At Least 40 Civilians Killed as US Strikes Afghan Wedding Party

Posted by Philip Dru on 11/05/08 • Categorized as Afghanistan, War of Terror

Afghan officials and local residents say that a US air strike struck an Afghan wedding party on Monday, killing at least 40 civilians and wounding 28 others (including the bride). The strike occurred in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar Province. Reporters on the scene say that villagers are still search the debris for survivors, and the toll is expected to rise even further.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned that bombings were not the way to win the war on terrorism, and said he hoped President-elect Obama would make it a priority to stop killing Afghan civilians. US spokesman Commander Jeff Bender said an investigation is ongoing, and â€œif innocent people were killed in this operation, we apologize and express our condolences.â€

This is the largest incident of US-inflicted civilian casualties in Afghanistan in over two months. In late August, a US air strike in Herat Province killed 90 civilians and led to an increase in tensions between the Afghan government and the international forces.

The Herat strike was based on a false tip, according to the Afghan government. This strike came after US-led troops came under fire in the hilly area, but it is not as of yet clear why the wedding party ended up being the target of the air strike.

Antiwar | Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Last 5 posts in Afghanistan

Hitchens Has No Clothes: A response to 'Vidal Loco' - February 7th, 2010
Karzai's Brother Tied To Corrupt Afghan Land Deals - February 2nd, 2010
Obama’s State of the Union Address Light on Foreign Policy - January 28th, 2010
Gates Sees Fallout From Troubled Ties With Pakistan - January 24th, 2010
Bin Laden claims Christmas bombing attempt - January 24th, 2010

Last 5 posts in War of Terror

AP Article Fuels Iran War Hysteria - February 9th, 2010
Hitchens Has No Clothes: A response to 'Vidal Loco' - February 7th, 2010
School bombing exposes Obama’s secret war inside Pakistan - February 7th, 2010
The Expanding US War in Pakistan - February 5th, 2010
US says it may kill Americans abroad - February 4th, 2010

Leave a Response

The Raw Story

US jails Chinese-born engineer 15 years for spying
A Chinese-born aerospace engineer was jailed for more than 15 years Monday after being convicted of selling technology related to the US space shuttle program to China, officials said. Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 73, was convicted last year of stealing trade secrets from Boeing and Rockwell during a three-decade career where he was also working as a [... […]
Actor Charlie Sheen charged with assaulting his wife
Actor Charlie Sheen was charged on Monday with assaulting wife Brooke Mueller following a Christmas Day incident involving the couple at a vacation home in the US state of Colorado. Sheen, 44, appeared in court to face one felony charge and two misdemeanor counts stemming from the incident as a lawyer for Mueller appealed for charges [...] […]
As Blair blasts Iraq ‘conspiracy’ hunt, British officials eye Bush, aides
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants the public to believe that his motives in helping the United States invade Iraq were completely pure. The reasons for an inquiry into his government's actions, he argued during a recent interview, stem merely from an "obsession" to uncover a grand "conspiracy" to take the two nations to […]
Obama admin. demands justification for health insurer’s 39 percent rate hike
Insurer spent nearly $9.5 million lobbying against health reforms; CEO's annual salary tops $10 million It's an issue that strikes at the core of America's health reform debate: How much should one have to pay to ensure their health care needs are met? Now take that price and inflate it by up to 39 percent -- just [...] […]
Support for gay ban weakening inside military: poll
Support for repealing the military's ban on gays serving openly has weakened significantly over the past six years, a new poll indicates. A bare majority -- 51 percent -- of active duty troops surveyed oppose allowing gay men and women to serve in the armed forces, according to a survey carried out for the Military Times. In [...] […]
US government plans new climate service
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama's administration announced plans Monday for a new office handling climate change, aiming to help businesses chart future plans as the nation shifts to a greener economy. The first practical effect was the creation of a website, www.climate.gov, which came online Monday and brings together government resources on cl […]
Meghan McCain: Tea Party represents ‘innate racism’
Young people 'turned off' by Tea Party movement's racist undertones, McCain says The daughter of former presidential candidate John McCain has sharply criticized the Tea Party movement, accusing it of "innate racism." In an appearance on ABC's The View, Meghan McCain also took issue with a number of recent statements from Sarah […]
Obama would destroy Palin in hypothetical race, poll finds
WASHINGTON -- Sarah Palin predicted Sunday that Barack Obama would lose the presidency if he was currently facing re-election. But apparently that's far from true if she's the Republican challenging him, a new poll finds. "I think if the election were today, I do not think Obama would be re-elected," Palin said on Fox News. While studies […]
Veteran Democratic lawmaker Jack Murtha dies at 77
Democratic heavyweight Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) -- who went by Jack -- has died after complications following gallbladder surgery. A local news station said the congressman had died in the hospital with his family by his side at 1:18 PM ET Monday. Murtha was the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, where he oversaw Pentagon spending. [.. […]
Freeze on HIV spending sparks concern in Africa
KAMPALA — A US decision to freeze spending on treatment for HIV in several African countries has prompted concern that some of the gains made against the AIDS epidemic since 2003 could be reversed. President George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched in 2003, focused largely on treating patients in urgent need of [...] […]

NWOTruth