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U.S. troops kill 4-year-old Afghan boy

18 Comments

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday condemned U.S. troops for killing a four-year-old boy in the southern province of Helmand, in a fresh strain to troubled relations between Washington and Kabul.

Helmand Gov Naeem Baloch told Karzai during a meeting in Kabul about the shooting, which comes as the U.S. and Afghanistan wrangle over a deal to allow some U.S. troops to remain in the country after this year.

The U.S.-led NATO coalition in Afghanistan issued a statement expressing "deepest sympathies to the family who suffered the loss of a loved one" in the incident on Wednesday and vowing to investigate "what happened and why".

Relations between Washington and Kabul have been poor for years, and negotiations over the bilateral security agreement (BSA) have erupted into a long-running public dispute.

Karzai made a surprise decision not to sign the agreement promptly despite having vowed to do so, leading to the threat of a complete withdrawal of NATO troops by the end of 2014.

"We condemn the killing of this boy in the strongest terms," presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP.

"We have been calling for the complete end of military operations in residential areas. This demand has not been taken seriously by foreign troops and the result is civilian casualties including women and children."

Addressing a regular briefing, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "Obviously we would regret any casualties, any loss of life if these reports are accurate."

Civilian casualties have been one of the most sensitive issues of the 13-year military intervention in Afghanistan, and Karzai has often used accidental shootings and misguided airstrikes to berate foreign countries and stir public anger.

Faizi said a ban on military operations in civilian areas was one of the Afghan conditions of signing the BSA.

"The ball is the U.S. court," he said. "We are waiting for practical steps to be taken to end these operations and for the launch of a peace process. We believe the U.S. can deliver on these demands."

Signing the BSA is a precondition for the delivery of billions of dollars in Western aid for Afghanistan, which will hold an election to choose Karzai's successor in April.

In a classified cable reported by the Washington Post this week, U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said he did not expect Karzai to agree to sign the document before the vote.

The BSA would see several thousand U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan to provide training in the fight against Taliban insurgents after the NATO combat mission ends in December.

"Our position continues to be that if we cannot conclude a BSA promptly, then we will initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," Psaki told reporters Friday.

"We recognise that at this time it is up to President Karzai to determine what is in Afghanistan's best interest, and we continue to work on the ground with President Karzai and his team on encouraging them to sign the BSA."

Afghanistan's army and police have developed rapidly in the last four years, but the country risks slipping into turmoil without foreign military assistance as Islamist militias and warlords vie for power.

In a separate move this week, Afghanistan said it would release scores of alleged Taliban fighters from jail as there was no evidence against them, despite U.S. objections that the men could return to the battlefield.

© (c) 2014 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

18 Comments
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Why is this not the headline news? And why are no posters interested enough to comment? Sad.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Because not killed by Taliban.

TigersTokyoDomeJAN. 11, 2014 - 09:01AM JST Why is this not the headline news? And why are no posters interested enough to comment? Sad.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Notice the way the actual incident has not even been commented on. Its just about a bunch of politician's words.

America has killed untold numbers of children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Untold because they won't tell us. They just shoot off their Hellfire missiles from Predator drones into houses then hope no Bradley Mannings or Edward Snowdens squeal. And if they do then we get the collateral damage excuse. Oh, but why did you wait for paramedics and fire fighters to respond before firing that second Hellfire missile? Crickets chirp. From that point on, Americans will let their bias be their guide. Perhaps they will point out how many little kids were killed by the Taliban, as if two wrongs make a right. Or maybe I should say four wrongs make a right.

Not only are kids being killed by Americans for a near complete lack of intel on target buildings, but America should not be there in the first place, should not be killing by remote control. Add to that the fact that the Taliban surely also kills kids in an attempt to win this pointless conflict and you get four wrongs, if not many many more, such as the fact that information is being hidden from us in a clear bid to win the propaganda war on the home front.

Makes me sick to my stomach.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Sickening beyond belief. Why is the U.S. still in that country?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Yes, WWII was over in 4 years (Pacific side). The US is training Afghans to fight Taliban? The US does not seem to be capable of fighting Taliban. Why are they doing the training? And they are protecting us?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@oldman, i'd take your question a step further... "why the us is still in the us?" i'm not surprised that this aint headline news and also not that many readers didn't post here. we're all living in america .... america .....

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

In December 2012, British special forces killed four teen boys, 12, 14, 16 and 18 years old as they drank tea in a house. So don't think its only the American military I condemn.

And I tried to find out how this four year old died. No luck. It seems like the press is waiting until the U.S. military formulates an excuse to before revealing the Afghan side of this.

All I know is that the boy was killed in Helmand province, same as the teens. But the 4 year old was killed by U.S. Marines.

It may not be a documentary, but I recommend watching the movie Redacted and ponder what happens when foreign brute squads who can't speak the local language go kicking in doors in search of "insurgents". Its nothing but chaos and idiocy.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Rest in Peace to this poor, innocent child. It is probably for the best for the Americans responsible to be handed over to the Afghans for punishment.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Now this is another horrible incident out there in useless Afghanistan. RIP 4 year old little boy born in that messed up the world. Time for the USA to get the hell out of that crap part of the world.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I forgot to add, RIP to this innocent child.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

TigerDome: Why is this not the headline news? If you want World headline news in your country (whatever(, just use JT World News every day, Your area might have too many local news on the newspaper; that ignore USA news (if you live out of USA) like this news.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seems we're not getting enough information on the situation. 4 year old dead (allegedly). Needs more evidence and support to the claim in a region where even the slightest rumor can be thought as truth if not enough people are present to validify the situation.

Notice the statement, "If these reports are accurate." While I don't doubt that it could have happened, I also seriously doubt taking words as truth.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Why is this not the headline news?

Perhaps, the incident is not "headline news," because of the almost daily headlines which report the "accidental" deaths of similarly-aged kids in Chicago, the Bronx, etc. Also, while it's certainly tragic and newsworthy that US forces accidently killed an innocent child, it's no more so than the killing of innocents that's done purposely by opposition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

BTW, I Googled "four-year-old kid killed in Afghanistan" and received a large number of "hits" which indicate the incident has received wide-ranging publicity around the world.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"To date, $459.8 billion dollars has been allocated for the war in Afghanistan since 2001 in current, or "then year" dollars. Adjusted for inflation the total is $487.6 billion in constant 2012 dollars." source: http://nationalpriorities.org/analysis/2011/annual-costs-war-afghanistan/

George W. Bush created a disaster to deliver profits to his GOP-Tea war profiteers and that is the only mission he accomplished. America stands dumb founded and silent as the pointless loss of life continues while the GOP-Tea now brings its brand of terrorism home to New Jersey, (see: Christie deputies close bridge to New York in political vendetta)

What is the cost of the life of a child? What is the cost of war profiteers in their rape of the globe? Maybe George W. Bush's library has an answer.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Why is this not the headline news? And why are no posters interested enough to comment? Sad.

Because the title states "U.S. troops kill...". It's only headline news if it's something bad about China. The U.S. always gets carte blanche.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

No soldier has intentionally killing 4 years old boy. Hamid Karzai is opportunist and most corrupted person. He is the main problem of Afghanistan's peace and stability. I hope new Afghanistan Government will be leading by Abdullah Abdullah from opposition party. Under Karzai Government, Only his family and cronies are becoming mega rich but Afghan peoples lives are nothing changed. Accident can not be happened in every war. Karzai only care about his image and money. Afghanistan will fall into Taliban hands again once US and its Alliance troops left the country.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Americans STILL wonder why people hate them, if this had been the opposite and a foreign soldier shot an american boy, there would be outrage

0 ( +1 / -1 )

President Hamid Karzai is an opportunist, he sees the writing on the wall and knows the US will be leaving soon. When the US leaves he and his elite cohorts will be at the mercy of the Taliban. So, what better way to get in good than to point fingers.

But, as with all who point fingers he forgets that as he points with one three are pointing right back at him.

The Taliban doesn't play nice with others and if Karzai thinks he will be left to be the President, he is greatly mistaken. The moment the US leaves he will be left in the wind and that is exactly where will find his body, fluttering in the wind.

So, I for one will enjoy seeing him begging the US for help once the heavy fighting starts again. This time all the US will do is smile and wave. You'll be on your own soon enough Karzai, good luck with the dogs you want to lay with.

drakedogmaJan. 12, 2014 - 06:09AM JST Americans STILL wonder why people hate them, if this had been the opposite and a foreign soldier shot an american boy, there would be outrage

American's understand why some people hate us, but at the same time those very people do much worse to their own people than an American will ever do.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

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