Monday, July 04, 2005
Smart Bombs Not Smart Enough
Here we go again - another airstrike on an alleged "terrorist camp" that kills women and children as well:
Bombing villages or individual houses based on "human intelligence" is an inappropriate use of air power. There are too many chances for mistakes costing civilian lives - mistakes that translate into propaganda victories for Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
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The US military says it regrets that civilians were killed in an air strike by US forces in eastern Afghanistan.How do we know the rest of the casualties were Taliban? Are any male casualties of military age defined as "terrorists" automatically?
Women and children were among 17 killed in the raid on Chechal village, Konar province governor Assadullah Wafa said.
(SourveBBC News US regrets Afghan civilian deaths, July 4, 2005 [emphasis in original])
Bombing villages or individual houses based on "human intelligence" is an inappropriate use of air power. There are too many chances for mistakes costing civilian lives - mistakes that translate into propaganda victories for Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
