Posted on 10/27/2007 1:09:21 PM PDT by lizol
Polish soldiers to answer for civilian deaths in Afghanistan?
Created: Thursday, October 25. 2007
Poland’s prosecutor’s office is likely to charge soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan who mortared a village in Paktika province when five civilians were shot dead in the incident.
“Military prosecutor in Afghanistan has ended the investigation,” said Chief Military Prosecutor Office’s spokesman Col. Jerzy Kwieciński, reported in the Polska newspaper.
It remains unknown who among the soldiers will hear the charges and of what kind. This is to be decided in November.
In August a Polish patrol got caught into a trap near the Afghani-Pakistani border and answered with mortar fire. “A small mistake at the sight suffices for bullets to fall in the wrong place,” says an anonymous informer.
And they happened to fall on houses standing in the vicinity, killing five people and wounding other three, what was confirmed by the command of the coalition forces (ISAF). But according to unofficial information, as many as eight people died.
The victims and their families were paid damages and received necessities, food and household equipment.
“They accepted the redress and this means they forgave us,” said spokesman of Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan Major Wojciech Kaliszczak.
Sounds like they have a John Murthasky on the loose in Poland.
And they wonder why countries don’t want to participate in these NATO missions.
If they harbor Taliban, they are just as much a target. Besides, how do you tell who is who when they all dress the same and are shooting at you?
What B.S.
Do you think elements in the military are already kowtowing to the new parliamentary government?
Well, the prosecutor’s mission to examine this case has been sent to Afghanistan by the current (soon former one) government.
Yes, just a thought. Too bad. When terrorists hiding in a village start shooting at you, what else can you do but duck and shoot back?
It has always been accepted that there will be civilian casualties in warfare. If the charges are accurately described here, then it sounds like an unfortunate accident. Or, as Nathan Zachary has just suggested, possibly the villagers were harboring these terrorists.
We don’t know that. If a bunch of guys with guns show up at your house, you have little choice. Yet even if the villagers were unwilling victims, accidents happen. I would have hoped the Polish authorities would have more sense than some of ours seem to, in this time of ignorant political correctness.
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