channel

Just watched the tripe - er, antiamerican propaganda on a dinosaur channel that has been dead for eons but refuses to rot. Shame on you stinking cbs. 300 civilians dead out of 30 million in a war against a coward criminal bunch who hide behind wimin and chirren? And the alleged reporterello looking horrified? Does the reporteretto remember what the russians did ? There was no one to report the mayhem, was there. SHAME, CBS. May you
be off the air soon.

[laguna666]

Yo Steve,
Why not ask Karzide to send his own military to get the bad guys, then no air power is needed. After all the money, time and blood we have spent, your people should be able to handle things so our soldiers can come home.

If you asked this question, you couldnt paint the military as killers, which is your agenda.

[marill2]

Your report on how American troops are making careless mistakes in bombing innocent civilians was handled in an irresponsible manner which further encourages dirty fighting by the terrorists and demoralizes those that desire to defeat them. Instead of focusing on the negative actions of the US, why are you so slow to fully portray the evil brutality of the enemy? If the American news reporting during WWII was as anti-American as Scott Pelley''s, Germany and Japan might have won the war. Mr. Pelley, have you no conscience? Mr. Pelley, are you just another political sensationalist who cares more about your ratings than your country?