Two British Peacekeepers Sent Home

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Two British peacekeepers who allegedly fired 60 bullets at a car carrying a pregnant woman have returned home amid accusations the shooting, which killed her brother-in-law, was unprovoked, an official said Tuesday. Afghan and British police are investigating the shooting, but the soldiers only will answer questions from British police, said Capt. Graham Dunlop, a spokesman for the British peacekeeping force. "Two of the soldiers of the Parachute Regiment are back in the U.K.," Dunlop said. "The investigation into the incident is continuing."

Dunlop said repatriation was normal during an investigation. Any legal action against the soldiers would be taken in Britain, he said. "Britain retains exclusive jurisdiction over the soldiers," Dunlop said. "If they need to be punished, they will be dealt with by us." The pre-dawn shooting last week has angered Afghans in Kabul, who say the soldiers fired 60 bullets at a car that violated a nighttime curfew as it raced to take a pregnant woman to a hospital. The paratroopers were manning an observation post atop an abandoned grain silo overlooking a muddy slum.

The area is largely abandoned at night and the soldiers apparently opened fire moments after the car's noisy engine and headlights were turned on. Dunlop had no information on whether the two soldiers were the only members of their six-man patrol to shoot. Each soldier's SA-80 rifle carries 30 rounds. Amaun Isaq, 20, was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. His sister-in-law, Faria, gave birth that night.

No weapons were found at the scene. Although the shooting has angered many, most Afghans consider the 4,500-member peacekeeping force in Kabul vital protection against the brutal factional fighting that has left much of the city -- including Faria's neighborhood -- in ruins. The Afghan government wants the peacekeeping force expanded and its mandate enlarged to include other cities besides Kabul. Meanwhile, a U.S. general has begun a mission to help Afghanistan establish a national army with fighters loyal to the central government instead of to tribal leaders or local warlords.

The visit by Maj. Gen. Charles Campbell, chief of staff of the U.S. Central Command, is part of a plan to create a training program for the Afghan army, a U.S. Embassy military representative said. U.S. soldiers are expected to arrive in about a month to begin training about 600 Afghans, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Afghan officers then would train future army units. Since the Taliban was ousted, warlords have sought to extend their authority in several provinces. The cohesion of the government itself was questioned last week when interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai accused high-ranking officials within his own administration of assassinating the aviation and tourism minister.

On Monday, The New York Times reported that U.S. warplanes last weekend flew bombing raids that Afghan commanders in the area said were aimed at warring militia forces rather than the Taliban or al-Qaida. According to the newspaper, the bombing raids marked the first time U.S. airpower had been used in defense of the Karzai government against warring Afghan factions. Pakistani officials along the border confirmed the weekend raids but had no details on the targets. Virtually every day brings a reminder that Afghanistan has a long way to go in its pursuit of peace. Land- and sea-based planes launched airstrikes against enemy forces in eastern Afghanistan over the weekend after coalition forces were attacked while trying to pass a roadblock, U.S. officials confirmed.

And police in Pakistan on Monday found four rockets aimed at part of Karachi International Airport used by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan. Waqar Mulan, an airport security official, said the Chinese-made rockets were equipped with homemade launchers and a timing device for automatic firing. Police defused the rockets without incident. Also Tuesday, Afghan officials continued efforts to take Islamic faithful on their annual pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. A lack of flights has blocked thousands from making the journey, worrying people who paid for the trip but may not be able to go. The urgency in moving pilgrims to Mecca was brought home after Afghanistan's aviation minister, Abdul Rahman, was killed at the Kabul airport last week during a riot among would-be pilgrims furious over flight delays to Saudi Arabia.

Karzai said senior officials, including the deputy intelligence chief, were behind the killing and he vowed to punish them harshly. It was unclear if he was implying that the officials used the rioters as cover or that they incited the mob. The government on Monday appointed a new aviation minister, Zalmai Rassoul, an aide to the former Afghan king. As of Monday morning, 1,600 pilgrims had flown to Saudi Arabia, Dunlop said. Peacekeepers said earlier that 7,000 pilgrims were issued Saudi visas for the pilgrimage. British, Pakistani and Saudi aircraft were participating in the airlift.

The official Saudi Press Agency, quoting an unnamed Foreign Ministry official, said King Fahd ordered Saudi airspace opened for the Afghans' arrivals so they can perform the pilgrimage "in all comfort like their Muslim brethren who are coming from all parts of the world." The ministry official also said the Saudi government sent a temporary consular delegation to Kabul to issue visas to Afghan pilgrims. The pilgrimage draws millions of people each year to Mecca, Islam's holiest site. Islam requires the journey at least once in a lifetime of every able-bodied Muslim who has the means to go.

Captain Dunlop says "If they need to be punished..."

Golly Graham, do you have a clue why so many (all?) former British colonies fought to the death to get away from London?

Sleep well Captain, Monty Python is gone. Otherwise you might see your unit be a great inspiration for another sketch.

"If they need to be punished"

surely that just means waiting until the investigation is complete?

p.s. Canada,Australia,New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, British Honduras, Jamaica,Trinidad & Tobago,Nigeria, St Kitts Nevis etc etc didn't "fight to the death" to get away from London.

Several, including the Seychelles (Diaego Garcia) even had to be persuaded to take independence.(their price was a new airport) and Bermuda recently rejected independence in a referendum.

Review the Westminster Statute of 1931 - it recognised several dominions (Aus,Can,NZ,South Africa) as equal nations in law and was the beginning of the evolution of the old Empire into the Commonwealth.

Violent rebellion, as in the case of US,Ireland and Zimbabwe, has been less usual than you may think.

While in Panama in 1989 my unit 3/9 Inf, had a road block shooting. A NCO shot a car that had several local women and one or two United States Army soldiers in it. They ran the road block due to the curfew. One of the women was shot/hit in the head. The NCO was doing his job. I would think the British soldiers were operating under the same conditions. I would expect that the city power/lights were out and you never know what a vehicle driver will do at a road block. The (Peace Keepers) were sent home for their own good. In my book a Peace Keeper is a B-36 with a H bomb on alert.

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