Posted on 05/29/2006 11:18:30 AM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2006 – A deadly traffic accident involving a coalition convoy in the Afghan capital of Kabul today sparked civil unrest in its aftermath, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported. Initial reports indicated one Afghan civilian was killed and at least six others were injured in the accident. There was no report of coalition casualties or of any casualties resulting from the subsequent unrest.
Later news reports say eight people were killed and more than 100 were injured, but military officials have yet to release an estimate beyond their initial report.
Coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Thomas Collins issued a statement that said a large cargo truck apparently experienced a mechanical failure and struck as many as 12 civilian vehicles at about 8 a.m.
U.S. soldiers at the scene immediately provided medical help to the injured, who were taken to local hospitals, Collins said, and Afghan security forces also responded.
When a crowd gathered at the scene and became hostile, a second convoy came to help, and both convoys moved out of the area with the damaged truck while Afghan security forces handled crowd control. Collins said a full investigation is under way, and that soldiers in at least one convoy vehicle may have fired warning shots over the crowd.
"We will determine the facts regarding the incident and cooperate fully with Afghan authorities," Collins said, noting that anyone entitled to compensation will receive it. "This was a tragic incident, and we deeply regret any deaths or injuries resulting from this incident," he said. "Although this incident is very regrettable, the coalition remains committed to working together with the people of Afghanistan to build a better future."
Appearing on CNN's "American Morning" today, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said not enough information is available yet to come to any conclusions about the incident.
"Apparently there was a traffic accident of some kind," he told interviewer Miles O'Brien in an interview originally intended to focus on the nation's observance of Memorial Day. "As a result of that, a crowd gathered. I understand that some local police responded to the scene. After that it's a little bit sketchy as far as what happened. So I don't want to speculate. But there has been a problem there. We need to find out what happened."
Know the news will play this to the negative side to the EXTREME
True, but remember we're not dealing with rational people ... we're dealing with Muslims.
That is the problem with making friends with enemies, when the only thing we should care about is do they fear us.
In all actuality, we know that it was not the accident
that "incited" any unrest, but insurgents bent on using
any situation for their own advantage.
That's why it's hard to have confidence in the sustainability of a solution in Afghanistan. Unless we stay long enough to raise the literacy rate.
The Afghans are merely acting out. Expressing a little pent-up anger, don't you know? They love us. They really, really love us.
Verified. An Afghan cameraman got footage of parts of the convoy departing the error. One machinegunner fired a short burst into the air. No Americans engaged the rioters--that was done by the Afghan Security Forces--justifiably in most cases. However, Barbara Starr of CNN, who is here in Kabul, reported that the Americans fired "in the direction of civilians on a hillside" while the video footage showed the HMMWV going down the road with the machine gun pointed high into the air. First, there was no hill visible in the video. Second, Barbara Starr was not at the accident site since she never left the same base I am at. Third, all casualties took place in town, not on a "hillside".
We're hauling her around, putting her up in nice billets while many of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines live on cots in tents; yet she could not pass up her chance to put some extraneous B.S into a story to cast our soldiers in a negative light.
SHOULD READ: "..of the convoy departing the accident scene."
As if there is ever "rest" in a muslim country. These people would riot over spilled milk.
"Later news reports say eight people were killed and more than 100 were injured, but military officials have yet to release an estimate beyond their initial report."
I wonder how many US soldiers have been killed and injured in freeing these ungrateful Islamic savages from the Taliban and other Islamofacists. Then again, freedom and Islam don't mix.
If a Baptist preacher called for a holy war in support of his faith and had his congregation kill Catholics or Methodists, would we pussy foot around?
If these so called religious fanatics want to die for their faith, I say we oblige them!
mark502inf's on-site reality report needs spread around and the CNN Presstitute needs to be "Maped-n-Rathered." Home for a quick lunch and don't have access to my ping list.
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