Nato apologises for Afghan civilian deaths

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

A Nato airstrike targeting insurgents fighting from a residential compound in the volatile southwestern province of Helmand inadvertently killed at least nine civilians, Nato officials said on Monday, although the actual tally of civilian deaths remains unclear due to varying official accounts.

Southwest regional commander US Marine Major General John Toolan issued an official apology early Monday morning on behalf of top coalition commanders General David Petraeus and General David Rodriguez for the killing of nine civilians in Saturday's Nato attack.

"I want to offer my sincere apologies for the nine civilians who were killed during the incident in Nawzad district, Helmand province," Toolan said.

Toolan said that the airstrike was launched after an insurgent attack on a coalition patrol in the district killed a Marine. Five insurgents occupied a compound and continued to attack coalition troops, who called in an airstrike "to neutralise the threat," Toolan said.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/30/nato-apologises-afghan-civilian-deaths

[ChrisBorg]

1. NATO is USA.

In for an ounce.. in for a pound.

[DesertDiamond]

5. Wow, thanks NATO! That solves everything.

[Webster Green]

2. Clusterfuck.

Get the fuck out!

[Citizen Worker]

3. Now that we've once again apologized let the indiscriminate bombing resume.

[theHandpuppet]

7. Yep, that's pretty much it, isn't it?

:-(

[wordpix]

9. and the endless war machine

[The Northerner]

4. So, how many times has NATO apologized for how many strikes which killed innocent civilians?

And are those apologies actually genuine?

[Downwinder]

6. That apology will keep you warm at night and support you in your old age.

[izquierdista]

8. How about you leave without apologizing?

It might sound rude, but the end result would be better.

[provis99]

14. why all the hostility?

I think it was a legitimate post; If you don't like criticism of NATO, perhaps you're on the wrong website.

[rug]

10. Apologies are for bumping into someone on a sidewalk, not bombing residential neighborhoods.

[GeorgeGist]

11. Actions speak truer than words.

[truth2power]

12. Maybe I should burn down my neighbor's house...

and when the police arrest me I'll just apologize. It's all good.

These constant NATO and US apologies for blowing people to smithereens is making me want to vomit. Oh, wait...it was an OFFICIAL apology. Well, it's ok then. Carry on.

If there is such a thing as karma..... :scared:

[Vattel]

13. NATO doesn't understand.

After you apologize for something, you are supposed to stop doing it.

[Stuart G]

15. Viet Nam,Iraq, etc. "Kill"....all over again, and again, and again..nt