Grenade Wounds 3 U.S. Troops, Afghan Child

Military Tells CBS News Grenade Thrown By Attacking Militant, Disputing Some Local Claims Of U.S. Attack

(CBS/AP)  An explosion in a crowded bazaar near a convoy of U.S. troops in northeastern Afghanistan killed one Afghan child Tuesday and wounded about 50 people, many of them children, officials said.

Witnesses and at least one government official alleged that U.S. troops threw a grenade into the crowd in Kunar province, but police did not immediately confirm that. The provincial governor said that U.S. troops showed him fragments of a Russian-made grenade, an implication that someone in the crowd caused the blast.

Speaking to CBS News' Fazul Rahim in Kabul, both the International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan and the U.S. military categorically denied that the grenade was thrown by a U.S. soldier.

Brian Naranjo, a spokesman for the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said a coalition vehicle became stuck on the road and while troops were attempting to get it out they came under fire. An insurgent threw a hand grenade which injured 3 U.S. soldiers, one Afghan soldier and a 12-year-old Afghan boy, according to Naranjo.

He added that the military did not have any reports of further injuries or deaths.

A hospital official who goes by one name, Dr. Afizullah, said 54 people were wounded in the blast and many were children from a nearby school. Education officials said about 15 children were wounded.

Kunar Gov. Sayed Fazelullah Wahidi said that three Americans were wounded in the incident, one seriously.

The explosion took place in a crowded bazaar near a school and mosque. Afghan officials said the American convoy had broken down because of a flat tire and a crowd had gathered.

Kunar's provincial police chief, Abdul Jalal Jalal, said someone threw a grenade into the crowd and officials were investigating the assailant's identity.

Suspicion among Afghans immediately fell on the Americans. An eyewitness in the bazaar, Abullah Sadat, told The Associated Press by telephone that a U.S. soldier had thrown a grenade.

Mohammad Asif Nang, the spokesman for the country's education ministry in Kabul, also blamed the Americans for throwing a grenade. He said he got his information from officials in Kunar.

Civilian casualties have long been a source of tension between the Afghan government and U.S. and NATO troops. President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with U.S. officials to reduce the number of civilian casualties.

The Pentagon said Monday that U.S. troops did not follow proper tactics and procedures during an air assault on Taliban fighters last month which killed a disputed number of civilians.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the number of Taliban militants killed in the May 4 air strikes "greatly outnumbered" the number of civilians slain. But Morrell noted some problems in the way the strikes were carried out, citing a U.S. warplane that appears to have erred in bombing its target.

American officials say that Taliban militants purposely try to cause civilian casualties that can be blamed on U.S. forces as a propaganda tool to turn ordinary Afghans against the international military effort.

[ToolMangler1]

Put on this American uniform my friend and when you explode your device all will think the Americans did it.... hee hee hee hee hee!!!!

[gravyboat3000]

Afghanistan has suffered under the occupation of British, Russian and now American troops. The tactics of the freedom fighters changes and evolves to accomodate the force structure of the invader.

It may take one year or 25 years... but in the end, Afghanistan will again belong to the Afghanis and the occupier will depart a bit wiser and a bit bloodied.
Posted by wyodutch

To refer to American in Afghanistan as,"occupiers", is completely incorrect.

The British and Russians were attempting to fold Afghanistan into their empires. The U.S. is there to kill as many Taliban and al Queda scumbags as possible, then leave...

[wyodutch]

Afghanistan has suffered under the occupation of British, Russian and now American troops. The tactics of the freedom fighters changes and evolves to accomodate the force structure of the invader.

It may take one year or 25 years... but in the end, Afghanistan will again belong to the Afghanis and the occupier will depart a bit wiser and a bit bloodied.

[promaclaura]

Nobody likes back seat drivers, if you want to direct how the car is driven then get out and drive your own.

Afghan officials are back seat drivers, unwilling to do the dirty work and asking someone else to "drive". Then chastising the driver, but still unwilling to take over the dirty work(expelling extremists). Sorry Afghanistan you will see innocents die as long as you do not report YOUR terrorists and wipe them out of your lives.

[ajjaxtheleast]

WAIT,!!,,,PRIVATE WILSON,!,,,,,Here,,,

forgot your Russian grenades and throw-down
Russian grenade fragments for when you exit
your vehicle to change a tire and need
to disperse the crowd.

[jckbrn-2009]

"Suspicion among Afghans immediately fell on the Americans. " - - - Well, of course it did ! ! ! It's just an attitude and mentality thing ! ! ! No proof needed -
Militants are simply innocent bystanders in the general public - - right ? ? And they never cause death or destruction and hide among the children - - -
The media reports - - and then investigates - - - -