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The video allegedly shows that two groups of fully-grown adults going inside the compounds targeted by the B-1. Additional footage shows women and children streaming into other buildings that were not bombed.
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US military spokespersons also said that the armed forces were weighing the release of radio intercepts and other intelligence during that briefing, showing the 'Taliban's deliberate planning to create a civilian casualty disaster for us.'
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The video shows two groups of fully-grown adults going inside the compounds. Radio traffic confirmed the the insurgents' presence. Additional footage shows women and children streaming into other buildings that were not bombed, the military says.
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The US also claims it has intelligence showing that the 'Taliban's deliberate planning to create a civilian casualty disaster for us' Lt. Commander Christine Sidenstricker, a spokesperson for US Forces Afghanistan, tells Danger Room. The militants planned to draw US fire onto buildings crammed with innocents, she says. If not enough women and children were killed, the Taliban made plans to use grenades to ensure an international outcry over civilian deaths. American intelligence also shows Taliban fighters congratulating themselves on forcing survivors to lie to doctors ' and on taking American compensation money meant for the victim's families, Sidenstricker adds. 'This wasn't collateral damage. It was human sacrifice by the Taliban. Deliberate civilian murder'.
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Rachel Reid, Afghanistan researcher for Human Rights Watch, finds the argument unconvincing. 'The US military spokespeople can be quick to blame Taliban shielding for civilian deaths, even when unproven, but this does not remove their responsibility to avoid civilian harm under the laws of war. In fact they have cried foul over Taliban shielding so many times, they ought to now be anticipating the tactic,' Reid tells Danger Room.
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Yes, there's 'some evidence of Taliban shielding in Garani village. To deliberately risk the lives of civilians for military gain is a ruthless tactic of the insurgents.' But even if that's true ' and even if the B-1 video shows exactly what Petraeus and Sidenstricker say it does -'there are many questions that remain to be answered by the US' about the Garani incident, Reid says. 'Although the US had intelligence that some insurgents remained, the proportionality of such a heavy air attack must still be in doubt. If they were unaware of the civilian presence, their intelligence is cast into doubt_ If they knew that civilians were still present, and dropped 8 bombs anyway, then what was the calculation of military gain versus civilian death that was made?' |
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Name(s:) |
Noah Shachtman |
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Title: |
Reporter |
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Agency(ies): |
Wired |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Archive: |
Archive Link
http://archive.is/WkfBP |
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Author: |
Steve Inskeep |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Morning Edition, National Rublic Radio |
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