Friday, October 19, 2007

Memory Hole: Airstrikes in Afghanistan

(Updated: Originally published October 19, 2006)

For an absolute example of the despicable and deplorable news placement one need only refer to the Boston Globe and New York Times for today's report on the murders committed by NATO in Afghanistan.

The Globe carries the AP wire report on page A-fucking-15
:

"NATO strikes kill 9 civilians; Afghan village hit in air attack" by Associated Press October 19, 2006

These were the extracts I reported then
:

"Gulab Shah, gesturing to destroyed homes, shouted by the rubble of the ruined houses in Ashogo:

"I am not Taliban! We are not Taliban! If the foreign soldiers were so smart that they knew there were Taliban here, why didn't they see the women and children who were sleeping? Why do they want to kill us? How can they help us rebuild if they want to kill us? Maybe they should leave."

[And that was ONE YEAR AGO, readers?

HOW LITTLE things change!

I agree 100% with Mr. Shah.

Furthermore, it wouldn't matter to me if you were Taliban because we should not be killing them, either.

THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING TO US!!!]


"Bibi Farida, a 6-year-old whose red hair was matted with dirt, fidgeted and bit down on her scarf as she remembered the assault, her voice barely a whisper:

"I cried. I just cried."

[I guess little Bibi must be a "terrorist."

NOW I'M CRYING!!!!

Do you now understand why I refer to these "enemies" as lovely, lovely people?

I detect no malice in them; the malice I detect in this world emanates from the heart of the world's terrorism -- Washington, D.C., where the criminal Anti-Christ and his Fascist Neo-Con supporters are planning to destroy this planet in the name of global conquest and world domination.]

Then you get the total lies propagated by NATO and its flaks:

"NATO said it regretted any civilian casualties and that it makes every effort to to minimize the risk of collateral damage... U.S.-led coalition and NATO forces say they go to extreme lengths to avoid civilian casualties."

[Wow, do those excuses start sounding old and insincere!

I guess thats why they fired off


"Air strikes from NATO helicopters hunting Taliban fighters [that] ripped through three dried mud homes in southern Afghanistan as villagers slept early yesterday."

The New York Times is worse (surprised?).

It puts the report in a world brief on page A10.

Doesn't even merit a full article in the paper, and it's from the Times reporter himself.

And look at the description of the events that took place:

"Afghanistan: 11 Civilians Die In NATO Offensive" by ABDUL WAHEED WAFA

Eleven civilians, all in one family, were killed in a NATO bombing in southern Helmand Province. The Helmand police chief, Gen. Muhammad Nabi Mullahkhel, said NATO and Afghan forces had clashed with Taliban insurgents in the province and called in an airstrike on a concentration of fighters in an orchard. The power of the explosion knocked over a nearby house, killing the 11 family members inside, including a child. Two members of the family survived. General Mullahkhel said 15 Taliban were also killed."

Is that crap reporting and placement, or what?

From the "demon" of president Bush, the New York Times.

I mean, hey, the point is obvious: Iraqi and Afghani lives are of little value, so why report on their destruction at our hands?

Especially when we are bestowing the wonderful fruits of Liberty, Freedom, and Democracy upon them.

And that was ONE YEAR AGO, reader!

WHAT has CHANGED, readers?

Other than having killed so many more beautiful people?