These people weren't 'innocent'. They simply weren't armed as well as the other insurgents. The way this is written, it seems to be a massive, well-coordinated attack on a convoy that went sour. 16 Afghans killed and only one U S Soldier wounded? The Afghans killed couldn't have been part of the convoy or else they wouldn't be protesting their killing. No, my guess is they were militants and they were sent to their 'reward'. Good for us!
...but the AP article would have you believe that Americans were killed, too bad, sounds like a great victory, but the AP doesn't have a dictionary that goes as far as V.
Hmmmm. I would venture to say that some or all were also involved in the attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6416667.stm
Last Updated: Sunday, 4 March 2007, 12:40 GMT
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US troops kill Afghan civilians
The incident took place near the eastern city of Jalalabad
An incident described by US forces in Afghanistan as a "complex ambush" has left 16 civilians dead.
The incident occurred on the road from the eastern city of Jalalabad to Pakistan when a suicide bomber targeted a convoy, sparking a fire fight.
The killing of the civilians has reportedly sparked a protest by thousands of local people.
Separately, Nato said two soldiers had been killed in southern Afghanistan but it has not yet given their nationality.
Spring offensive
The US military said a minibus containing explosives was driven at the convoy, injuring one soldier.
US troops were then attacked from several directions and returned fire in defence of the patrol.
The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Kabul says local people reported that the US forces had fired on civilians in the aftermath of the bomb attack.
Thousands of people gathered to demonstrate, protesting at the large number of civilian deaths and blaming the US patrol for shooting passers-by.
Our correspondent says there has been a huge increase in the number of suicide attacks over the past 12 months, but a coordinated ambush is relatively rare.
He says there have also been other demonstrations in the same province, Nangarhar, recently, mainly at opium poppy eradication by government officials.
No information has yet been given on the nationality of the International Security Assistance Force troops killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan or where the clash took place.
Most of the troops in southern Afghanistan are British, with a large presence in Helmand province, or Canadian, with a big contingent in neighbouring Kandahar.
Twenty foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year.
Nato fears that Taleban violence will escalate in several areas of Afghanistan as the winter snows thaw.
Nato commanders have said they need more soldiers to tackle the expected spring offensive.
Last Tuesday at least nine people were killed in a suicide bombing at the main US base in Afghanistan, Bagram near Kabul, during a visit by US Vice-President Dick Cheney.
What? No wedding party to boot?
Dear AP,
You forget about the nearby soccer field full of muslim children being killed.
Oh, my bad- you reported that LAST Week in Iraq!
Whatever- it's all BUSH's FAULT!
This entire article is designed to inflict as much damage on the U.S. as possible:
1) The headline implies that the 16 dead were Americans, so if that's all you read that's the impression you'll have.
2) "shot by U.S. forces fleeing the scene." Trying to imply that our soldiers are cowards who run away from battle.
3) "Hundreds of Afghans gathered to protest the violence...shouting "Death to America!". Yeah, hundreds who just happen to be in the area of an ambush. Is the AP reporter too stupid to figure out this was part of the setup, part of the ambush, designed for the exact response it got from the AP?
I think Mr Green Helmet from Lebanon is out in the field working as an AP story coordinator.
Americans getting killed or Americans shooting innocents. Take your pick of stories written by the press.
Yeah ... tortured, too, no doubt.