U.S. blames Taliban for Afghan civilian casualties

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. blames Taliban for Afghan civilian casualties
Sun May 20, 2007 6:17PM EDT

By Steve Holland

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The White House expressed
concern about rising civilian casualties in Afghanistan on
Sunday but blamed Taliban fighters.

"You have to keep in mind that this enemy we're fighting -- part
of their strategy is to put civilians in harm's way," said White
House spokesman Tony Fratto.

U.S. and NATO troops are trying to defeat a spring offensive by
the Taliban, but dozens of civilians have been killed in recent
weeks in operations, according to Afghan officials.

-snip-

The rising civilian deaths in Afghanistan were on the agenda for
talks between President George W. Bush and NATO Secretary-
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who was arriving at Bush's
Texas ranch for a working dinner with Bush, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2026925620070520

[IndianaGreen]

1. Does the Taliban now has an Air Force? Are they flying F-16s?

Many of those civilian casualties are caused by our bombs!

[merwin]

6. Yes, but it's the TERRORISTS who are putting the civilians in harms way.

If it were up to us, all of the civilians would have already left the country, so we could blow up the terrorists and get out. But those damn Taliban won't let the civilians leave. So when we blow them up, it's the Taliban's fault.

Great logic, huh?

[coalition_unwilling]

10. Not to mention all the "terrorists" disguised as children - n/t

[maddezmom]

2. OT: where is Tony Snow?

[EFerrari]

3. Finger pointers from hell. n/t

[Lasher]

4. Didn't Coultergiest say things were going swimmingly in Afghanistan?

Great. Junior just had to have his adventure in Iraq. Predictably, Afghanistan is getting away from us. Jimmy Carter is right.

[maddezmom]

5. she sure did

have you seen this yet?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=282184

Warning lots of yelling and screaming :D

[YankmeCrankme]

7. ...

"You have to keep in mind that this enemy we're fighting -- part
of their strategy is to put civilians in harm's way," said White
House spokesman Tony Fratto.

And our strategy is to mow them down if they're in the way.

[gratuitous]

9. The Taliban puts civilians in harm's way

And the U.S. obliges by using its massive military might indiscriminately. So it all works out. Oriental martial arts have a strong component of using an enemy's perceived strength against him. If your enemy is large, and uses a bull rush technique to bring down a small opponent in order to pummel the opponent, the trick is not to be where your enemy is rushing. And if you can get your enemy to rush past you and collide with a wall or a support column, so much the better.

And we don't learn a thing, again and again.

[Supersedeas]

8. Condi the Soviet speciality has an answer for Afghanistan

[High Plains]

11. Every bully's lament: "You made me do it."

[David__77]

12. Yes, if only they would submit to the occupation, there would be peace and love!!

...